The document discusses various translation workflows, ranging from full transcreation developed by in-language copywriters to translation by professional translators without editing or project management. It provides details on the typical projects, risks, providers, and benefits of 16 different translation options. The options are presented on a "scandal factor" scale from low to high based on their appropriateness and risks.

1. SHADES OF TRANSLATION
THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF TRANSLATION WORKFLOWS. SOME ARE MORE SCANDALOUS THAN OTHERS.
WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
50

2. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 2
SCROLL THROUGH THEM ALL OR
JUMP TO A SPECIFIC SECTION.
PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
CUSTOM OPTIONS
AGENCY TRANSLATION
BILINGUAL EMPLOYEE TRANSLATION
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATION
COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION
TRANSCREATION

3. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 3
TRANSCREATION
BACK TO BEGINNING

4. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 4
FULL TRANSCREATION (DEVELOPMENT OF
ENTIRELY NEW COPY) BY AN IN-LANGUAGE
COPYWRITER
You’re using copywriters for writing
brand new copy. Sounds like a plan.
Scandal factor =
#1
Typical project
Taglines, headers,
SEO keywords
Typical provider
Transcreation specialists,
ad agencies, some
translation agencies
Risks
More expensive
LOW
Benefits
Best quality,
ensures message is
appropriate for the
target segment

5. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 5
PARTIAL TRANSCREATION PLUS
TRANSLATION BY AN IN-LANGUAGE
COPYWRITER
You’re using copywriters for
translation, even though they
may not be skilled at this.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Marketing and
advertising content,
website content
Risks
Extremely expensive;
copywriters may not
have good translation
skills
Typical provider
Transcreation specialists,
ad agencies, some
translation agencies
Benefits
Quality of transcreated
content is likely to be
good
#2
MEDIUM

6. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 6
PARTIAL TRANSCREATION BY AN IN-LANGUAGE
COPYWRITER PLUS TRANSLATION BY A
PROFESSIONAL FREELANCE TRANSLATOR
You’re using translators to translate
and copywriters to write new copy.
Makes sense.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Marketing and
advertising content,
website content
Risks
Finding good
copywriters and
translators
Typical provider
Transcreation specialists,
ad agencies, freelance
translators, translation
agencies
Benefits
High-quality in-
language copy plus
high-quality translation
#3
LOW

7. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 7
PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATORS
BACK TO BEGINNING

8. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 8
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE
It’s hard to go wrong when
you’re working with experienced,
professional translators.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one
language into another
Risks
You may run into
scalability challenges
once you hit a certain
volume or number of
languages
Typical provider
Professional translators
who are members of
professional associations
and hold degrees in
language or translation
Benefits
High-quality translation
#4
LOW

9. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 9
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE
Translators have to gain experience,
but you may not want them “learning”
with your projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one
language into another
Risks
Watch out – quality
is not likely to
be as good with
less experienced
translators; scalability
Typical provider
Professional translators
who are members of
professional associations
and hold degrees in
language or translation
Benefits
Lower costs, maybe
(not always)
#5
MEDIUM

10. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 10
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WITH SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTISE
If your content requires subject
matter expertise, professional
translation is the best bet.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one
language into another
that require technical
or specialized
expertise in a given
subject
Risks
Will cost more; You
may run into scalability
challenges once you
hit a certain volume or
number of languages
Typical provider
Professional translators
with a demonstrated
track record and/or
degree in this subject
matter
Benefits
Quality and risk
mitigation, which is
essential for regulated
industries
#6
MEDIUM

11. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 11
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WITHOUT SUBJECT
MATTER EXPERTISE
If your content isn’t highly technical,
you have more professional
translators to choose from.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one
language into
another that do not
require technical or
specialized expertise
in a given subject
Risks
You may run into
scalability challenges
once you hit a certain
volume or number of
languages
Typical provider
Professional translators
who are members of
professional associations
and hold degrees in
language or translation
Benefits
Quality, plus costs
tend to be lower
for non-specialized
content
#7
LOW

12. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 12
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR USING A VISUAL
TRANSLATION INTERFACE
A translation software platform
gives your translators a visual
translation interface.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Websites, mobile
applications,
documents with
specific formatting and
page layout
Risks
Not every translator
has access to these
kinds of tools
Typical provider
Professional translators
that embrace technology
Benefits
Quality from the start,
reduced translation
errors, reduced
timeline
#8
LOW

13. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 13
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WITHOUT USING A
VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
Not using a visual translation interface
can decrease quality and delay your
releases or launches.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Text-only content that
does not require any
specific formatting and
page layout
Risks
More errors due to
lack of visual context,
more time needed to
fix mistakes
Typical provider
Translators who are
reluctant to embrace the
latest technologies
Benefits
Ability to adhere to an
older, more traditional
translation process
#9
MEDIUM

14. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 14
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR USING A TRANSLATION
MEMORY TOOL
Most translation providers are
in the habit of using translation
memory on your projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Any content type
except for subtitling
and voiceover work
Risks
Making sure the
latest version of the
translation memory is
always used
Typical provider
Professional translators
that embrace technology
Benefits
Ability to leverage past
translations for future
quality, consistency,
and cost savings
#10
LOW

15. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 15
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WITHOUT USING
TRANSLATION MEMORY
You should always remain in
control of your translated content,
including translation memory.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Any content type
except for subtitling
and voiceover work
Risks
No control over
your own content,
decreased quality,
increased costs
Typical provider
Translators that are
averse to using the latest
technology
Benefits
None
#11
HIGH

16. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 16
TRANSLATION BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR WHO ALSO WORKS
WITH A FREELANCE EDITOR
Would you publish content in your
source language without having
someone edit it? No, thanks.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects from one
language into
another, especially
for customer-facing
content
Risks
Costs more than
translation alone; you
may run into scalability
issues at higher volumes
and more languages
Typical provider
Professional translators
and editors who are
members of professional
associations and hold
degrees in language or
translation
Benefits
High-quality translation
plus editing
#12
LOW

17. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 17
AGENCY
TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING

18. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 18
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
PLUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Most agencies will advise you not
to skip the editing step, unless
you’re OK with risking errors.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple
languages and larger
volumes without
customer-facing
content
Risks
Not having an editing
pass means there are
no quality guarantees
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise
in the languages and
content types of your
project
Benefits
Scale for multiple
languages and high
volumes, lower costs
than translation that
includes editing
#13
MEDIUM

19. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 19
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
PLUS EDITORS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This is the option you’ll most likely
want to choose – it’s the de facto
industry standard.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple
languages and
larger volumes with
customer-facing
content
Risks
Costs will be higher
than with translation
alone, plus you pay for
project management
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise
in the languages and
content types of your
project
Benefits
Costs will be higher
than with translation
alone, plus you pay for
project management
Scalability for volume
and languages, higher
quality
#14
LOW

20. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 20
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
PLUS EDITORS PLUS PROOFREADERS AND
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
If you cannot risk errors and seek
the highest quality, this option is
likely best for you.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple
languages and
larger volumes with
customer-facing
content
Risks
Costs will be higher,
plus quality may still
vary by agency
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise
in the languages and
content types of your
project
Benefits
Scalability for volume
and languages,
highest possible
quality
#15
LOW

21. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 21
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES PROJECT MANAGERS IN
YOUR TIME ZONE
If your requirements and deadlines
are not flexible, you need support
in your time zone.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with
multiple languages,
larger volumes, and
requirements or
deadlines that are set
in stone
Risks
You may have to pay
more to work with
agencies that have
project management in
your time zone
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise
in the languages and
content types of your
project, and staff in your
time zone
Benefits
Ability to quickly and
easily reach your
project manager
regarding status
updates and progress
#16
LOW

22. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 22
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT DOES
NOT PROVIDE PROJECT MANAGERS IN
YOUR TIME ZONE
If you really think your requirements
will not change, you might be able
to choose this option.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with
multiple languages,
larger volumes, and
requirements and
timelines that seldom
change or are flexible
Risks
If you need to reach
someone during your
business hours, you
might not be able to
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise
in the languages and
content types of your
project, and staff in other
time zones
Benefits
You will likely pay less
if the project manager
can be based in a low-
cost location
#17
MEDIUM

23. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 23
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY WITH
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
If you have technical content, and
lots of it, go with a specialist, not a
generalist provider.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple
languages, larger
volumes, and technical
or specialized content
Risks
These agencies will
generally cost more
than non-specialized
providers
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise
in the languages and
content types of your
project, plus subject
matter expertise
Benefits
Quality, quality, quality
#18
LOW

24. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 24
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY WITHOUT
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
At the very least, make sure your
agency has done projects of a
similar type in your industry.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Projects with multiple
languages, larger
volumes, and content
that is non-technical,
of a general nature
Risks
Quality may vary widely,
as nearly any agency
will “qualify” for a
generalist project
Typical provider
Agencies with expertise in
the languages and content
types of your project
Benefits
Less expensive
than working with a
specialist
#19
MEDIUM

25. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 25
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY USING A
VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
A translation software platform will
give your translation providers free
access to these tools.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Websites, mobile
applications, documents
with specific formatting
and page layout, with
multiple languages and
higher volumes
Risks
Not every translation
agency has access to
these kinds of tools
Typical provider
Agencies that embrace
technology
Benefits
Quality from the start,
reduced translation
errors, reduced
timeline, scalability
#20
LOW

26. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 26
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY WITHOUT
USING A VISUAL TRANSLATION INTERFACE
Not using a visual translation
interface can decrease quality and
cause launch or release delays.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Text-only content that
does not require any
specific formatting
and page layout, with
multiple languages
and higher volumes
Risks
More errors due to
lack of visual context,
more time needed to
fix mistakes
Typical provider
Agencies that are
reluctant to embrace the
latest technologies
Benefits
Ability to adhere to an
older, more traditional
translation process
#21
MEDIUM

27. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 27
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY USING
TRANSLATION MEMORY
Most translation agencies
already use translation
memory on your projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Any content type
except for subtitling
and voiceover
work, with multiple
languages and higher
volumes
Risks
Making sure the
latest version of the
translation memory is
always used
Typical provider
Agencies that embrace
technology
Benefits
Ability to leverage past
translations for future
quality, consistency,
and cost savings
#22
LOW

28. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 28
TRANSLATION BY A CUSTOMIZED
COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION
ENGINE
Any translation that is generated
purely by computers brings you a
high degree of risk.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
text-only content that
is specialized but not
customer-facing
Risks
Quality is usually not
great, can be very
expensive to create
custom engines
Typical provider
Companies that specialize
in building custom
computer-generated
translation engines
Benefits
Can become beneficial
to a company
with enough time,
investment, and effort
#23
MEDIUM

29. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 29
COMPUTER-
GENERATED
TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING

30. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 30
TRANSLATION BY A NON-CUSTOMIZED
COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION
ENGINE
Generic, non-customized,
computer-generated translation has
the highest possible degree of risk.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
text-only content that
is neither customer-
facing nor specialized
Risks
Quality is usually
very poor, making it
not useful for most
projects
Typical provider
Companies that offer non-
customized computer-
generated translation,
usually online and free for
lower volumes
Benefits
Low cost, used
sometimes for “long-
tail content” that isn’t
customer-facing
#24
HIGH

31. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 31
COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION
WITH EDITING BY A PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATOR
Don’t expect professional
translators to take these projects –
it’s linguistic janitorial work.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-
only content that may
or may not customer-
facing
Risks
Quality can be
poor; difficult to find
professional providers
willing to take these
projects
Typical provider
Companies that offer
computer-generated
translation may refer
clients to translators they
work with
Benefits
Can be slightly less
expensive, but can
actually take longer
than regular translation
processes depending
on quality
#25
HIGH

32. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 32
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-
GENERATED TRANSLATION AND PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Even if the engine is customized,
the quality will likely not be good
enough for most purposes.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
text-only content that
is specialized but not
customer-facing
Risks
No quality guarantees;
customizing the engine
is expensive
Typical provider
Companies that offer
computer-generated
translation may offer this
service
Benefits
May allow you to
handle more file types
and larger volumes,
better quality than
without customization
#26
MEDIUM

33. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 33
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY
THAT PROVIDES NON-CUSTOMIZED
COMPUTER-GENERATED TRANSLATION
AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
If no human beings are part of the
process at all, resulting quality may
be extremely poor.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-
only content that are
not customer-facing
nor specialized
Risks
Very high risk of
poor quality due to
no customization or
human involvement
Typical provider
Companies that offer
computer-generated
translation may offer this
service
Benefits
May allow you to
handle more file types
and larger volumes
#27
HIGH

34. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 34
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES
CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS PROFESSIONAL HUMAN
EDITING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Having a customized engine plus
professional human editors reduces
risk but increases cost.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
text-only content of a
specialized nature
Risks
Higher cost; still some
quality risk
Typical provider
Companies that offer
computer-generated
translation and some
translation agencies
Benefits
May allow you to
handle more file types
and larger volumes,
lower quality risk
#28
MEDIUM

35. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 35
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES
NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS PROFESSIONAL HUMAN
EDITING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
No customization means more
reliance on human clean-up and
higher likelihood of errors.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of text-
only content
Risks
The output will likely
result in lower quality;
takes longer
Typical provider
Companies that offer
computer-generated
translation and some
translation agencies
Benefits
Lower costs than with
a customized engine
#29
MEDIUM

36. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 36
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES NON-PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATORS (BILINGUALS)
Even if your content isn’t technical,
the risks of errors are high with
non-professional translators.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes
of non-technical,
non-specialized
content requiring fast
turnaround
Risks
Lower quality; cannot
be used for specialized
content
Typical provider
Companies that
offer “bulk” or
“crowdsourced”
translation by non-
professionals
Benefits
Faster turnaround
times possible; lower
costs
#30
HIGH

37. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 37
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES NON-PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATORS (BILINGUALS) PLUS
EDITING BY PROFESSIONAL EDITORS
This situation is not very common.
Many professional translators
refuse to do this type of work.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
non-technical, non-
specialized content
Risks
No real time savings;
cost savings are also
minimal
Typical provider
Companies that offer
“bulk” or “crowdsourced”
translation by non-
professionals
Benefits
Better quality than
without professional
editors
#31
MEDIUM

38. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 38
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-
GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING
BY NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
This situation is uncommon as
well. This option competes with
computer-generated translation.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
non-technical, non-
specialized content
that is not customer-
facing
Risks
Quality can suffer;
difficult for editors to
catch errors
Typical provider
Only a small number
of agencies offer this
service
Benefits
Faster and less
expensive way to
process low-risk
content
#32
MEDIUM

39. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 39
TRANSLATION BY
BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Unless your employees also happen
to be professional translators, they
should not translate.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Low-risk content at
smaller volumes with
no hard deadlines and
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
Quality is usually
not great; process
is slower; distracts
employees from their
normal work
Typical provider
Bilingual employees at
client company
Benefits
Does not require
additional external
expenditure;
employees are more
familiar with company
and brand
#33
HIGH

40. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 40
BILINGUAL
EMPLOYEE
TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING

41. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 41
TRANSLATION BY BILINGUAL
EMPLOYEES PLUS EDITING BY
PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
Having translators edit can mitigate
risk, but still isn’t a good process
for many reasons.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Content at smaller
volumes with no
hard deadlines and
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
This may end up
costing far more than
it’s worth and will
take more time than it
should
Typical provider
Bilingual employees at
client company plus
freelance translators
Benefits
Company can ensure
higher quality than
without professional
editing
#34
MEDIUM

42. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 42
TRANSLATION BY PROFESSIONAL
TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITING BY
BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
If bilingual employees are involved
in editing, it can still result in a slow
and cumbersome process.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Content at smaller
volumes with no
hard deadlines and
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
It can still be very
time-consuming
to edit; distracts
employees from their
normal work
Typical provider
Freelance translators plus
bilingual employees at
client company
Benefits
Company can ensure
higher quality than
without professional
editing
#35
MEDIUM

43. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 43
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT
PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
PLUS PROFESSIONAL EDITING PLUS
REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Limit bilingual employee involvement
to the review stage. It makes life
easier for all involved.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Various types of
projects requiring
company-specific
knowledge, multiple
languages and higher
volumes
Risks
Process can take
longer than without
having employees in
the mix
Typical provider
Translation agency plus
bilingual employees
Benefits
Reviewers can guide
agency on company-
specific knowledge;
higher quality
#36
LOW

44. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 44
TRANSLATION BY AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES
PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS
PROFESSIONAL EDITING PLUS PROOFREADING
PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
This is another widely used scenario.
Agencies do the translation;
employees do a sanity check.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Various types of
projects requiring
multiple languages
and higher volumes
Risks
Will cost more
Typical provider
Translation agency plus
bilingual employees
Benefits
Higher quality
#37
LOW

45. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 45
CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY
BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Employees won’t enjoy doing this
clean-up work, and it isn’t a good
use of their time.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects
with no strict deadlines
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
This takes far too
much time for it to be
feasible; customized
engines can be
expensive
Typical provider
Companies that provide
customized computer-
generated translation,
bilingual employees
Benefits
No reliance on third
parties except for the
computer-generated
translation provider
#38
HIGH

46. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 46
NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-
GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS
EDITING BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
This option will be even slower and
will result in even poorer quality
than with customized engines.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects
with no strict deadlines
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
Slow, very high risk of
poor quality, cost of
employees’ time
Typical provider
Companies that provide
non-customized
computer-generated
translation, bilingual
employees
Benefits
Low-cost option
#39
HIGH

47. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 47
CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY
PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS
REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Having professional translators in
the mix can improve quality.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
Customized engines
can be expensive,
process may be slow
Typical provider
Companies that provide
customized computer-
generated translation,
some translation
agencies, bilingual
employees
Benefits
Bilingual employees
have to do less work,
can accomodate larger
volumes
#40
MEDIUM

48. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 48
NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-
GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING
BY PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS
REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Non-customized engines result
in lower quality requiring more
human intervention.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
Quality will likely not
be as good as with a
customized engine,
process may be slow
Typical provider
Companies that provide
non-customized
computer-generated
translation, some
translation agencies,
bilingual employees
Benefits
Lower costs
#41
MEDIUM

49. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 49
CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY NON-
PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS PLUS
REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Whenever there are no professional
translators involved, quality is likely
to take a hit.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
Process will likely be
very slow; quality is
not guaranteed
Typical provider
Companies that provide
customized computer-
generated translation,
some translation
agencies, bilingual
employees
Benefits
Somewhat better
quality than with non-
customized engines
#42
HIGH

50. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 50
NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-
GENERATED TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING
BY NON-PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS
PLUS REVIEW BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
With no professional translator
involvement and no customization,
risks of poor quality are high.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
High-volume projects
requiring company-
specific knowledge
Risks
Process will likely be
very slow; quality is
likely to be poor
Typical provider
Companies that provide
non-customized
computer-generated
translation, some
translation agencies,
bilingual employees
Benefits
Lower costs
#43
HIGH

51. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 51
TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS WITH
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
Even though volunteers may be well-
intentioned, quality and deadlines are
at risk with this model.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Limited to certain
content types only
that require expertise
in your company or
products
Risks
No quality guarantees;
no ability to ensure
deadlines are met
Typical provider
Global online
communities of fans,
users, volunteers,
partners, or others
Benefits
Customer
engagement; need for
“in-country review”
disappears
#44
MEDIUM

52. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 52
VOLUNTEER
TRANSLATION
BACK TO BEGINNING

53. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 53
TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS WITHOUT
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
Some organizations use volunteers
who have no expertise but are
motivated by their cause.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
General content
for non-profits or
charitable causes
Risks
No quality guarantees;
no ability to ensure
deadlines are met
Typical provider
Global online
communities of
volunteers who are
committed to an
organization’s mission or
cause
Benefits
Gives volunteers
another way
to support an
organization
#45
HIGH

54. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 54
TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS PLUS EDITING
BY PROFESSIONAL HUMAN TRANSLATORS
If you choose this option, make
sure to select a translation software
platform that supports it.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
General content
for various types of
businesses
Risks
May cost nearly the
same as professional
human translation
Typical provider
Global online
communities of fans,
users, volunteers,
partners, or others
Benefits
Allows volunteers
to participate while
mitigating quality risks
#46
LOW

55. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 55
TRANSLATION BY A COMMUNITY OF
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS PLUS
EDITING BY BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES
Without professional translators,
quality risk goes up. Involve them,
and risk goes down.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
General content
for various types of
businesses
Risks
Risk of poor quality;
not the best use of
employees’ time
Typical provider
Global online
communities of fans,
users, volunteers,
partners, or others, plus
bilingual employees
Benefits
Can be less costly
than other options
#47
MEDIUM

56. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 56
CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY
A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEER
TRANSLATORS
Machines plus volunteers are not
a good mix. No one is there to be
your quality champion.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes
of content that is
company-specific
Risks
Not scalable; most
volunteer communities
will not translate this
content
Typical provider
Providers of customized
engines, global online
volunteer communities
Benefits
No reliance on outside
translation providers
aside from the provider
of the engine
#48
HIGH

57. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 57
NON-CUSTOMIZED COMPUTER-GENERATED
TRANSLATION PLUS EDITING BY A
COMMUNITY OF BILINGUALS
This is one of the worst combinations
for quality and efficiency. Not
advisable for most projects.
Scandal factor =
Typical project
Large volumes of
content of a general
nature
Risks
Very high risk of poor
quality; Not scalable;
most volunteer
communities will not
translate this content
Typical provider
Providers of non-
customized engines,
global online volunteer
communities
Benefits
Lower costs
#49
HIGH

58. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 58
CUSTOM
OPTIONS
BACK TO BEGINNING

59. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 59
ADD YOUR WORKFLOW HERE
#50
We’ve provided you with
50 different “shades” of
translation so that you could see
how many possibilities there are
for breaking up the translation
process into steps to create
different workflows.
Each has its pros and cons, and
some are more common than
others.
But the options don’t end there.
With Smartling’s new custom workflow tool, you can build the workflows that make the most sense for
your global content. Create as many translation, quality review, and approval steps as you need – from
simple “translate, review, publish” workflows to more complicated workflows requiring subject matter
experts and discussions over multiple approval cycles.
Visit www.smartling.com to request a demo and see how easy it can be to build the workflow that’s
right for your global business.

60. 50 SHADES OF TRANSLATION 60
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