Sunny greetings, dear reader!
Today, in this mini post series for writers, I discuss if there is a best time to hand over documentation for translation.
When considering the documentation life cycle, when is the best time to kick off the translation process? Let’s dive in!
The document development cycle begins with analysis, planning, and design, followed by content creation, editing, proofreading, and ongoing maintenance.
For different content types, timing varies. For release notes (RNs), simultaneous translation and publication are often ideal. Help content may offer more flexibility – you want to assist all customers promptly, but urgency varies. In fast-paced sectors like gaming, simultaneous shipping (SIM shipping) is crucial, involving voice-overs, help docs, logos, sounds, captions, packaging, and marketing materials.
Or consider plant engineering, for example. Typically, documentation translation happens after the factory acceptance test (FAT). But sometimes, you might find yourself needing a translated and localized version ready before the FAT – especially if your machine’s customer speaks a different language than the original content.
Imagine this: the machine and its documentation are developed in France, but the customer is Spanish. In such a scenario, you would likely need a Spanish version of all documentation and software ready when presenting the machine to the customer. This isn’t ideal because the product isn’t yet finalized. Now, picture this: if the customer requests changes to the machine, along with any changes during the FAT. In these cases, you’d have to start the translation and localization process over again for the additions and modifications. This could lead to multiple rounds of translation, as each change to the machine and software might require content adjustments.
In theory, it’s best to send your content for translation once you’ve finalized it for the original market. That way, you only need to send it out for translation once.
In practice, there doesn’t seem to be a perfect time for translation; it all depends on your company’s needs, the situation, and the requirements for different types of documentation.
Especially with dynamic content like help documentation, finding the right moment to send it for translation can be tricky. However, you do have a deadline for when your content needs to be delivered – start planning from there. If you need the translation to go live simultaneously with the original content, make sure to account for translation and review time. Finish early enough so the translation team has plenty of time to deliver high-quality content.
Don’t forget about content such as images, icons, and screenshots. Everything that is text, you might want to have translated as well.
If you don’t need to ship everything at the same time, you can hand over your completed and polished content for translation after it has been published.
This post series was inspired by a dear friend who happens to be a technical writer. I wish I could give my friend and all of you out there a clear-cut rule on when to start the translation process within the documentation life cycle … but theory and practice can often differ.
However, here are my rules of thumb for you:
- Establish a solid timeline for content within the documentation life cycle based on requirements (such as simultaneous shipping, beta releases) and content type (e.g., release notes, packaging labels).
- Ensure the content is finalized and translation-friendly before sending it for translation.
- Collaborate closely with the localization and translation team for your planning.
In my next part, I’ll briefly discuss what you need to prepare for translating your content.
Writers lost in translation series
- Translation and time planning
- Documentation life cycle and translation timing
- Preparing content for translation
- Things that can happen after translation kick-off and completing the translation project