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Switching language service providers: 5 ways Acclaro makes it easy

By Acclaro

Your product or service is selling well in your home market and you’ve decided to expand to new markets to drive growth. You know localization is critical to your global success. But your current Language Services Provider (LSP) just isn’t delivering the quality of localization or level of service you were hoping for. Typos are tarnishing your message, project communication is inconsistent and unclear, and cost-efficiency seems out of reach. A mediocre localization vendor partner simply won’t cut it on your path to be a global leader in your industry. You need a true partner.

Here are 5 red flags that might signal it’s time to explore a new partnership:

Poor quality:

Are you getting inconsistent translations riddled with errors, omissions, and typos? Are cultural nuances getting lost in the mix? That’s a recipe for brand damage and lost revenue. And worse, mistranslated legal or regulatory information can lead to hefty fines and reputational damage.

Communication issues:

Strong communication is the basis for successful business relationships and strong program execution. Poor communication can look like multiple points of contact, none of whom fully know your program, a lack of follow-up, and lackluster status reporting.

Frequent changes on their team:

Do you have a different project manager or language lead than you did at the start? This lack of continuity causes disruption and disconnection with your account.

Lack of partnership approach:

Collaboration leads to a better understanding of your needs and stronger ROI for you. When your vendor treats you like a transaction and assumes your program has the same needs as everyone else’s, then you’re working with a vendor who doesn’t value partnership.

Lack of innovation driving improvements:

Is your LSP always trying to raise the bar to save you money, boost efficiency, speed up work, and improve quality? You shouldn’t have to settle for mediocre localization that fails to really move the needle for you.

If the above things are happening to you, it’s time to make a switch. However, we get the risk and concern involved in doing that: sometimes, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know, and we’ve all heard of extremely painful transitions. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Acclaro can be your new destination for great customer service, seamless localization, and maximized ROI.

How we make switching a breeze (and how we earn your trust)

We understand switching LSPs can be overwhelming and there are uncertainties everywhere. Will this new vendor be better? Will your localization program slow way down while they are coming up to speed? But Acclaro has a thorough methodology to make the transition smooth and painless. Here’s how we make sure things go smoothly between us:

Smooth technology handovers

We know many organizations have an established and well-functioning technology stack. That’s why Acclaro plays nice with a wide range of industry tools. This is how we approach integrating with the tech you’ve already got:

Legacy systems: We support them—there’s no need to rip out and replace anything that already works.
Seamless integration: We connect any new tools to yours so you can continue using the tools you know and trust.
Tech improvements: We review your current processes to identify areas for improvement and potential cost savings within your existing tech stack workflows.

Dedicated resources assignment

You’ll be assigned a dedicated team of experts who will manage your entire program from start to finish. This dream team includes:

Project management pros: Your dedicated project manager will be your single point of contact, keeping you informed and ensuring your project runs smoothly.
Linguistic professionals: A team of native-speaking linguists who understand the nuances of your target markets and deliver culturally relevant translations.
Technical experts: Seasoned professionals who ensure flawless integration with your tech stack and seamless project execution.
Production specialists: Adept at managing your project workflow, ensuring timely delivery and efficient resource allocation.
Language analyst: Responsible for your specific resource management and setting up your linguistic talent for success, so that you can achieve your quality objectives
Quality assurance experts: Our meticulous QA team ensures the highest quality standards are met, delivering translations that are accurate, consistent, and on-brand.

With this expert team by your side, you can rest assured your localization needs are in very capable hands. On average, the teams we assign to clients have an average of 45 years localization industry experience.

Cost and process efficiency planning

We know that maximizing budget and ‘doing more with less’ is a top concern for your team. That’s why Acclaro prioritizes cost efficiency and complete transparency. We begin by thoroughly analyzing your past and current projects and project scope. This in-depth analysis allows us to:

Identify potential cost savings: For example, we’ll maximize existing translation memory (TM) and glossaries you might have, reducing the need for redundant translations.
Optimize your workflows: We’ll assess ways you can automate translation or quality assurance and reduce time-consuming and expensive manual processes, which translates to cost savings for you.
Focus on continuous improvement: Our team will always be on the lookout for opportunities to optimize your workflows and terminology.

Quality planning and execution

At Acclaro, exceptional quality shouldn’t come at the expense of efficiency. Here’s how we ensure your localization program delivers both:

Getting to know your brand. We take the time to understand and train our people on your specific terminology and brand style preferences. This ensures consistency, accuracy, and brand voice across all your translated content.
Relentless quality assurance. Our powerful Quality Assurance (QA) program includes deploying advanced linguistic tools and automations, meticulous human review by native-speaking linguists, and a final review by our dedicated project manager.

With Acclaro, you can sleep soundly at night, knowing your message is being delivered flawlessly and consistently across all your target markets.

Working relationship and communication protocols

Here’s how we make sure there’s open collaboration and that everyone is kept informed throughout the entire localization process:

Formal kickoff meeting with all stakeholders: This meeting sets clear expectations, establishes roles and responsibilities, and allows for open discussion about your project goals.
Defined communication protocols: We’ll establish how often we’ll communicate, preferred communication channels (email, project management platform, etc.), where we store files, how we communicate project updates, and who will be the primary point of contact on each team.
Clear timelines: We’ll provide you with a clear project timeline outlining key milestones and deadlines from the outset.
Defined roles: You’ll have a comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each team member involved in your project.
Reporting and KPIs: We believe in data-driven decision-making. We’ll work with you to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your localization goals. Regular reports will keep you informed on project progress and ensure we’re meeting your expectations.

By keeping you informed and involved every step of the way, we build trust and ensure your localization program delivers the results you need.

Making the leap: preparing for a seamless LSP switch

Before kicking off with a new partner a little prep work on your part goes a long way:

Gather your terminology, Translation Memories, style guides, and archived resources to provide them to your new vendor.
Plan for onboarding. For example, sharing product and service resources and information on your process with your new LSP team will let them hit the ground running.
Nail down your scope. You’ll need to define your localization program’s scope, needs, and goals. Think markets, languages, volume, content types, and timeframes.
Document your processes. Clear process documentation makes future LSP transitions smoother for everyone.
Designate a point person (or team) to guide the switching process from your side.

Sound like a lot of work or aren’t sure where to start? Don’t worry – Acclaro has tried-and-tested template for doing all of this and our team will guide you through each step to make it a success.

Ready to ditch the struggle and onboard a new partner?

We thought you might be! Contact Acclaro today, and let’s chat about how we can take your current localization program to the next level.

We have 28 years of experience localizing for some of the world’s leading brands, including Amazon, Amazon Prime, Adobe, Samsung, and Panasonic.

Remember, switching LSPs doesn’t have to be a nightmare and you may have a lot to gain by doing so: higher-quality, better cost savings, great partnership experience. When you choose the right partner to entrust with your program, a switch can be smooth sailing.