Understanding the Importance of Localization - Part 2: Language

In Part 1 of our series on localization, we delved into the way ERP technologies can help you manage relationships. Now, we're here with Part 2, where we'll discuss how you can use abas ERP to break through the language barrier that often separates business units in different countries. In the ERP world, we like to talk about processes, technologies and the like, but at abas, we understand that business is about people. How we relate to one another, how we converse, how we reach our personal and professional goals - these things often end up defining a company's success or failure.

For example, it is an old adage that, in sales, buyers aren't so much purchasing a product as they are affirming their trust of the salesperson. ERP exists to help that salesperson streamline processes and operations to such an extent that they can focus on the relationship. When it comes to localization, you can't always get everybody in your company to speak the same language, but you can use ERP to jump the linguistic hurdles that come between efficient employee interactions.

Language and the global enterprise - understanding how communication can empower a business

Global organizations run into a communication minefield as they work to create a corporate culture that translates to users around the globe. Release a new product, and you have to think about how its name will resound in different languages. Do you want to use a term that will have a clear meaning in different languages, but risk having all of your employees using different words to discuss your product? Would you rather create a new term and establish its definition internally so everybody is, effectively, speaking the same language?

buyers aren't so much purchasing a product as they are affirming their trust of the salesperson

Whichever of these options you choose, you must evaluate how it will impact your users to ensure everybody in your company is able to talk about this hypothetical new product in such a way that they understand one another. Furthermore, it is vital to have as much consistency as possible across organizational boundaries. If you want your employees to be able to interact with each other in meaningful ways, they must be able to create clear linguistic connecting points - whether they be standardized terminology or terms that can cross language barriers.

The tie between relationships and success isn't limited to sales-related interactions, it makes its way into how your workers interact. When a marketing copywriter in France contacts a product designer in Italy to get details on how a solution works, they both will need common terms to ensure they are on the same page. If you've standardized your internal linguistics, you can empower those users to connect more easily.

Creating your corporate language is difficult enough within a localized organization - it can be nightmarish in a global entity. ERP software makes standardization easy, even when it comes to linguistic matters.

Using ERP to standardize your internal language

abas ERP lets you create internal dictionaries that will ensure terms are used consistently across your organization. This is accomplished in a few distinct ways:

• Automatically translating user interfaces into the local office's language. With full support for many languages out of the box, abas ERP lets you build out processes in one workflow and have them automatically translate into relevant languages.
• Internal dictionaries. Do you have terms that are too unique to put into multiple languages? Do you need to establish standardized translations across multiple offices? abas ERP contains dictionaries that let you create the terms you need and distribute them consistently throughout the organization.

With features like this, abas ERP does the translation work for you and gives you the tools you need to automatically translate complex terminology across all interfaces, establish consistency throughout the organization, and overcome language barriers. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact an abas representative today.

Read the first part of our four-part series on understanding the importance of localization.

Read the third part of our four-part series on understanding the importance of localization.

Read the fourth part of our four-part series on understanding the importance of localization.