Christie Fidura Senior Product Marketing Manager for Terminology Solutions The Effects of Globalization on Technical Communication and Training

The SDL Mission We help corporations drive global brand consistency and accelerate time-to-market by providing software and services to manage the delivery of all corporate information into different languages We call this Global Information Management (GIM)

How many of you… Know how many languages your company translates into today? Are aware of your company’s growth/expansion/future plans? Know exactly what happens to your content after it’s published? Have recently read your company’s website? Stumble across paragraphs you’ve written in other collateral? Understand the translation process?

Know how many languages your company translates into today?

Are aware of your company’s growth/expansion/future plans?

Know exactly what happens to your content after it’s published?

Have recently read your company’s website?

Stumble across paragraphs you’ve written in other collateral?

Understand the translation process?

Globalization in the Corporate World It impacts everything you do as a company Your market presence Your target audience identification Your brand Tone of voice Customer Support interaction The delivered product or service

It impacts everything you do as a company

Your market presence

Your target audience identification

Your brand

Tone of voice

Customer Support interaction

The delivered product or service

Brand Penetration We communicate with customers over multiple channels and in multiple languages Inconsistencies are easy to see from one channel to another

Today’s Communication Challenges Increasing delivery channels Too much work to deliver/track Increases risk of errors Decreases content effectiveness Increasing content volumes Does ‘write once, reuse many times’ ever work? Higher translation costs Time-to-market pressures Production cycles are shortening Squeezes development & localization effort Source issues Don’t have access to all content sources required Dependency on subject matter experts – busy and/or located elsewhere

Increasing delivery channels

Too much work to deliver/track

Increases risk of errors

Decreases content effectiveness

Increasing content volumes

Does ‘write once, reuse many times’ ever work?

Higher translation costs

Time-to-market pressures

Production cycles are shortening

Squeezes development & localization effort

Source issues

Don’t have access to all content sources required

Dependency on subject matter experts – busy and/or located elsewhere

Today’s Communication Challenges Content ownership Lost after publication Leaves content vulnerable Pressure to: Improve customer satisfaction Improve quality and consistency Accelerate time-to-market Do more with less resource Business silos of content creation Geographically separated resources No ability to share information or leverage other work

Content ownership

Lost after publication

Leaves content vulnerable

Pressure to:

Improve customer satisfaction

Improve quality and consistency

Accelerate time-to-market

Do more with less resource

Business silos of content creation

Geographically separated resources

No ability to share information or leverage other work

Geographically Distributed Resources Content Transactional Relationship EMEA Content Transactional Relationship Canada Content Transactional Relationship APJ Content Analytics Content Content Content Transactional Relationship Latin America Content Content Transactional Relationship US Content Transactional Relationship Product Group Authoring Authoring Illustration Illustration India Development

Development Silos Prevent Collaboration Initiatives Dev Areas Types of Docs Multiple Development Areas XML GMS Increase Productivity Version Control Reduce Costs Home Software Small Bus Large Bus Medium Bus Services Quick Install Guides Owner’s Manuals Installation & Service Guides Product Info. Guides Program Strings Getting Started Guides Improve Customer Exp. User Guides Tech. Sheets Read Me & Help Files Placemats Reference Manuals CD Artwork, Graphics, Icons

So what does ‘going global’ mean? Writing Content for a Global Audience

Writing with a Global Audience in Mind NOT…. Writing ..and then thinking of the rest of the world and different languages

Writing with a Global Audience in Mind … thinking of the rest of the world and different languages while writing, planning, etc. BUT…. The Bottom Line: Write for the Greatest Understanding

How Hard Can it Be? International Council for Technical Communication (INTECOM): US thinks UK spelling is ‘quaint, strange or just spelled wrong’ UK thinks US spelling is recognizable but strange – and slightly irritating!! No cultural, regional or local references “ batting 1000” “ on the fly” “ the bottom line” “ Choose a password which is easily memorable, such as your mother’s maiden name ” Simple, clean, concise sentence structure Other languages do not understand the combination of multiple nouns “ Application Integration Software Development Toolkit” = “Toolkit for the Development of the Software which allows the Integration of Applications” Consider “text creep” when translation occurs

International Council for Technical Communication (INTECOM):

US thinks UK spelling is ‘quaint, strange or just spelled wrong’

UK thinks US spelling is recognizable but strange – and slightly irritating!!

No cultural, regional or local references

“ batting 1000”

“ on the fly”

“ the bottom line”

“ Choose a password which is easily memorable, such as your mother’s maiden name ”

Simple, clean, concise sentence structure

Other languages do not understand the combination of multiple nouns

“ Application Integration Software Development Toolkit” = “Toolkit for the Development of the Software which allows the Integration of Applications”

Consider “text creep” when translation occurs

Global Content is Usable Content Write for the broadest spectrum of users Easily consumable content is the goal Think of Ikea! The easier it is, the more translatable it is Usable content employs good style Tone, language structure, syntax Tense, punctuation, grammar Formatting and layout Customer-friendly and unambiguous Complies with legal regulations Uses accurate, approved and consistent corporate terminology Not regional or cultural specific

Write for the broadest spectrum of users

Easily consumable content is the goal

Think of Ikea!

The easier it is, the more translatable it is

Usable content employs good style

Tone, language structure, syntax

Tense, punctuation, grammar

Formatting and layout

Customer-friendly and unambiguous

Complies with legal regulations

Uses accurate, approved and consistent corporate terminology

Not regional or cultural specific

We’re Not Global, so I Don’t Have to Worry, Right? CEOs are naturally ambitious Could market abroad later, requiring content localization Content could be re-purposed for a website that is localized ‘ Internationalized’ content is easier to comprehend in English Readers who speak English as a 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th language Especially important when you outsource (development) or publish information for companies who sub-contract (aerospace/defense) Modular content can be used by other internal departments Content can be lifted and then changed to suit new audience, medium, style guide Is the style guide future-proof? Can the same content apply to: Multiple formats Multiple delivery channels What about…? Different ways of saying things Inflexible rules Heading 2’s must be less than 6 words – does this rule work for other mediums?

CEOs are naturally ambitious

Could market abroad later, requiring content localization

Content could be re-purposed for a website that is localized

‘ Internationalized’ content is easier to comprehend in English

Readers who speak English as a 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th language

Especially important when you outsource (development) or publish information for companies who sub-contract (aerospace/defense)

Modular content can be used by other internal departments

Content can be lifted and then changed to suit new audience, medium, style guide

Is the style guide future-proof? Can the same content apply to:

Multiple formats

Multiple delivery channels

What about…?

Different ways of saying things

Inflexible rules

Heading 2’s must be less than 6 words – does this rule work for other mediums?

A Helpful Translation Glossary CAT: Computer Aided Translation Technology solutions for the translation process CAT technology provides translation memories and terminology management Translation memory: a database consisting of translation units Translation unit: source and translated sentence During translation, the technology searches for exact or similar matches to the current source sentence for translation Matches found can be reused or edited Termbase: multilingual database of all approved translated terms Term entries: terms, synonyms, acronyms, etc. Additional data: definition, part of speech, gender, etc. Translators work with a translation memory and termbase to reuse previous translations and ensure consistency of terminology during translation Result = More consistent translations, lowered translation costs

CAT: Computer Aided Translation

Technology solutions for the translation process

CAT technology provides translation memories and terminology management

Translation memory: a database consisting of translation units

Translation unit: source and translated sentence

During translation, the technology searches for exact or similar matches to the current source sentence for translation

Matches found can be reused or edited

Termbase: multilingual database of all approved translated terms

Term entries: terms, synonyms, acronyms, etc.

Additional data: definition, part of speech, gender, etc.

Translators work with a translation memory and termbase to reuse previous translations and ensure consistency of terminology during translation

Result = More consistent translations, lowered translation costs

OK, OK, I’m Global Already! Wait… what about everyone else in my company?

Consistency is Key Using consistent terms, style, formatting, and layout makes content more usable Readers can apply existing familiarity to new content Makes them more comfortable Reduces learning curve Happier customers think your product is better Less Support queries Internal perception = Great documentation!

Using consistent terms, style, formatting, and layout makes content more usable

Readers can apply existing familiarity to new content

Makes them more comfortable

Reduces learning curve

Happier customers think your product is better

Less Support queries

Internal perception = Great documentation!

The Impact of Inconsistency for Global Content

Examples: Product code name – internal name vs. marketing name “ Longhorn” vs. Microsoft Windows Server? Feature names Risks to: Proprietary terms The business – mission statements, elevator pitches, boilerplate text The technology – business applications, internal processes Editorial guidelines, which build the brand Established/preferred nouns SDL Knowledge-based Translation System™ – Established SDL KbTS – Alternative/Preferred Images Colours Email Addresses Regulatory compliance Inconsistency Examples & Risks

Examples:

Product code name – internal name vs. marketing name

“ Longhorn” vs. Microsoft Windows Server?

Feature names

Risks to:

Proprietary terms

The business – mission statements, elevator pitches, boilerplate text

The technology – business applications, internal processes

Editorial guidelines, which build the brand

Established/preferred nouns

SDL Knowledge-based Translation System™ – Established

SDL KbTS – Alternative/Preferred

Images

Colours

Email Addresses

Regulatory compliance

The Real Impact of Inconsistency Inconsistencies cause: Inability to reuse content Inability to leverage other internal knowledge Inability to leverage existing translations Inability to Simship across all markets Frustrated customers Increased Support issues Internal and External Perception = Bad documentation

Inconsistencies cause:

Inability to reuse content

Inability to leverage other internal knowledge

Inability to leverage existing translations

Inability to Simship across all markets

Frustrated customers

Increased Support issues

Internal and External Perception = Bad documentation

The 3 C’s of Globalization Centralization Collaboration Celebration!

What did we call this last time? Didn’t I just research this? I don’t like this translation. There are four different translations for this! What does this mean? Let’s just call it this for now. marketers engineers authors editors translators reviewers customers

Centralized Content Assets Web content, Online Help, User Guides, Marketing, Specs, etc. Translation memory Terminology QA Local Regional Offices Training and Education Sales Engineers Documentation Translators Corporate Marketing

Centralization Enables Collaboration Centralize all content assets Apply assets to the entire content lifecycle Optimize efficiency of the communication process Improve quality of customer experience (deliveries and interactions) Protect and enhance brand quality and value Accelerate product and message “time-to-market” Simship Communicate with relevance and consistency to local markets Drive out unnecessary process costs and delays

Centralize all content assets

Apply assets to the entire content lifecycle

Optimize efficiency of the communication process

Improve quality of customer experience (deliveries and interactions)

Protect and enhance brand quality and value

Accelerate product and message “time-to-market”

Simship

Communicate with relevance and consistency to local markets

Drive out unnecessary process costs and delays

Managing Terminology Delivers… The Right Term to the Right Author at the Right Time Delivers accurate and effective communications Rapid time-to-market Consistent information, communications, global branding and messaging The Right Term to the Right Translator at the Right Time Delivers true translation efficiency Reduces translation costs Reduces the review cycle Consistent translations, higher quality More reuse

The Right Term to the Right Author at the Right Time

Delivers accurate and effective communications

Rapid time-to-market

Consistent information, communications, global branding and messaging

The Right Term to the Right Translator at the Right Time

Delivers true translation efficiency

Reduces translation costs

Reduces the review cycle

Consistent translations, higher quality

More reuse

Summary Globalization requires Information Foundation Increases efficiency, collaboration Reduces effort and inconsistencies Style, terminology, tone, structure, syntax Knowledge sharing -- Enables collaboration without hassle Standards can be more easily adhered to Write for a global audience Be aware of publication media type Content may be published on the internet, and therefore localized Further reference: http://www.lisa.org http://www.sdl.com/terminology_management

Globalization requires Information Foundation

Increases efficiency, collaboration

Reduces effort and inconsistencies

Style, terminology, tone, structure, syntax

Knowledge sharing -- Enables collaboration without hassle

Standards can be more easily adhered to

Write for a global audience

Be aware of publication media type

Content may be published on the internet, and therefore localized

Further reference:

http://www.lisa.org

http://www.sdl.com/terminology_management

Thank you Christie Fidura [email_address] Copyright © 2007 SDL PLC. All rights reserved. SDL and the SDL Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SDL PLC or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. This document is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as advertising. All warranties relating to the information in this document, either express or implied, are disclaimed to the maximum extent allowed by law. The information in this document is subject to change without notice.