Community Translation Report Provides Insight via Case Studies from Kiva, Mozilla, and PBS NewsHour

Research firm Common Sense Advisory explores the costs and benefits of community translation, confirming that saving money is not typically the primary goal

Boston, MA – August 22, 2013 – Is community translation a viable option? What are the benefits of building such a community in a for-profit organization? The answers to these questions depend on many factors and are outlined in Common Sense Advisory’s report, “Case Studies in Community Translation.” The report is based on in-depth interviews with 18 organizations that have implemented this model and explores the rationales, costs, and benefits of doing so.

According to Rebecca Ray, lead analyst on the report, saving money is not typically the primary goal of community translation. She adds, “In a fast-paced and agile world, two of the principal benefits of community translation are improved speed-to-market and clearer insight into what prospects and customers expect from localized products.”

Case studies for five representative organizations that use crowdsourcing as part of their translation strategy are included in the report: Edicy, Kiva, Mozilla, PBS NewsHour, and WordPress. Each case study provides implementation details, a cost/benefit review, and major lessons learned for firms interested in building their own communities.

Highlights of the research include:
* How businesses can determine whether community translation makes financial sense by reviewing total costs and calculating their return on investment

* The debunking of two common myths – the notion that the quality of crowdsourced translation isn’t good enough and the idea that volunteers must be motivated by altruism

* How commercial companies can build on the lessons learned in the non-profit sector, as well as alternative paths for implementing a community model

* Best ways to ensure that quality guidelines are met

The firm also identified two key trends that are starting to come together, offering more possibilities for translation collaboration between groups within for-profit companies. Ray explains, “The first trend involves the breaking down of the classic “translate-edit-proof” (TEP) model and its replacement by a more efficient, collaborative model. The second trend is related to technology. Today, more vendors offer software and services to enable businesses to tap into their own groups based on a collaborative method. That’s good news – companies no longer need a huge community to justify investment in building a platform.”

“Case Studies in Community Translation”(http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com/abstractview.aspx?articleid=5536) is part of the firm’s research membership. For more information, visit http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com.

Common Sense Advisory, Inc. is an independent research and analysis firm specializing in the on- and offline operations driving business globalization, internationalization, localization, translation, and interpretation. Its research, consulting, and training help organizations improve the quality of their global business operations. For more information, visit: www.commonsenseadvisory.com or http://www.twitter.com/CSA_Research.

Melissa C. Gillespie
Common Sense Advisory
Boston, MA
+1 760-522-4362
melissa@commonsenseadvisory.com
http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com

This release was published on openPR.