The Intricacies of DITA Content Localization
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The document discusses ensuring an organization achieves return on investment from DITA localization. It notes that localization projects often experience unexpected problems related to information modeling, content quality, localization processes, and lack of DITA expertise. The document provides recommendations in these areas such as reusing content strategically, making content easy to understand and translatable, using a DITA-specific localization process, and ensuring localization partners have DITA expertise.
The Intricacies of DITA Content Localization
- 1. The Intricacies of DITA Content Localization Ensuring Your Organization Reaches the Expected ROI September 25, 2019 Henrietta Taylor DITA Specialist at IXIASOFT Dominique Trouche Senior Consultant at WhP
- 2. DITA Specialist at IXIASOFT Member of our European team, based in Brittany, France henrietta.taylor@ixiasoft.com • Configures and trains users and admins on IXIASOFT CCMS • Background as a technical writer and CCMS admin in the robotics industry • Technical communication teacher at Rennes University • Specialties: o Multilingual content management o Content modeling in DITA XML About Henrietta
- 3. Senior Consultant at WhP North America office based in Montreal, Canada dominique.trouche@whpintl.com • Experienced Electronic and IT engineer • Over 12 years’ experience with structured content and software localization • Speaker in many conferences on DITA best practices • Specialties: o DITA information models o DITA localization o Content conversions o Localization processes About Dominique
- 4. DITA Adoption ROI sold to C-level More with less (mid term) Cost savings in localization (short term) + Soft factors A standard More content reuse Better user experience (accurate, focused, dynamic) More efficient content management Objectives
- 5. Did You Get Your ROI? After 6 – 12 months Not at all Not really Somewhat Exceeded
- 6. Did You Get Your ROI? Not at all Not really Somewhat Exceeded After 24 - 36 months
- 7. Proficiency Effort Expanded ROI Pilot Migration Final tuning Localization Many DITA Projects Experience Unexpected Problems
- 8. Redesigned content Conditional content DITA incompetent L.S.P. Graphics Non translatable structure Linguistic review Content update Lack of re-use R.O.I. or T.A.T Low re-use (from Migration) Low quality legacy T.M. Short term migration Information model Localization process Poor workflow and asset management LSP Pricing model Lack of DITA source validation Lack of style and terminology consistency Content quality Four Main Reasons
- 9. T.M.S. Localization Principles Localization Product Translation File Internationalization Process Globalization Organization Filters and segmentation Select to-be-translated content and break it into a list of segments with context Translation memories (T.M.) Save source , target segments and context to reuse former translation or only translate updates Term bases List key terms, their context and their translation Workflow Sequence of tasks to get a set of files translated and reviewed Style guide Define tone of voice in target languages Subject matter and product expertise Ensure proper program management
- 10. Information Model • Reuse strategy • Beyond the control of the Technical Writer • Country-dependent content • Redundant content • Graphic format
- 11. Reuse strategy Reuse carefully and consistently • Common topics • Reuse libraries o Warnings o Safety • Methods o Content inclusion o Conditions o Variables o Keys • Content governance
- 12. Beyond the control of the Technical Writer Link instead of embedding • UI terms o Build a UI term table with software strings o Map uicontrol elements with UI terms o Conkeyref all uicontrols in all files • Brand & product names, external links o Create keywords in the map o Conkeyref all references in all files • Tech specs, measurement units, spare parts, tools, reagents… • Reduce time to market If content is declinable (common nouns), it might not work in all languages
- 13. Country-dependent content Clarify how you manage, update, and publish • Country-dependent content o Addresses o Measurement units o Applicable standards o External links • Methods o Country-specific topics o Conditions o Keys o Translate attribute Conditional content should be handled with care
- 14. Redundant content Try to eliminate redundancies • Internal links • Index entries, keywords • External references • Methods o No hard-coding o No navtitles o Keys o Reuse
- 15. Graphics Prefer vector formats to bitmaps • Bitmap o jpg, png o Localization process is very “manual” o Re-typing, image editing… • Vectorize content o SVG, EPS or CGM o Automatically extracted by localization tools • Very often as simple as “Save as…” o Can even work for screenshots
- 17. Content Quality • Easy to understand • Translatable • Consistent • Implementation • Benefits
- 18. Content Quality Easy to understand • Short sentence • Direct style Which one can you read better? To remove the cover assembly (9), first remove the four screws (10) that attached the cover (11) to the housing (12), and then, after taking the cover (11) off the housing (12), remove the preformed packing (13) and throw it away. Or Remove the cover assembly (9): 1. Remove the four screws (10) that attached the cover (11) to the housing (12). 2. Remove the cover (11). 3. Remove and discard the preformed packing (13). from ASD-STE100 spec
- 19. Content Quality Translatable • Conditional content o At sentence level o At element level • Content inclusion o Include entire sentence o Or neutral without articles • Language specifics o Play on words o Concatenation o Meaningful acronyms (KISS, SMART) o Cultural references
- 20. Content Quality Consistency • English source language • Style o Acronyms o Abbreviations o Lists • Glossary • Structure
- 21. Content Quality Benefits Better UX Easier to translate Higher TM leverage Less risks
- 22. Implementation • Why not Simplified Technical English? • What quality control? o Schematron rules o Corporate solutions o Peer review • When? o When content updated o Planned maintenance Content Quality
- 23. Localization Process • DITA specific process • Multilingual reference content • Agility • Localization features of the CCMS • Localization strategy
- 24. No DITA Localization Expertise • Incumbent supplier o Legacy processes do not work • No DITA understanding o Content left in English o Many projects corrupted o Incorrect workflows • Quality does not improve o Poor customer support
- 25. Lack of Multilingual Content Reference • Content is translated in the TMS o Reference archived in the T.M. • Content is often updated in the CCMS o Structure corrected at the import o Content Reviewed once uploaded in the CCMS o Content corrected once published • Consequences o Translation memories are not up to date o Translators never learn o New translations are consistently incorrect
- 26. Content Corrections or Updates • Some linguistic review o By a local subject matter expert o Bilingual review o Dedicated user interface o Where the translator learns o Reference content is capitalized in the T.M. • Correction updating process o Should be limited and formalized o Shall ensure the T.M. remains up-to-date o T.M. cleaning and deprecating process
- 27. Lack of Agility • Agile processes o Software design o Documentation o Finance o Documentation localization o Software localization • Consequences o Conflicts around re-used topics o Inconsistencies o Exception handling o Long Time To Market
- 28. Features of the CCMS • Agile, Incremental, Waterfall • Snapshot localization • Review and retranslation • Pivot languages • Graphics • Localization process automation
- 29. Lack of Business Objectives & Strategy • Business Objectives o Liabilities related to quality o Objectives: Agile, Chatbots, more languages, cost • Holistic approach o As part of the content strategy • Formalize strategy o Our T.M.S and related management team ? o Terminology management o Several, single vendor or internal ? o What internal control ? o How and how fast to get there ?
- 30. But Also in Publishing • Into dynamic delivery • Text expansion • Hyphenation • Alphabetic order
- 31. What to Remember Each company is unique • No ideal solution for all content and companies… • Check what is applicable to you (now or tomorrow) • Plan the evolution 30-40% Efficiency at Stake • translation external costs • internal related effort • Turn Around Time • content maintenance • content quality • User eXperience or satisfaction
- 32. Questions? Henrietta Taylor DITA Specialist at IXIASOFT henrietta.taylor@ixiasoft.com Dominique Trouche Senior Consultant at WhP dominique.trouche@whpintl.com