Your new Smartling account comes with pre-configured workflows, to give you a strong foundation, so you are ready to translate from day one with Smartling Language Services (SLS). For existing customers, if any of these workflows are not already available in your account, please contact your Smartling representative to have them set up for you.
Before using these workflows or when starting to translate into a new language, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or SLS representative. They can provide pricing information and ensure that the proper resources are assigned to your workflow.
The pre-configured workflows available in your new account are:
- Machine Translation: Smartling Auto Select
- Smartling Language Services: AI-Powered Human Translation
- Smartling Language Services: AI Translation (AIT / AITv)
- Smartling Language Services: Human Translation and Editing
- Smartling Language Services: Creative Translation (Long form Creative)
- Smartling Language Services: Transcreation (Short Form Creative)
Note: The lock symbol next to a workflow indicates it is managed by Smartling Language Services. The lock symbol on a workflow step indicates it is not editable. For modifications to your SLS workflows, please consult your Smartling Language Services representative.
Smartling Language Services: AI-Powered Human Translation
AI-Powered Human Translation (AIHT) is designed to bridge the quality gap between MTPE and human translation, with AIHT on par with human quality. AI-Powered Human Translation seamlessly integrates the strengths of AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), machine translation, and Smartling Language Services human expertise into a unified workflow, enhancing every step with AI-driven efficiency. Human translations are always saved to your translation memory, which can then be leveraged to reduce the cost and turnaround time for future translations. Here are just a few of the benefits you'll get with this workflow:
- Guaranteed quality (average 98+ MQM)
- Brand terminology application that is optimized for accuracy and fluency with AI
- Major cost reduction and improved speed
- Fast and easy onboarding
Tip: For more information on AI-Powered Human Translation, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Smartling Language Services: AI Translation (AIT / AITv)
AI Translation (AIT) is a fully automated translation solution designed to replace traditional MTPE while providing instant ROI. AIT uses the same AI features as AI-Powered Human Translation (AIHT) without a human review step.* AIT automatically selects the best MT provider for your content and enriches the translations with Smartling's most innovative AI features, allowing for a quality score comparable to MTPE. AIT can leverage your translation memory in the translation step; however, translations generated in the AI Translation step are not saved to the translation memory. Here are the key benefits you'll get with this workflow:
- Quality comparable to MTPE at a significantly reduced cost (for high-resource languages, approximately half the average MTPE cost)
- Brand terminology application that is optimized for accuracy and fluency with AI
- Immediate translation turnaround**
- Fast and easy onboarding
- A separate Machine Created Translation Memory (MCTM) can be set up to store and leverage AIT translations
AIT and AITv (AIT Tier 2)
Smartling classifies target languages into two tiers based on AI translation performance. Both AIT and AITv are designed as replacements for traditional MTPE workflows, delivering similar quality levels with faster turnaround and reduced cost.
AIT (Tier 1 languages): For Tier 1 languages, AI translation performance consistently meets quality expectations. The AIT workflow is fully automated with near-instant turnaround and no human involvement required.
AIT Tier 2, also known as AITv (Tier 2 languages): Tier 2 languages are typically lower-resource languages where AI translation quality is not yet as high. The AITv workflow includes a Light Post-Edit (LPE) step, where a linguist validates the translation and corrects critical errors before delivery. This Light Post-Edit step is managed by Smartling Language Services and is included in the AIT workflow. Both AIT and AITv are quality-guaranteed.
Your Smartling representative can advise which of your target languages are classified as Tier 1 or Tier 2. AITv is also available on request for Tier 1 languages if you prefer additional linguist validation; contact your Customer Success Manager to enable it. Please note that when opting into AITv for Tier 1 languages, the Light Post-Edit step is billable. The AIT workflow is only available for language pairs with an English source locale.
*If your team prefers to review the translations independently, you also have the option to add an internal review step to either AIT or AITv workflows.
**Translation turnaround times depend on API processing speeds. For AIT (Tier 1 languages), most translation requests are delivered nearly instantly. For AITv (Tier 2 languages), Smartling can process a standard minimum of 5,000 words per day.
Tip: To enable this workflow for your account or to learn more, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager.
Smartling Language Services: Human Translation and Editing
Smartling Language Services (SLS) is a unique team of highly qualified, industry-leading professional linguists from around the world. The Human Translation and Editing workflow delivers high-quality, accurate translations that reflect your style and terminology preferences, with the added assurance of a second review for quality. Here are just a few of the advantages to using this workflow:
- Guaranteed quality (99+ MQM)
- Brand Terminology
Smartling Language Services: Creative Translation (Long form Creative)
Your creative content deserves creative translation to maximize localization impact. Long form creative content includes any creative content that is longer than a one-liner or slogan. The following are some examples of use cases for creative translation:
- Anglicisms
- Humor
- Idioms
- Other cultural references
This type of content requires an expert to convey the meaning or emotional impact of the source to local audiences. In contrast, even a high quality 1:1 translation might miss the mark on important nuances when the source content is creative in nature. Content translated in this workflow is translated in the CAT Tool by our creative experts and is a premium service.
Smartling Language Services: Transcreation (Short Form Creative)
Slogans, one-liner headlines for major ad campaigns, and any single string that is destined to bring your brand high-visibility needs more focus and translation options. Our experts will deliver a highly crafted, high-impact transcreation and your team will be able to interact directly with them throughout the process. Content translated in this workflow is translated in the Transcreation Tool by our creative experts and is a premium service.
Optional Quality Evaluation
Smartling Language Services offers Linguistic Quality Assurance as an optional service. With Smartling's MQM dashboard, you can instantly calculate and view quality scores for your translations with the click of a button. To learn more, contact your Smartling representative.
Want to learn more about workflows?
We have lots of helpful resources ready for you to start experimenting with your workflows, including an Example Workflow for you to test with. As there are no resources assigned to this workflow, it is a handy tool for training your team on how to use Smartling, both as a content creator and linguist, without actually paying for any content to be translated.