Best Practices for Localization and Translations for Logistics Companies
Imagine this scenario:
“Global Freight Connect”, a logistics company that currently operates in both North America and Europe, recently made plans to expand into South America. Their marketing team launched a new advertisement campaign in Spanish for customers in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. We have an AI-powered machine translation tool that they utilize to translate their existing English slogans and messages into Spanish. All is well until the first shipment reaches Buenos Aires.
They show a weird, ill-translation of “Estimated Time of Arrival” on their tracking page that fools customers into thinking their packages are arriving literally one day sooner than scheduled. Misuse of wording for “import duties” in customs clearance forms makes a 10,000-dollar fine. Their customer service chatbot, designed to handle Spanish requests from Latin American users, fails miserably when it cannot understand Argentine slang terms and, as a result, brings dissatisfaction among users while damaging the brand.
What went wrong? Global Freight Connect overlooked the nuances of localizations. These machine translations neglected localization culture and the significance of human translation in delivering accurate language services without exploring industry-specific terms. The cost of failing to localize is particularly high for logistics companies like theirs.
In this article, we discuss best practices for logistics companies in localization and translation, with examples, statistics and key actions that can help you get it right.
Top Best Practices for Localization and Translations in Logistics
Localization is More Than Just Translation
Localization in logistics is more than simply translating some English text into Spanish, French, or Chinese. It’s about how to overcome cultural, legislative and linguistic expectations using the appropriate method of content writing. As an example, in Spanish, the word “Freight” may have a different name depending on the part of the world.
In Argentina, they prefer to call it “flete”.
In Spain “transporte de mercancías” is commonly used.
Not taking into account such disparities could result in confusion and miscommunication. In Global Freight Connect’s case, the use of generic translation for all import-related terms resulted in hefty fines from the general regulation. To prevent such blunders, logistics companies have to:
- Create glossaries of terms specific to the region.
- Use tools like Vaga.ai to combine AI-powered translations with expert human editing for linguistic and cultural accuracy.
Personalizing is key for local legislation
Shipping regulations vary from country to country. For logistics companies, it is important to know how to indicate and clarify these rules. Consider this:
For example, WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) legislation applies to packages containing electronics in the European Union. The labeling requirements for these types of goods are different in various EU member states, and failure to localize would mean shelling out a considerable amount of money in fines.
The best practice in this case is contextualization. While human editors ensure that contextual content is accurate, AI allows logistics companies to process operational content at scale. So, in Japan, you can have “Block” replaced with the Japanese word for district (区).
Build Trust with Local Customer Communications
It’d be like getting a tracking update in a language you can’t understand. Not only is that cumbersome — it breaks your confidence in the company. This gap can be filled by logistics companies providing localized customer communications, including:
- Tracking Notifications: A tracking message delivered to Mexican customers should be in Spanish, with local time formats (24-hour clock vs. 12-hour clock).
- Customer Support Chatbots: Chatbots can be trained in a sector-specific manner and provide real-time answers to questions as they will be powered by AI, eliminating customer waiting time. A Brazilian chatbot could even get familiar with Portuguese slang such as “cep” (postal code) so conversations flow better.
The failure of Global Freight Connect’s chatbot to communicate in the regional language shows exactly how important it is. Platforms like Vaga.ai allow the integration of localized responses by combining AI efficiency and human language connection and understanding.
Make Adjustments in Marketing Campaigns For Cultural Sensitivity
If logistics companies are entering a new market, marketing blunders can cost dearly. For instance:
For example, a U.S.-based logistics company chose the tagline “Speed that you can trust.” When it translated this message into Mandarin for Chinese consumers, it inadvertently created a phrase that included a reference to recklessness as part of its branding. It made the brand seem untrustworthy to its customers.
Localization without cultural sensitivity is kind of lethal. Logistics companies should:
- Use local focus groups to test marketing materials.
- Use human editors to verify that the AI translation makes sense in the culture.
Create Dynamic Supply Chains: Quick Real-Time Translation
There is no time for delay in translating as global supply chains work at a fast pace. Logistics companies must have the ability to communicate quickly with anyone involved in this process, and their information updates should be on time; hence, real-time translation is of utmost importance — for example, when rerouting shipments or communicating about delays.
Scenario — A German logistics company instantly notifies customers about weather delays via AI-powered, real-time translation. The updates were rapid via machine translation, but a human editor subsequently edited each to ensure accuracy.
Platforms like Vaga.ai focus on human post-edited machine translations in real-time, offering the right quality at high speed.
Follow The Actionable Tips Specially Designed for Logistics Companies
- Develop a common glossary: Compile a list of key logistics terms used regionally and translate them as accurately as possible. Tools like Vaga.ai can automate this process.
- Combine AI and Human: utilize AI for highly repetitive tasks such as translating invoices or tracking updates derived from different platforms, but engage human editors to scan through marketing pieces and compliance.
- Pilot regional translations before going global.
- Solicit Customer Feedback: Gather feedback regarding localized content to ensure the accuracy of your localization and its relevance over time.
Conclusion
Localization and translation are much more than simply communicating in another language; they involve instilling trust, adhering to regulations, and seamlessly operating on the world stage. For logistics companies, Vaga.ai can provide a competitive edge by combining the speed of AI with the confidence that comes from accuracy in human expertise. However, logistics companies can learn from both their successes and failures by following these best practices. They may find ways to open up new markets and deliver world-class customer experiences.
Global Freight Connect made its own mistakes eventually, learning from them to take a hybrid approach — using AI to speed up translations and human editors for output tuning. It drove their operations within and re-established their reputation with customers. This equilibrium is essential for being successful in navigating the complexities of different countries markets in which logistics companies operate.
