End Client: Maritz

Project Description: Website localization: Content management system translation
Scope: Translation into Chinese, French (Canada), Spanish

Content management system translation project

Our client, Maritz, developed a proprietary CMS which they wanted to have localized into 3 languages for demo purposes for their clients and then full localization into the language(s) needed by their clients.  The CMS was for an online Rewards program for a client’s vendors, distributors, partners, etc.

Challenges: The client was able to export out content in a variety of file formats i.e. xml, xsl, html, .properties, and shtml.  Multiple file formats were parsed out to create an aspx file of the final page so we had to understand how the elements worked together. A lot of the content was exported out in single strings or strings with 2 or 3 words and no context.  Some content was split (not written for localization) and rather than having a phrase all on one line, a hard break was used to separate it into 2 lines.  Context was an issue throughout.  There was also the issue of understanding how the program worked itself so that the translators understood roles and responsibilities of different roles in the Reward program.

Solution: The Preflight process was an important step in this process. Once all files were processed, we read through all content and prepared a preflight questionnaire for client to answer.  This asked for definitions of different roles, clarification on acronyms, clarification on context of terms.  From there, we created a complete glossary with the English term, definition (provided by client), context sample from content, translation of term, translation of context sample. Terminology management became a huge asset for the client moving forward.

We also had the test site on a staging server so that the translation team could see it run and understand how the Rewards program worked.  Providing full context for translation impacts the quality of the translation.  Accented characters in html files were converted to html entities so that they displayed properly.  All file formats tested in QA and for consistency of terminology throughout. All files, once completed, were packaged in original directory structure including images with text which required translation.

The demo was a huge success and our client won the business of Cisco systems with that demo. We also sat in on that meeting as technical translation consultant to help them win the business.

Want to learn more about connectors in our industry to different CMS systems or do you want to know just where to start? Read more here.