How to scope translation integration for an existing business app
Plan translation in your business app. Define content, languages, review, data rules, failure handling and acceptance tests before you request a quote.
Start with one complete task that your team needs to do in another language. Then define how translation fits that task. This gives a software supplier a clearer basis for an estimate than a request to add a translation button.
The scope should cover the text, the people, the data and the result. It should also explain what happens when translation fails. Use the steps below to prepare that scope before you choose a technical approach.
Choose one workflow for the first release
Write down where the source text comes from and where the approved translation must go. For example, a support employee may need to read an incoming message and prepare a reply in the customer's language. This is an illustrative requirement, not a report of a Vavus installation.
List each step: open the message, request a translation, read the source beside the result, edit the reply and approve it for sending. Decide whether translation starts automatically or only after an employee selects it.
Keep the first release small. One screen and one clear business task are easier to test than every text field in an application.
Identify the content and language needs
Make a list of the fields that need translation. Separate short labels, free text, documents and speech. They can require different processing and tests. Also list fields that must stay unchanged, such as order numbers and product codes.
Specify the source and target languages, including any regional variants. Record typical text length and expected daily volume. Ask which language combinations and input formats the proposed service supports.
Context can matter for short text. DeepL's text API, for example, supports a context parameter that can influence the translation without translating the context itself. Its documentation also says separate text entries in one request do not share context. [1] Your scope should say where useful context comes from.
Define terminology and human review
Collect the terms your business uses often. Include preferred translations, product names and words that should remain unchanged. Assign one person to maintain this list.
Some translation services support glossaries. Google Cloud Translation describes its glossary as a custom dictionary for consistent domain-specific terminology. [2] Check the feature for your exact language pairs and chosen service. A glossary does not prove that the whole message is correct.
Decide which outputs need a qualified language reviewer. Give the reviewer access to the original text. Set a clear approval step before customer-facing text is sent or published.
Set rules for data and access
Describe what information the workflow handles. Use artificial examples during early tests. Avoid copying real customer records into a trial just to see whether a button works.
Ask where the text will be processed, what the application will store, who can read it and when it will be deleted. Include logs and backups in this discussion. Confirm the provider's current terms and the controls available for the selected plan.
A custom interface does not, by itself, make an external translation service private or offline. If your project requires local processing, state that requirement at the start and test the full data flow against it.
Plan for delays and errors
Write the expected response time and the action staff should take if the service is unavailable. The application should show a clear state, such as waiting, ready for review or failed. Preserve the original text.
Ask the developer to distinguish temporary failures from errors that need a change. DeepL, for example, documents delayed retries for rate-limit errors, while an exhausted quota requires a different response. [3] Repeated requests should not create duplicate business actions, such as sending the same reply twice.
Agree on usage alerts and who owns support. Include service charges, maintenance and future changes when you compare project costs.
Write acceptance tests before development
Choose representative examples for each required language pair. Include long messages, unusual characters, missing fields and terms from your approved list. Test the entire task, from the source record to the saved or sent result.
Set pass criteria that people can check: product codes stay unchanged, an unapproved translation cannot be sent, a failed request is visible and the reviewer can return to the source. Have a qualified reviewer assess meaning and tone. Record defects and repeat the same tests after changes.
Prepare a clear request for a quote
Send the workflow, sample fields, language pairs, estimated volume, data rules and acceptance tests. Mark each item as required for launch or suitable for a later release. Ask for the assumptions and exclusions in writing.
Vavus offers written scoping for custom projects. [4] Use the quote page to describe your existing application and the task you want to improve. The proposed integration, deployment and testing should be confirmed in your project scope.