When you roll out SAP globally, translation comes to mind right away because the original German user interfaces are not an option for your employees. However, even using English, the logon language for SAP, is really just a band-aid solution: not all employees in your global locations will have sufficient knowledge of English to effectively use your SAP system. By offering customizing and in-house developments in the local language, you’ll make it easier for users to accept the system and work with it. You’ll also have more flexibility when hiring new employees, because English won’t have to be a job requirement. Therefore, include translation plans right from the beginning.
To scope your SAP translation project, we first analyze how many lines of customizing tables, forms, and ABAP developments need to be translated—in your own namespace as well as in the SAP namespace. Next, we refine the initial analysis to determine exactly what needs to be translated and what doesn’t and evaluate which tools will help your project the most. This becomes the scope of your project. With it in place, we know the breadth, components, and cost of your project so you can to finalize your plans. We also offer initial analysis and scoping as a separate consulting service called SAP Translation Prep.
Reusing
Reusing translations as efficiently as possible is a central component of any translation strategy. Not only will you see a higher consistency in translating terminology; you’ll also notice significantly reduced translation costs. As a rule, we find at least some reusable translations for each client:
• Texts imported from SAP language packages
• Translations performed in other SAP systems
• Other resources such as translated software
But that's not all. Texts that occur several times in the scope can be translated automatically via automatic distribution. We also use translation memory systems such as the proposal pool, the integrated TM solution of Transaction SE63, or industry-standard tools such as SDL Studio. This is how we translate to a high standard but keep costs down.
The latest tool for SAP translations is the SAP Translation Hub, which has been on the market since the end of 2016. With this solution, you have access to a huge repository containing the original translations of SAP products. With the SAP Translation Hub, short texts, especially user interfaces developed in-house, can be pre-translated automatically. The translator then only has to check them and then adapt them if necessary. This saves significant effort and costs, especially for larger SAP translation projects, making the SAP Translation Hub a cornerstone in your SAP translation strategy.
We work with some of the best SAP translators in the world: Most of them have worked regularly for SAP and its customers and partners for many years. When you log into an SAP system today, there's a good chance that the interface texts you find there have been translated by a translator from our global network. Our teams not only know the SAP-specific translation environment and the translation tools around Transaction SE63 inside out, but they can also research the context of the texts in the SAP system when translating. If required, our translators can also help you test the translated interfaces.
You can use the SAP standard Transaction SE63 to translate your own developments, customizing entries, and forms. This means that a reliable, very powerful translation tool is available in every SAP system without the need to invest in additional software. Admittedly, SE63 is quite complex, but it offers numerous advantages:
• SE63 offers experienced SAP translators context for the texts they translate.
• SE63 has various functions for the reuse of translations, for automatic translation, and for quality assurance.
• SE63 enables the maintenance of translations, which is critical when upgrading or updating translations whose source text has changed.
We recommend transaction SE63 as an entry point into most SAP translation projects and provide extended functions in the form of additional tools customized to your project.
