Our Analysts' Insights

CSA Research is well-known for its Localization Maturity Model™ (LMM) and Localization Maturity Assessments, based on 15 years of longitudinal data collection and analysis from observing organizational behavior around the translation and localization functions within global organizations. The LMM has enjoyed widespread usage and validation ever since its release as evidenced by its many references and adaptations throughout the localization industry. We have enhanced the original model based on thousands of interactions, interviews, advisory sessions, and consulting engagements with hundreds of organizations – and continue to do so.

We’re experts at what works and what doesn’t for translation and localization teams when they’re first starting out all the way through to when they are totally integrated into business processes enterprise-wide. So why would we, of all people, claim that localization audits aren’t enough? Because our data proves that they’re not.
 

Localization Audits Cover Only a Very Small Area of What Is Required for Global Success
 

Language support, no matter how well done, is only one very small piece of what it takes for an organization to be globally integrated across all of its functions and teams. For example, the localization team may produce the best linguistic quality possible for all markets where its company’s product and services are sold. However, if the original products and services fail to meet essential expectations in certain local markets, or customers can’t access post-sales support via a channel that provides a language they can understand, is localization even worth it?

Our data shows that most companies continue to struggle to enable all teams enterprise-wide to efficiently and scalably support large numbers of prospects and customers in local markets. Why? Because they have no roadmap to show them how to do it and no tools to benchmark how well they’re executing along the way.
 

The Globalization Maturity Model™ Provides the Roadmap for the Rest of the Organization to Achieve International Success
 

The Globalization Maturity Model™ (GMM) functions as an operational and strategic roadmap for executives and colleagues whose work affects audiences in local markets in any way – whether or not they are aware of it or plan for it. It does so in a way very similar to the Localization Maturity Model™ (LMM) across five axes (strategy, governance, process, organizational structure, and automation) and 59 benchmarking components that expand way beyond localization to encompass all teams across an organization.
 

  
Let’s take an example of an area that localization audits do not cover, but that the GMM does: the often overlooked area of the organizational structure required to support a truly globally integrated organization that is prepared and energized to support local markets. 

As you can see from the figure below, the model expands beyond localization to cover categories such as management culture, global design, executive engagement, international HR capabilities, and roles and responsibilities across all teams. It shows organizations how to evolve from having no organizational structure to supporting business process globalization to the point where all teams are equipped to serve international customers as well as – or better than – they do domestic ones. And all without having to figure out how to do it themselves.

What if you had access to an automated tool for benchmarking globalization maturity?
 

Your organization can benefit from the GMM in two ways: 1) as a research-based roadmap that specifies how to develop, sustain, and optimize your global business; and 2) as a benchmarking framework to measure – and accelerate – progress in running the non-domestic parts of your business (as well as any multicultural audiences that you target in your home market).

We’re working on a new data product tool at CSA Research to support executive teams and business functions beyond the localization team as they focus on how to make smarter decisions around their investments for global expansion. If you would like to beta test the tool, send an email today to rebecca@csa-research.com.