How a translation platform can streamline product development
Working at an international level comes with many challenges, and language barriers are one of the biggest. Olivier Amblet, Pix4D’s Cloud team manager, talked to Lokalise about how helpful their services are in Pix4D’s work.
Pix4D is a global company, operating around the world in several languages. Not only do we work in different languages, but we work with complicated terms. Our clients are industry leaders, specialised companies and small businesses, looking for a specific service that we can provide. They don’t just operate in English, but a range of languages. However, when it comes to explaining how to correctly fly a very expensive drone and get the best out of the software, the last thing the Pix4D team needs is poor communication caused by flawed translations. That’s where Lokalise comes in.
So, what is Lokalise? It is a platform that allows for the localization and translation for teams, working with automation, workflow transparency and fast project delivery. Olivier said “Lokalise helped automate repetitive work, saving 12 hours every month that are now better spent on product development”. For Pix4D, it’s a game changing way to save time.
Pix4D works at a fast pace, as Olivier explains, which means “Pix4D don’t want the process of translation to slow down the release cycle. So it was very important that we can use a product that lets us streamline the process”. Pix4D have offices on three continents and clients all over the world while the photogrammetry software is state-of-the-art, advancing the field. Dozens of industries rely on Pix4D, from 3D mapping to inspecting cell phone towers or even creating emergency response maps in wildfires. The company currently focuses on the United States, Asia and Europe as key locations, with notable popularity in South America too. Serving thousands around the world, developments for Pix4D software are released on a near monthly basis, with the Cloud team releasing changes to products almost every day. Moving at this speed is impossible without sufficient translation services.
The key languages Pix4D translates from English are Japanese, German and Spanish. Sharing multilingual software, webinars and manuals is vital to maintaining and attracting international customers, especially when they can access Pix4D in their preferred language. Lokalise streamlines this translation process for our software by providing a platform to coordinate translations. Prior to working with Lokalise, the Pix4D Cloud team used the Qt framework, which fit one of the required formats and provided tools which were needed. However, as Olivier explains, “the hard part is not to load and save the translation, rather it’s the workflow of engaging someone that will translate your files, both you and them knowing what needs to be translated or reworked, and relaying this information smoothly”. Lokalise has changed this.
Lokalise provides a centralized hub for the translation. Pix4D Cloud’s team has different groups involved in translating, and having one location to share work is the key convenience provided Lokalise’s service. Making this process easier makes the whole team work better, and individual members happier. Olivier highlights how alternative services to Lokalise “didn’t provide the workflow to flag something as accurate or not, or to create a task to send to the translator”. It’s not only saving time but aiding the cohesiveness of the team, which positively impacts Pix4D worldwide as a whole.
This transition to Lokalise happened 3 years ago, and Pix4D is enjoying the change. As the Pix4D Cloud team considers adding more languages to the software’s translations, Lokalise is ready and willing to help. This lets Pix4D focus on what drives the company, as Olivier explains: “It’s not our business to manage translations; our business is to provide the best photogrammetry software for drone mapping.”
If you want to read the original article, which was published as a use case by Lokalise, click here.
