The Aftermath of COVID in Localization: What Lessons Did the Industry Learn?

There is no doubt that the pandemic had a negative impact on many things, but it nonetheless taught humanity some positive lessons, which we should reflect on and keep in mind in the future. How has the localization industry changed since COVID? We believe that the pandemic has “gifted” us five habits that are worth maintaining in our post-COVID lives.

• Contactless service. Today, we enjoy the convenience of a wide variety of services from our own homes, from food delivery to online shopping. Translation services are no exception, and the number of people using this technology is constantly growing. 
• Remote communication. Many of us prefer not to attend meetings in person (which may require the use of public transportation) and we’d even rather avoid phone calls. Some of our clients and localization specialists have become introverts of sorts, too, and communicate via platforms and messaging services in their everyday work. 
• Remote process management. The same is true here: we would all like to control everything from our workstations or smartphones, and this habit will probably not change in future.
• Multitasking. While we were at home, we learned to work, to play with our kids, to listen to granny’s stories, and to cook dinner at the same time. I think this kind of multitasking will continue. For example, a client can conduct a meeting while monitoring their suppliers’ performance online.
• Continuous digitalization. The world will never be the same as it was before the pandemic, and we should be ready to invite and accept digitalization into all aspects of our life.

However, some clients and linguistic partners are not prepared and are afraid of change. Ask yourself: are you afraid of the unknown, too? While you reflect on it, here are some of the main fears that users of localization technology share with us:

1. They may be concerned that “live” communication will be minimized and afraid that information will be lost when it is communicated in brief written messages. However, live communication has not been abolished, it has just become more efficient thanks to technology. We are able to spend time on more strategic matters, such as the expansion of cooperation and new, more complex tasks, rather than on routine calls to discuss project deadlines, schedules, and costs.
2. Users also sometimes lack trust in the latest technological solutions and in automation in general, but one key argument for technology is that it guarantees complete confidentiality and substantial time savings.
3. A third common fear is potential difficulties in working with new technology. Naturally, this is a fear held by those who have never used any online platforms at all. For example, Janus Worldwide’s Global Technology Platform (GTP) has a generally intuitive interface, and using it requires neither any special knowledge nor learning or reading hundred-page manuals.

Let’s look at Janus Worldwide’s GTP, which helps both clients and linguistic service providers to work more efficiently. It encompasses the entire spectrum of translation process functionalities, including accelerated order placement, online project cost calculation, budget use monitoring, and the ability to view statistics and track the progress of current and completed projects. The GTP consists of several modules:

Janus DashPort. An analytical tracking module: a homepage that allows users to view various reports and statistics, which is updated online. All information is presented graphically, and the visualization helps users easily navigate large amounts of information.

Janus Project. Contains information on the entire project lifecycle: enables fast order placement, houses the complete project history in one place, and allows easy access to project files. Users can keep in touch with the project manager via the integrated online messaging service.

Janus Express. Fast translation with guaranteed deadlines and no administrative delays, such as waiting for cost estimates or for deadlines to be agreed.

Janus Perfect. A multi-step automated quality assurance process used to evaluate translation quality and avoid translation errors in the course of project management.

Janus TMS. A module that automates the translation process, allowing easy access to translation files and project progress tracking, as well as automated quality checks.

Janus Budget. An adaptive accounting module that presents up-to-date information on the allocated budget and total investment in translation projects, allowing users to track budget balances.

Janus Downloads. A downloadable reporting module offering the ability to track the performance of language service providers according to various parameters over the necessary period of time. The parameters and the time frame can be set by the user as desired.

As can be seen, technology-aided work processes create value and free up time, and many localization tasks can now be completed online without additional calls or correspondence. Habits developed during the pandemic have become an integral part of our lives and have changed them forever. We hope that we will be able to dispel the myths and many users’ fears related to new technology, because, thanks to the GTP, the translation process has become even more accessible, automated, and efficient.