All global companies selling internationally face at some point the question of whether they should localize their products or not. Before contemplating a response to this question, and to narrow down the scope of researching the answers, it is essential to identify the geographies that your company is interested in pursuing. This should be completely driven by your international strategic goals. Since this is a strategic question it should be dealt with at the executive level. Depending on the function the person holds within a company, his or her reasoning and justifications may be entirely different. The following are different views from several departments.

1. “The Language of Business
is the Language of the Customer”
Global Vision
To Localize or Not to Localize… Is this the question at hand?
All global companies selling are the questions that biased in favor of English
Engineering should answer first. speaking users.
internationally face at some
If your product is localization-
point the question of whether
ready, then this may be an Legal
they should localize their
advantage that you have over The legal department is
products or not.
your competition. Otherwise, always concerned about
perhaps serious Engineering liability. Their main questions
Before contemplating a
efforts need to take place, are: “Are there any international
response to this question, and to
before undertaking any Asian or regulations requiring us to
narrow down the scope of
Middle-Eastern language localize? Are we under any
researching the answers, it is
localization. contractual obligations to
essential to identify the
localize?” Many countries are
geographies that your company
Marketing imposing localization
is interested in pursuing. This
Marketing approaches this requirements and these are
should be completely driven by
issue in two folds, first looking serious questions that your legal
your international strategic
at competition and if they are department will have to get
goals.
localizing their products and answers for. Again regulations
second considering the value vary in different countries and
Since this is a strategic
localization brings to the end- guidance to what countries to
question it should be dealt with
user. Focussing on the different investigate will be essential.
at the executive level.
international end-users while What is important here is to try
Depending on the function the
considering localization is key. to gauge the liability that a
person holds within a company,
This is because in many company may have in any
his or her reasoning and
countries like Japan or China, country it sells into, if it does
justifications may be entirely
end-users require localized not meet local language
different. The following are
products, while in others like regulations.
different views from several
the Netherlands or Scandinavia,
departments.
localization may not be Manufacturing
essential. The value of There may or may not be any
Engineering
localization to the end-user will logistical issues that
Engineering needs to be
vary and it needs to be weighted Manufacturing will have to deal
consulted first. To them
against other functionality, with while producing, stocking
localization is a side issue. The
improvements and features that or shipping localized products.
real issue is internationalization.
can instead be brought to the These issues are not much
Is the product enabled for
general product. Prioritizing different from having different
double-byte and bi-directional
localization vs. other product product numbers and the
support? Does it handle
improvement is prudent, as long possible added overhead can be
different locale nuances? These
as the process is not completely accounted for and dealt with.
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GlobalVision International, Inc. 276 Turnpike Rd. MA 01581 USA http://www.globalvis.com infonow@globalvis.com Phone: (508) 616-6660

2. Sales be critical to getting the Making a Decision
The Sales department is the proper answers to financially Vive la difference, as the
place where you can get justify the effort of French say. Different is healthy
tangible answers about the localization. since often localization costs
opportunity that localization can be high and the justification
will bring to your company. It is Also, the ultimate decision to to localize needs to present a
no secret that most companies localize will have to be made for multitude of benefits to the
that localize do not do so, until specific countries, like Japan, company. If the cost to localize
they have a major international Germany and France. If a is much less than the
customer demanding it. decision is made in favor of opportunity it creates plus the
localizing for these specific liability it eliminates, then the
If you ask your domestic sales countries, additional markets decision to localize is an
force, you know what the will by default be available for obvious one.
answer will be. Exactly the
opposite answer will come if Cost << Opportunity + Liability The need to localize may
from the international arm. then localize also be solely driven by legal
Localizing your product will else invest elsewhere or competitive motivations.
help increase international Even then, it is good to be
sales, and reduce the you to sell your localized aware of any other benefits or
international support burden, products into, like for instance deterrents inside the
while possibly distracting Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, organization to see where you
corporate from adding other and Canada… It is important can pull your resources together
enhancements to the base that all these opportunities are or where to avoid friction
product. Being a tactical branch identified up front. within departments.
of the company, you would
expect the local sales force to Finance But often the findings are not
vote against localization, while Once finance has relevant data as black or white. If you are an
the international one to vote for from the field, marketing, executive of a company with a
it. engineering, manufacturing and global vision, asking the above
the legal department, their task questions to your appropriate
This is another reason why will then be to answer: “What is staff will allow you to study the
again this issue needs to be the return on investment to relevant issues and balance the
dealt at the executive level, localize to specific languages? subjective vs. objective forces
where the VP of Sales is What are the short and long while making your decision.
consulted. Rephrasing the terms impacts on the bottom
question to: “Do you have any line?” These questions may still If your decision is for
customers demanding a be hard to answer, but with localization, the next questions
localized version? How much visibility in the process and will revolve around what
more revenues can we get access to all the data, Finance localization execution strategy
from a localized version? Are may be able to pull the numbers to pursue. A correct strategy
you willing to take on together and make a financial coupled with the right
additional quota if we localize case for or against localization. localization process are key to a
the product? What are the successful endeavor.
savings in support calls?” will
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