Key performance indicators for localization

本地化的关键绩效指标

2023-05-31 19:00 Across

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Localization has become a key strategic activity for companies looking to expand their global presence and maximize sales. To evaluate the effectiveness of localization, companies rely on key performance indicators (KPIs) that provide valuable insights into business results. In this article, we discuss the importance of KPIs in localization from a business perspective while putting the focus on cost savings, which is an important aspect of greater profitability. By examining a range of KPIs that can be employed by departments responsible for technical documentation and marketing, we demonstrate how companies can measure and optimize their localization strategies in order to be successful in international markets. There are a wide variety of localization KPIs, which may differ depending on what is important to you. To provide you with an overview, we compiled the ten most important KPIs that can be relevant in the area of localization: The most important and easiest to quantify KPI is the cost savings you as an enterprise can achieve in your localization process. You can use a variety of strategies and practices to save costs during localization. First, you can increase productivity and reduce the manual effort required by optimizing workflows, using translation management systems, and implementing automation tools. Cost efficiency can also be enhanced through effective vendor management, such as by selecting reliable translation service providers, negotiating favorable pricing terms, and building long-term partnerships. Another opportunity to save costs is through the reuse of content. Translation memories and terminology databases allow you to reuse previously translated content for similar projects, eliminating the need for complete retranslation and reducing localization costs. When you invest in robust quality control and error prevention, you ensure that translations are of high quality from the start, minimizing the need for costly proofreading. You can accelerate the translation process, reduce the manual effort required, and improve productivity by using technologies and automation tools such as machine translation (in combination with post-editing), natural language processing, and automatic quality checks. Centralizing translation management and implementing standardized processes across the organization optimizes resources, reduces duplication, and enables better coordination, resource sharing, and knowledge transfer. By reducing the time it takes to bring products and services to new markets, you can also contribute to cost savings by gaining a competitive advantage, generating revenue sooner, and minimizing your potential loss of sales. By implementing these strategies and practices, your enterprise can streamline localization processes, improve cost efficiencies, and bring about significant savings while successfully expanding its global reach. In most companies, translations are mainly taking place in the departments responsible for technical documentation and marketing. While the overall goal of cost savings remains the same, the specific implementation and focus may vary depending on the nature of the department’s activities and requirements. In the following, we explain the differences in the application of cost savings in these two areas: Departments responsible for technical documentation primarily focus on the creation of user manuals, product manuals, technical specifications, and other documents that make it possible to use and understand products and services. Within this framework, you can apply the following cost-saving strategies: Marketing departments are responsible for matters including the advertisement of products and services in the target markets. This includes the creation of marketing documents, campaigns, websites, and other resources. Here are some specific ways that your marketing department can save on localization: Localization plays a crucial role in your business success and your expansion into global markets. Companies can effectively measure and evaluate the impact of their localization activities by implementing key performance indicators (KPIs) tailored to the specific needs of their departments. Sales growth in target markets serves as the primary KPI indicating the effectiveness of product and service localization in generating business opportunities. However, the preeminent and fundamental KPI is cost savings, which involves the employment of strategies such as increasing translation efficiency, appropriate vendor management, reusing content, streamlining processes, performing quality assurance, making good use of technology, centralizing translation management, accelerating time-to-market, and more. By leveraging these KPIs and continuously improving their localization processes, companies can achieve sustainable growth, increase profitability, and stay one step ahead of the global competition.
本地化已经成为寻求扩大全球业务和最大化销售的公司的一项关键战略活动。为了评估本地化的有效性,公司依赖于关键绩效指标(KPI),这些指标提供了对业务结果的宝贵见解。在本文中,我们从业务角度讨论了KPI在本地化中的重要性,同时将重点放在成本节约上,这是提高盈利能力的一个重要方面。通过检查负责技术文档和营销的部门可以采用的一系列KPI,我们展示了公司如何衡量和优化其本地化战略,以便在国际市场上取得成功。 有各种各样的本地化KPI,根据对您来说什么是重要的,这些KPI可能会有所不同。为了给您提供一个概览,我们汇编了与本地化领域相关的十个最重要的KPI: 最重要也是最容易量化的KPI是您作为企业在本地化过程中可以实现的成本节约。 在本地化过程中,您可以使用各种策略和实践来节省成本。首先,您可以通过优化工作流程、使用翻译管理系统和实施自动化工具来提高工作效率并减少所需的手动工作。还可以通过有效的供应商管理来提高成本效益,例如选择可靠的翻译服务提供商、协商优惠的价格条款以及建立长期合作伙伴关系。 另一个节省成本的机会是通过内容的重用。翻译记忆库和术语数据库允许您在类似的项目中重用以前翻译的内容,消除了完全重新翻译的需要,并降低了本地化成本。 当您投资于强大的质量控制和错误预防时,您可以从一开始就确保翻译的高质量,最大限度地减少昂贵的校对需求。通过使用机器翻译(结合后期编辑)、自然语言处理和自动质量检查等技术和自动化工具,您可以加快翻译过程,减少所需的手动工作,并提高工作效率。 在整个组织内集中翻译管理和实施标准化流程可以优化资源,减少重复,并实现更好的协调、资源共享和知识转移。通过减少将产品和服务推向新市场所需的时间,您还可以获得竞争优势,更快地产生收入,并最大限度地减少潜在的销售损失,从而为节约成本做出贡献。 通过实施这些战略和实践,您的企业可以简化本地化流程,提高成本效益,并在成功扩展其全球影响力的同时实现显著节约。 在大多数公司,翻译工作主要在负责技术文档和市场营销的部门进行。虽然节省费用的总体目标保持不变,但具体的执行和重点可能因该部活动和需求的性质而异。在下文中,我们将解释在这两个领域应用成本节约的差异: 负责技术文档的部门主要致力于创建用户手册、产品手册、技术规范和其他文档,以便使用和理解产品和服务。在此框架内,您可以应用以下节省成本的策略: 营销部门负责包括产品和服务在目标市场的广告在内的事宜。这包括创建营销文档、活动、网站和其他资源。以下是您的营销部门可以节省本地化成本的一些具体方法: 本地化对您的业务成功和全球市场扩张至关重要。公司可以通过实施针对其部门特定需求定制的关键绩效指标(KPI)来有效地衡量和评估其本地化活动的影响。目标市场的销售增长是主要的关键绩效指标,表明产品和服务本地化在创造商机方面的有效性。 然而,最重要和最基本的KPI是成本节约,这涉及到采用诸如提高翻译效率、适当的供应商管理、重用内容、简化流程、执行质量保证、充分利用技术、集中翻译管理、加快上市时间等策略。通过利用这些KPI并不断改进其本地化流程,公司可以实现可持续增长,提高盈利能力,并在全球竞争中领先一步。

以上中文文本为机器翻译,存在不同程度偏差和错误,请理解并参考英文原文阅读。

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