Why cutting steps from the process always costs more in the end
“Can this be done quickly?” It’s one of the most common questions I get asked – and one of the most important to answer honestly.
The short answer is: it depends on how well it needs to be done.
A proper translation, localisation, or transcreation project involves more steps than most clients realise. Before the actual translating begins, there’s context to understand, questions to ask, and often a glossary to establish. During the work itself, tone needs to be adapted, structure sometimes rebuilt, and consistency checked throughout. After the first draft, there are reviews (internal, and sometimes with the client) before anything is signed off.
Each of those steps takes time. And each one exists for a reason.
Speed is possible. AI can help accelerate certain parts of the process, and for some projects it’s a sensible tool to use. But the steps that ensure quality – the ones carried out by experienced human linguists who understand context, nuance, and the specific requirements of each project – cannot simply be skipped because a deadline is tight.
When they are skipped, the consequences tend to follow a predictable pattern: more revisions, more back-and-forth, more cost, and more time spent fixing something that could have been done properly the first time around.
I always ask clients to allow as much time as possible. Not because the work is slow, but because quality has a process, and that process, when followed properly, is what makes the difference between a translation that’s merely finished and one that’s actually right.