About the Importance of an In-Country Review Process
For regulatory reasons, companies in regulated industries do not have a choice but to provide an in-country review "safety net" as part of the translation process. This in-country review and validation of the translated documents can take place in two ways:
- It can be directly managed by the client through its own affiliates, distributors or subsidiaries; or
- It can be entrusted to the translation company in charge of the translations.
Let's examine the pros and cons of each of the above scenarios:
1.The in-country review process is directly managed by the client through its own affiliates, distributors or subsidiaries:
Typically, under this scenario, once the translation is completed, the client will send the translated materials to its affiliates, distributors or subsidiaries and will ask them to validate the translations. Under this scenario, the client manages the review process, any costs involved, as well as the deliveries of the reviewed and validated translations.
Pros:
- Client has full control of the process. In turn, this can also be a disadvantage if it gets out of control (i.e. managing the review of 20 languages in 20 different countries may become a full-time job for the person in charge of this process).
- Reviewers are familiar with the products and know the terminology.
- Cost (it may be free if an arrangement is made with the affiliates or distributors).
Cons:
- Review time is too long. Asking a person who has another job to review a 50-page manual may take weeks, slowing down if not paralyzing the whole translation process.
- Availability. This ties in with the previous point. Reviewers may miss their deadlines or may not be available, forcing clients to proceed without their input.
- Qualification of the reviewer. While familiar with the product, is the reviewer qualified to validate a translation? Is a distributor linguistically qualified to review the translations (understanding of the English for instance).
- Author's alterations (and legal implications). Because they are reviewing materials that they will be distributing in their country, some affiliates may want to rewrite the documents to suit their own needs. This can have serious legal implications or may lead to mistakes (i.e. making statements that do not appear in the source document, etc.).
- Objectivity. Some in-country reviewers would like to have full ownership of the translation process and may complain that a translation is poor when in fact it is not.
2. The in-country review is entrusted to the translation company:
Under this scenario, the in-country review process is outsourced and entrusted to the translation provider.
Pros:
- Faster turnaround time. By relying on an independent review, companies will be able to dramatically cut review times while being assured that their translations are reviewed, every time, with no exception.
- Quality. The reviewers are selected with the involvement of the client based on their résumés and experience and are "known quantities." In contrast to affiliates or distributors, it will be clear what educational, professional, and linguist background the reviewers have. This will result in review comments that are more consistent and more meaningful.
- Certificate of Conformity. Once the review is completed, in-country reviewers should issue a Certificate of Conformity, attesting that the translation has gone through a thorough in-country review and meets all industry-standards requirements.
- Traceability. Through the use of proper paper trail, changes are tracked and logged.
Cons:
- Cost. There will be a fee associated with the outsourcing of the review process. However if internal costs are to be factored in when the in-country review is managed by the client (as well as the time of the affiliates/distributors/subsidiaries), the outsourcing option may be cheaper.
- Accountability. The client needs to make sure the review is indeed taking place by third-party reviewers and not by translators working for the translation company. Hence the need for the client to be involved in the recruitment process.
For the past ten years, Excel Translations has successfully set-up and managed independent in-country review panels on behalf of its clients. Please contact us to find out how your organization can also benefit from this service.
