Technical manuals are often long-winded and a chore to read, but they are necessary. As consumers, we have the choice to either read them cover-to-cover, skim through the vital parts, or ignore them altogether. It all depends on how much we trust our ability to assemble things or operate devices out of the box. The companies providing those manuals don’t have a choice. It’s their legal obligation to ensure that everyone who needs a manual for a product or piece of equipment gets it. The problem is that not all companies consider the needs of those with a different native language. Here’s why it’s crucial that all companies invest in professional manual translation services for business.

Translating Product Manuals Into Other Languages

The first benefit of manual translation services for businesses is the chance to create professional multilingual or bilingual manuals for popular products. These manuals are essential for any complex product that isn’t immediately intuitive. For example, if you’re selling a new camera or smartphone to a foreign market, they need as much information as possible to use it effectively. These manuals are often a legal requirement to ensure that users can use devices appropriately and to cover companies if users harm themselves or destroy the product. However, you can’t insist that the user was in the wrong if they couldn’t read the instructions.

Every section in a product manual should have the same amount of information and offer the same amount of help in each language. It doesn’t always seem as though this is the case with some companies, where the English section is far more detailed than those in foreign languages. You want to be sure to avoid this level of discrimination if you’re going to treat all consumers equally. This is essential when branching out into other territories, such as offering Arabic sections in the UAE or Mandarin in China. It’s also a courteous thing to do in domestic markets, where local buyers may speak English as a second language. Offering Spanish language sections could help show Hispanic communities that you care about their needs, too.

You need to be sure that the translation you offer to your consumers is 100% accurate to the original text, with consideration for any regional dialects or potential mistranslations of English phrases. We often find ourselves on the other end of this when getting a poorly translated guide from another country. We can often piece together the instructions and general gist of the text based on context clues, but we still suffer from mistranslations and poor grammar. This is precisely why partnering with experienced technical translation services is essential for maintaining professional standards. Professional translators understand the nuances of technical terminology and can ensure your manuals communicate clearly across all target languages.

Companies with their reputation on the line and a growing international market can’t afford to let this happen. There can’t be any situation where Chinese consumers start complaining or asking for refunds after breaking something through improper use. You also can’t be in a situation where mistranslated guidelines put those consumers at risk, such as when using electronic devices or tools, and you end up in a lawsuit.

Translating User Manuals Into Other Languages

The second benefit of technical manual translation is to translate user manuals for employees. If you have a piece of machinery that requires a lot of technical knowledge and experience to run, you need to be sure your team is up to the job. Even if you hire them knowing they have previous experience with the very same model, a manual helps to cover your back and let teams know exactly how you expect things to be done. This means there should be no miscommunication between workers and supervisors, supervisors and technicians, or technicians and management.

This is tricky enough when working in one native language. You need to ensure the manual covers every single technical detail and safety precaution to help everyone stay productive and safe. The clearer the instructions and the better laid out they are, the better the chance that new hires will learn quickly and fit in with the rest of the team. It also pays to put the same sort of investment into creating a manual for workers with English as a foreign language. Those workers could be entry-level hires who have recently immigrated from other countries and need stable work. They could be expert technicians brought over from other facilities under the brand’s name. Either way, they deserve the very best in technical manual translation.

Working With Skilled Translators For The Best Results

The best translators for technical manuals are incredibly smart and fluent in your chosen language. They may even be skilled in additional languages to make your manual effective in various markets. Remember, the more languages you offer, the broader your reach. These translators will be able to go over every detail of your technical manual and create an accurate translation that works within native speech conventions. It won’t be a simple word-for-word direct copy. They’ll take the time to ensure everything makes sense contextually and grammatically for the best outcomes. Readers should then know exactly how to use the product or machinery with ease and without putting anyone at risk.

Talk to translation teams about their areas of expertise and the languages offered. Check out the credentials of the translators and see if the company itself is accredited. You can also read through testimonials from current clients to see why they come back again and again for reliable translation work. Repeat work shows that these teams aren’t just accurate and professional but that they are consistent with the quality of their work and easy to get along with.

If you’re still creating products or training teams with English-only manuals, it’s time to upgrade. You can’t keep running the risk of someone misunderstanding an instruction and putting themself or others at risk. Stay compliant and give consumers and workers what they deserve with a professionally translated technical manual. It will keep consumers happy across different markets and make your employees feel part of the team. Talk to a leading team in manual translation services for businesses and see what they can produce.