Mirela
As your company expands and the need for scaling localization becomes evident, you’ll find that you have to move beyond one-off translation projects and build workflows that can handle the increasing demand. But how do you scale effectively without sacrificing quality, consistency, or speed?
A successful scaling strategy requires a strong foundation in internationalization, a well-structured localization infrastructure, and a balance between human expertise and machine-driven solutions. In this article, we are exploring these key elements.
Lay the foundation with internationalization
The possible need for scaling is something you should always bear in mind. All companies must implement internationalization, which is the process of designing software/websites/content to support multiple languages from the outset. This is the first step to localization and a proactive approach that ensures your localization goes smoother (and less with fewer costs) as expansion continues.
Internationalization requires decoupling text from code by storing strings in external resource files instead of hardcoding them in a single language. It also involves supporting Unicode (UTF-8) to enable compatibility with different scripts. In addition, it handles date, time, and number formats correctly so that regional differences do not create confusion. Without all these, localization becomes fragmented.
Learn more:
- 15 Internationalization best practices
- UTF-8 in internationalization
- What is internationalization testing?
- Localization vs internationalization
Build a scalable localization infrastructure
For your operations to run smooth as translation demands grow, you need a strong localization infrastructure. A scalable localization infrastructure can help you reduce inefficiencies, lower costs, and maintain translation consistency as you expand into new markets.
First and foremost, you can’t do without a translation management system (TMS); it centralizes workflows, manages language assets such as glossaries and translation memories, and integrates with software repositories. Automation plays an important role in reducing repetitive manual tasks while maintaining accuracy. A structured workflow is necessary to manage translations effectively as localization scales.
Learn more:
- 12 Must-have translation management system features
- Localization workflow: A step-by-step guide
- Localization automation
Implement a continuous localization workflow
Traditional localization follows a waterfall approach, where content is fully developed before translation begins, but this typically leads to delays and inefficiencies. Instead, adopt continuous localization, which integrates translation into agile development cycles. If you localize content in parallel with development, you can reduce time-to-market and release international versions simultaneously with the primary language version.
Learn more:
- What is continuous localization?
- Continuous localization with GitHub and POEditor
- Continuous localization with Bitbucket integration
Mix machine translation with human expertise
Relying solely on human translators can be costly and time-consuming. Machine translation is a scalable solution for handling large volumes of content. However, it’s also true that raw machine translations often lack accuracy and cultural nuance, and this can negatively impact user experience. To address this, you could adopt a hybrid approach that combines machine translation with human post-editing.
Machine translation is best suited for high-volume, low-risk content such as product descriptions, FAQs, and internal documentation. Human linguists can then step in to review and refine machine-generated translations to ensure linguistic and cultural accuracy. AI-driven adaptive learning further enhances machine translation engines over time, improving their ability to produce high-quality translations. By balancing automation with human expertise, businesses can scale localization efficiently without sacrificing quality.
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Maintain consistency with a style guide
As you expand your business, you may notice how your brand image risks getting diluted. In order to maintain consistency across multiple languages and regions, develop a global style guide. This serves as a reference for translators and localization teams so that your content aligns with the company’s brand voice and terminology.
A style guide should define tone and formality levels to account for linguistic variations. In addition, a glossary of key terms helps keep industry-specific terminology, product names, and brand messaging uniform across all translations.
Learn more:
Final thoughts
The difference between a company that simply translates and one that truly scales localization lies in its ability to anticipate complexity, automate wisely, and adapt without losing its essence. The most successful global brands don’t just localize—they scale localization in a way that makes every market feel like the product was made just for them. If you lay a strong foundation with internationalization, invest in scalable infrastructure, and combine automation with human expertise, you should be able to avoid unnecessary bottlenecks.