The Art of Localization: Samsung Electronics’ Multilingual User Manual Project
Discover how Hansem Global partnered with Samsung Electronics to tackle multilingual manual challenges, accelerating market entry globally. Explore our case study for insights into effective communication strategies!
Project Summary
Established in 1938, Samsung Electronics is a powerhouse in consumer electronics, IT, and mobile communications globally. In an industry where speed to market is crucial, Samsung’s strategy has always been to localize product manuals into required languages promptly to outpace competitors. This case study explores the intricate challenges and innovative solutions Hansem Global employed to meet Samsung’s stringent timelines.
Challenges
- Time Constraints
The timeline from product completion to market launch was extremely tight, typically no more than two months. This period had to cover both the creation of the source content and its localization. - Language Diversity
Over 50 languages were required for localization. While some languages had abundant translator resources and were structurally similar to English, others, such as Arabic and Asian languages, presented significant difficulties due to the lack of resources and structural differences. - Change Management
As product specifications frequently changed during development, these alterations needed to be rapidly reflected in the manuals, complicating the localization process. - Quality Assurance
Ensuring the accuracy of the manuals was critical. Any error could potentially cause product malfunctions or user injuries, leading to severe repercussions for Samsung.
Our Solutions
To address these challenges, Hansem Global implemented several strategic measures:
- Integrated Production Process
By connecting all stages of production—content creation, design, publishing, translation, quality control, and engineering—Hansem Global minimized delays and miscommunications. - Standardization of Production
Hansem Global segmented the lengthy journey from source content development to localization, standardizing each segment to reduce variability in work times and quality depending on individual worker performance. - Change Management Procedures
A standardized process for incorporating changes into the workflow was established, ensuring that any adjustments in product development were immediately reflected in the manuals. - One-source Multi-publishing Solution
This custom solution allowed for rapid transformation of the source content into multiple language versions, suitable for both print and web, within the constraints of the tight project timeline. - Quality Control Systems
Automatic error-checking tools and standardized checklists before moving to the next production phase were developed to mitigate human errors inherent in a fast-paced, change-prone environment. A dedicated Quality Assurance team was also established to catch any remaining errors at the final production stage.
Outcome
Since 1990, Hansem Global has consistently delivered all product manuals to Samsung Electronics before each product launch, scaling from 10 to over 50 languages without a single error reported. This flawless record highlights Hansem Global’s role as a dependable localization partner.