Our Analysts' Insights

Buyers of language services often focus too closely on their immediate translation and interpreting needs, missing the wider picture – the underlying knowledge that allows the delivery of written and spoken content in multiple languages. But why should buyers and providers care about this short-sightedness?

Do you ever get the sense that your progress toward best practices in localization takes a step forward, only to be followed by two steps back? You’re not alone in this shuffle. One problem that we see in our localization maturity assessments is that some companies abandon their hard-won best practices and return to an earlier, less evolved level of expertise and technology. Some companies even reverse direction, going from wise old localization sage to naïve infant as did Brad Pitt in the titl...

One of the most common questions that we field at CSA Research is the evergreen topic of how to convince doubtful executives to fund language investment at optimum levels. Whether it’s a new CEO facing multiple urgent initiatives or the yearly race for resources, localization managers and directors must approach their function as just another business process that their companies monitor, measure, and improve. Being an effective manager requires winning the contest with other functions for budg...

Regardless of its size, vertical, or headquarters location, your organization can benefit from implementing a framework for globalizing business processes to guide your global strategy. The clarity it provides will enable teams responsible for mainstream functions and operations to align their work in home markets with the company’s international goals.

Looking for a new job? Here’s today’s bad news. Nobody is employing a localization engineer or an internal CAT specialist, at least not when you apply with those titles on a resume/CV. They might be hiring for globalization – but that’s for someone who understands biostatistics, not languages. In today’s world of automated recruitment technology, job titles common in the localization industry seem meaningless. Why? And how can you succeed despite a lack of a common hiring language? 

Our recent research shows that global digital transformation initiatives and unrelenting competition are two of the most common drivers pushing organizations to invest in globalizing business processes across all teams. However, many firms still lag behind in this area. What keeps them from advancing faster and what can localization teams do to enable their organizations to maneuver more quickly around the roadblocks?

Apple recently made headlines as it became the first U.S. firm to achieve a market value of a trillion dollars. Why didn’t companies such as Microsoft – once Apple’s fiercest competitor – beat it to the punch? Apple’s resounding success is in part due to its long-standing commitment to excellent internationalization that has allowed it to meet local market expectations since the early 1980’s.

Need help with building effective business cases and presentations that lead to increased investment to drive global growth? CSA Research recently analyzed data from 20 global companies to determine what works and what does not when making the case in front of executives. Here are six actions you can take to improve the likelihood that your next investment proposal will be accepted.

It’s rare to go for more than 24 hours without receiving an e-mail that references “digital transformation” in some way. Organizations of all types – commercial, government, NGOs, non-profits, and educational institutions – spend a lot of time discussing the challenges and changes required by digitalization. But who’s taking responsibility for the global ramifications of these initiatives? How are companies measuring success or failure? How will global content evolve as a result? CSA Rese...

How do you decide whether potential employees need to understand, speak, read, and write the same language that’s used at company headquarters? Which criteria should human resources (HR) and hiring managers apply when evaluating potential hires who will work out of regional offices?