Business document translation: your step-by-step guide

Operating in a multilingual country like Switzerland necessitates precise and effective communication across languages. Whether you’re drafting contracts, product documentation, or client-facing materials, accurate business document translation is crucial to avoid misunderstandings that could delay deals or harm your reputation.

This guide outlines the essential steps to manage your business document translation process confidently, as well as how a professional language service provider (LSP), like SwissGlobal, adds value to your translated content.

Step 1: Define your goal and target audience

Before translating anything, ask: Why is this document being translated, and who is it for? Is it for internal use, legal compliance, or public communication? A document meant for employees might need different phrasing than one meant for customers or legal authorities. Your audience influences everything from terminology to tone.

Step 2: Identify the type of content that requires translation

Assess your content to determine which documents need translation, which languages would best serve your target market, and what kind of translation would work best. Prioritise business document translation based on the texts’ purpose.

Examples of texts for business document translation:

• Legal agreements, like contracts and compliance documents, require translators familiar with legal terminology and local regulations.
• Technical manuals, such as user guides and product instructions, need industry-specific knowledge to confirm clarity and accuracy.
• Medical documents, including clinical trial protocols, patient information leaflets and pharmaceutical packaging, must be translated with exact terminology and sensitivity to regulatory and patient-facing content.
• Financial reports, like audits, balance sheets and investor communication, must adhere to precise reporting standards and terminology.

Step 3: Choose the right translation method

Several approaches are available for the business document translation process:

• Machine translation tools: Platforms like Google Translate or DeepL work well for internal content or speedy translations but may lack accuracy for professional use. Always follow this method with a human review. Swissglobal can also professionally and securely perform machine translation with post-editing.
• Freelance translators: Ideal for smaller projects.
• Translation agencies: Best for official, regulated, or public-facing content where you need a specialised translation with industry expertise, confidentiality, and project continuity.

Step 4: Prepare your document file type for translation

Well-prepared source documents facilitate a smoother translation process. Before submission:

• Finalise the content to prevent mid-project changes.
• Provide reference materials such as glossaries or style guides to maintain consistency.
• Check your file type to ensure accessibility and save time during the translation process.

Translatable file types include:

• Word (DOCX)
• Excel (XLSX)
• PDF
• Powerpoint (PPTX)
• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
• JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)
• Adobe InDesign (INDD)

Each format has its own challenges and opportunities when it comes to business document translation.

One of the benefits of working with an LSP is that they use translation tools such as Trados Studio, which supports over 50 formats, including the ones mentioned above. This means your marketing brochure designed in InDesign can be translated with full layout preservation, or your software strings in JSON can be processed without breaking the code structure. Even scanned PDFs can be parsed and extracted for accurate translation, though editable formats are still preferred for efficiency and quality control.

Before sending your files, check if they’re editable and cleanly formatted. If you’re unsure, your translation partner can advise you or even convert the files to a suitable format. The better the input, the smoother the output.

Step 5: Use translation tools for efficiency

Modern translation services utilise tools to enhance quality and efficiency:

• Translation Memory (TM): Stores previously translated segments to deliver consistency and reduce costs.
• Glossaries and term bases: Maintain clarity and brand voice across languages by defining product or service-specific terminology.
• AI-assisted translation: Combines machine efficiency with human oversight for faster turnaround without compromising quality.
• Content management integrations: Streamline workflows between your CMS and the translation provider to avoid versioning issues.

Step 6: Don’t just translate, localise

Cultural and linguistic experiences vary across regions in Switzerland. A German speaker in Zurich might prefer different terms than someone in Bern. Beyond language, make sure your content is relevant and respectful to local business norms and consumer expectations.

Step 7: Conduct a review and quality assurance check

Never treat business document translation as a one-and-done task. Whether it’s for legal accuracy or brand tone, every document should go through a second set of eyes. This might mean:

• Linguistic review: Check for translation accuracy, cultural localisation, brand tone, and text fluency.
• Formatting verification: Make sure the layout matches the original document, including images, tables and infographics.
• Quality assurance: An overall quality check to see if the document complies with the briefing and regulations, where relevant.

Step 8: Work with a trusted translation service provider

Collaborating with a reputable language service provider guarantees your business document translation is handled professionally. SwissGlobal offers:

• Certified quality: Adherence to ISO 9001, ISO 17100, and ISO 18587 standards.
• Subject-matter expertise: Native translators specialised in legal, financial, medical and technical fields.
• Data security: Compliance with GDPR and storage on ISO 27001-certified Swiss servers.
• Personalised support: Tailored services to meet your specific business needs.

By choosing SwissGlobal, your translated business communication will be clear, accurate, and culturally appropriate.