Localization Maturity Model or LMM assesses where your company stands in terms of matching your translation and globalization needs to the right providers. Companies such as Andover act as language service providers. Outsourcing this function can expedite your path through CSA’s LMM 3.0 model, which took data from 15 countries and more than 6,600 organizations to revamp the Localization Maturity Model.
Maturity Levels: High-Level View
Maturity Levels correspond to whether your company is hitting specific and generic goals.
The five maturity Levels are as follows:
- Level 1 – Initial: At this stage, processes are unpredictable and ad hoc. There’s no centralized approach, leaving you vulnerable to better organized competitors, who are successfully penetrating local markets.
- Level 2 – Managed: You have some general tools, but progress is slow.
- Level 3 – Defined: This is where you start to see real progress. It’s marked by the introduction of defined roles and an investment in technology that supports local language and other localization factors.
- Level 4 - Quantitatively Managed: In this stage, the technology (in-house or outsourced) is well-defined, you’re using standard tools and have defined roles to ensure that localization is appropriately prioritized. Most importantly, you have created metrics you can use to rate future performance.
- Level 5 – Optimizing: Once you reach the top Level of LMM, you have well-defined workflows, documented processes and a long-term strategy to overtake competitors in each region.
Need help benchmarking your companies localization strategy? Partner with the experts at Andovar to set a baseline and strategize how to expedite your LMM journey.
Maturity Level 1 - Initial
At this stage, localization processes are chaotic and largely ad hoc. You don't have a stable environment to measure or improve how effective you are at delivering content at a local Level. Rather, success typically pivots on heroic, competent individuals rather than proven, repeatable techniques.
At maturity Level 1, you offer marketing and language tools that work, somewhat. However, budget overruns and schedule creep are considered inevitable. Localization leaders may over commit because they don't understand the complexity of the process. They also have a hard time repeating past successes.
Maturity Level 2 - Managed
At the second stage of the localization maturity model, your organization is achieving specific and generic goals. Processes are planned, executed and managed according to prepared documentation. This allows for a controlled process that is easily measured. Maturity Level 2 still largely promotes low quality and high risk due to missing factors such as technology, innovation and metrics.
Despite the high risk associated with this Level, you have improved visibility of workflow and begun to manage work products and services. Commitments between relevant stakeholders are reviewed and revised and multiple departments can readily view the status of various projects.
Areas that we focus on — when you partner with Andovar LMM experts — to further develop this stage include:
- Requirements Management-documented
- Project Planning, Monitoring and Control
- Supplier Agreements
- Measurement
- Process or Product QA
Maturity Level 3 - Defined
This stage focuses on process standardization. Maturity Level 3 corresponds to medium risk and quality. Although you have well-understood processes and documented standards, tools, procedures and methods, you haven't yet quantified metrics to the point where you can manage by them.
So, what is the difference between Level 2 and Level 3 regarding standards, processes and procedures? At Maturity Level 2, these elements look quite different than maturity Level 3, In which standards, process descriptions and project plans are tailored from standard templates. Therefore, you have developed consistent processes across your company, resulting in repeatable successes.
At this level, you have also begun to describe processes more rigorously and can manage them more proactively.
Consider positive changes to the following processes at this stage:
- Requirements Development
- Technical Solutions
- Verification and Validation
- Organizational Process Focus, Definition and Training
Maturity Level 4 - Quantitatively Managed
At maturity Level 4, you have achieved goals, metric tracking and other processes defined at lower levels. Now, you can turn to subprocesses that most positively contribute to performance. Select subprocesses based on quantitative measures.
Let Andovar help you define and track quantitative goals for your localization strategy. Get a quote for defining and fast-tracking your path to LMM Levels 4 and 5.
At Level 4, you have standardized tracking technology that allows you to quantify quality and process execution. Typically, we recommend using objectives focused on:
- Customer Needs
- Experience of End Users
- Organizational Metrics
- Process Implementation
As part of your investment in technology, focus on getting LMM performance measures added to your company’s management reporting system for higher visibility and accountability. This allows localization stakeholders to contribute to factual decision-making.
At maturity Level 4, you control performance using statistical techniques.
Maturity Level 5 - Optimizing
At maturity Level 5, you have reached a stage where you’re constantly improving processes based on quantitative performance metrics. This is a stage of low risk and high quality — accompanied by a spirit of continuous improvement through technology and analysis.
Deployed process improvements are evaluated against quantitative standards. This allows you to focus on agile, innovative changes with the highest impact on your localization efforts.
At maturity Level 5, you begin to develop processes that pinpoint and address process variation. For example, you may raise or lower process performance targets based on metric trends.
How Andovar Can Help
At Andovar, we provide market and advisory support to help you initiate, manage, define, quantify and optimize your Localization Maturity Model.
Based on consumer habits and conversion likelihood, we can help you establish your brand, products and services in global markets. Our local language services and location management consulting can assist your company with acquiring solid technology and resource management applications so that you can measure your progress and effectively reach your local audiences.
Contact Andovar today to learn how the Localization Maturity Model can help you develop a successful localization strategy in lucrative global markets.
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