When it comes to the localization industry, there are quite a few vendors for companies to choose from. As in any competitive environment, there are trade secrets, processes, and philosophies that set one apart from another. These are the things that give vendors competitive advantage, or make one stand out over another. However, in the medical community localization vendors and linguists should carefully consider whether their “spirit of competition” is actually increasing costs and possibly having detrimental effects on the safety of patients.

Take for example a medical device manufacturer that routinely uses multiple localization vendors. The customer does not have in-depth knowledge of how translation memory works, so vendors A, B, and C maintain their own TM files according to their own methodology. Vendor A utilizes attributes in such a way that they are able to accurately apply relevant TM entries project after project, saving 15% in cost and time to complete the work. Vendors B and C do not apply any particular methodology and consequently often misapply TM entries which must later be fixed in reviews, adding time and cost.

Would it not be in the best interest of the customer for Vendor A to share their best practice with the “team” to ensure consistency between translations as well as reduce risk and cost? Or should vendor A keep their mouth shut and reap the rewards of their ingenuity?