Why centralized language service procurement makes sense

Many companies still outsource translations in a decentralized manner: each department orders from the service provider of its choice. Yet this apparent flexibility in fact causes unnecessary costs, quality problems, data protection risks, and inconsistent terminology. Centrally controlled procurement is an alternative that brings clear advantages.

A practical example

The marketing department has an English brochure translated. Without consultation with their colleagues, a subsidiary asks a different provider to carry out a similar translation at the same time. The result: Two service providers translate almost identical texts independently of each other – using different systems and resources.

Why is this problematic?

Modern translation processes combine translation memories (TMs), terminological databases (termbases), and increasingly AI-supported tools:

• TMs save translations and suggest them automatically.
• Termbases ensure uniform technical terms.
• AI can speed up translations and processes and reduce costs.

However, these technologies only develop their full potential with central coordination and data management. If several service providers are used at the same time, existing translations are not reused and learning effects remain untapped – especially if each system is trained separately.

Reuse saves money – even with AI

If several service providers maintain separate TMs, termbases, and AI systems:

• identical text passages are paid for several times,
• different AI systems of varying quality are used, and
• processes take longer.

A single, centrally deployed and continuously optimized AI system improves quality on an ongoing basis and can be used by all departments. This reduces translation effort and ensures consistent results.

Inconsistencies and data protection risks

Style and terminology are often inconsistent if they are not managed centrally: nomenclature, spelling, and messaging vary. In addition, a multitude of systems increases the data protection risk because sensitive documents are transmitted to different locations and stored on different platforms. Centralization ensures clear responsibilities, uniform security standards, and controllable access rights.

Strategic supplier management

It makes sense to have a manageable number of strategically selected partners as well as transparency about who uses or maintains which TM, termbase, and AI system. This way, you always retain control of your TMs, terminology, and AI training data.

Tenders and framework agreements

Tenders help to identify suitable service providers – not only in terms of price and quality, but also in terms of technology, AI expertise, and data protection. Framework agreements ensure standards (i.e., compliance with ISO 17100 or ISO 13485) and continuous optimization over the long term.

Conclusion: Bundle centrally – work efficiently

Centralizing the procurement and management of translations creates a win-win situation: Companies benefit from more consistent high-quality communication, increasingly efficient processes, greater exploitation of repetitions, and clearer data protection structures. Language service providers, on the other hand, can plan over the long term, familiarize themselves deeply with the product world, and continuously improve quality and processes.