Wild Game

by: The Language123 Staff

"Bidding systems and worldwide competition over the internet"

The internet can certainly be called a triumph of the consumer, the end user, the customer: find whatever you want, whenever you want it, at the price you want it, and bidding systems are there to guarantee that it happens. Products and services are offered online in a range of prices, qualities and presentations, and now, more than ever, the consumer can choose. Now, service providers, freelancers and small businesses that can’t rely on mass production to obtain large profits may find themselves competing with their counterparts in other countries, where the cost of living may be lower, or with larger companies with a greater production capacity. So the questions are: where is this trend leading and what are its foreseeable consequences? What is the role of translators in the shaping of a fair and stable market?

In the case of translation services, globalization poses a challenge to translators and agencies, where the need to expand their market and find a steady work flow contests the risk of “wild” competition over the internet. There are two conflicting views in this regard: some translation professionals say that bidding systems lower rates to unsustainable levels, causing translators living in more expensive areas to loose business on the basis of price, not quality. On the other hand the internet is relatively new platform for business; it develops and changes in a matter of days, even hours, and there is still much to be done and learned from it. It is undeniable that, sooner than later, it will represent an important share of the market, both demand and supply. In consequence, active involvement of translators is key to fair competition in a stronger and more inclusive industry.

There are several online forums and blogs discussing the topic of bidding systems and world-wide competition. translation sites that feature these services are regarded with distrust, based on the belief that the lack of control allows for individuals with no real knowledge, experience or training to offer translation services at rates that are too low for the amount of work and the dedication that professional translation work involves. However, only the first-time or occasional user, who may not understand the difference between one translator or the other –except in terms of cost- will be inclined to chose a translator based on price only. In most cases, these clients would have never brought their projects to a professional translator if a more affordable option wasn’t available.

In general, clients seek to get the best value for their dollar, which means cost-effective translation services that represent an investment in their company’s success. Thus, when looking for a translator for larger, more sensitive projects, a client will be more likely to undertake a rigorous selection process. For this type of client, translation websites offer the speed, resourcefulness and technology associated to the internet, and allow their clients to choose what is best for their business: a balance between price and quality. Biding systems are the logical result of the simplification of the process of finding translators, just like taking the phonebook, making a few calls for quotes and choosing the one that best suits the project, the internet also allows parallel comparison of the benefits and disadvantages of the different alternatives, including price.

Some translation professionals seem to favor directories over bidding systems. They are reluctant to compete over projects, suggesting that without the imposition of minimum rates and differentiation between the lower and the higher ends of the market, competition will deteriorate their working conditions. Contrary to this perception, freelance professionals in other industries have found that open competition evolved into a larger market and a higher work flow. In both cases the objective, to market professional services to prospective clients, gets lost in the discussion, and the opportunities that both systems combined (which are what most translation sites are anyway) provide for the development and growth of their business.

In conclusion, online competition is inherent to the market economy in which we live. The internet offers several advantages in communications, networking, business management and marketing for translation service providers of all sizes. A presence on the internet certainly opens a window of opportunity for a business to grow. The problem then focuses on bidding systems. The proliferation of translation sites featuring bidding systems is not arbitrary, technology has allowed this practice to develop and expand in response to the needs and expectations of the end consumer, so you can expect this tendency to persist. Judging by what has happened with other professions that have undergone similar processes, such as graphic designers, voiceovers, even lawyers, the market will stabilize itself: prices will go down as productivity increases and marketing costs decrease; translation will spend more time translating and less time with marketing and promotion.

The challenges for translation marketplaces:

• to create a system over the internet that will allow freelance translators to network with other language professionals and prospective clients, providing quality service at affordable, but fair prices

• to stimulate the market to create a balance between quality and cost, providing value services while fair competition and constantly increasing demand allow freelance translators to grow their business according to their skills and education

• to develop tools and services that facilitate communication and interaction between translators and clients, increasing productivity and lowering administration and marketing costs

• to encourage self-actualization and development of their members according to the demands of a global market, using technology as an ally rather than an obstacle.

August 02, 2005 - Comments:0

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