Systemair is a global company actively operating in 52 countries around the world. They manufacture ventilation, heating, and cooling products for almost 50 years.
The company first started localization in spreadsheets, a common approach at the time. Soon, handling over 40 target languages started to take too much time. That’s why they decided to migrate everything to Crowdin. Right now, they describe their localization process as “We upload our files, and then it just works.”
Localization before Crowdin
At first, the Systemair team was handling translations in spreadsheets. But soon, they realized that utilizing spreadsheets for project management won’t work well long term. Working with spreadsheets, they became acquainted with the vast file with interminable columns and rows that needs constant checking and refreshing. They’re working with developers, UX designers, translators, and others on software that was never intended to handle translation tasks. It was time to seek a spreadsheet alternative to project management, as spreadsheets were not comfortable for leading teams.
The Systemair team’s earlier manual localization procedure emphasized manual file transfer between developers, managers, and translators. Product upgrades were happening more often as the company’s workforce, and client base had expanded. The team found it challenging to keep up with the release cycles.
“We have people that can translate internally, but it is impossible to do it together. So, it was the starting point for Crowdin. As soon as colleagues and I realized this was working, it grew and grew and grew all the time. And now, we have nearly 20 projects in Crowdin Enterprise.”
That is why they understood they needed a tool or application that could assist them in securing the success of the translation projects:
- Reduce the quantity of correspondence between parties.
- Centralize multilingual content management processes with ease.
- For the most significant outcomes, automate procedures and improve workflows.
- Manage the project easily by knowing everyone’s workload in detail.
- Consistently translate all languages and guarantee prompt delivery.
- Avoid delays and accelerate the time to market.
The moment started in 2017 when Systemair realized that its team needed a cloud-based solution that streamlines localization management. At that time, they had an online configuration tool where they had to translate. It was 12000-15000 lines that work in excel and about 40 languages. Their colleagues started to work on it in excel and quickly sent those excel documents back to different people.
That is why they needed an online solution where everyone could work together. At the same time, security was important, so only approved users could access localization projects.
Localize your product with Crowdin
Set Up the Localization Process with the Help of Crowdin
Instead of depending only on the developer’s input, Systemair sought a solution to enable managers and internal and external team members to oversee the translation process in one place without interrupting each other’s work. The group soon recognized Crowdin as a solution when they started looking into and testing various technologies.
“The first impression was that all these attempts to merge files work without effort. It was the biggest impression. Before, we spent hours with worksheets, and then we just uploaded the file and randomly downloaded it.”
Systemair has several workflows now. They have connected with API some of their tools. With the help of Crowdin, workflows are even automated every week or every couple of days. Crowdin automatically downloads the content. It makes the localization process easier. Moreover, with Crowdin, project managers and translators can proofread texts and make their comments online to offer a better localization quality.
“It all works for us as we need it—no need to check for alternatives.”
What Does Systemair Localize, and into How Many Languages?
Systemair has now localized its content into 40+ languages, approximately 30 of which they actively support, and they are slowly adding translations to other languages from this mix. It enables the company to be present in more than 60 countries. So, the current goal is to release fully localized products in the countries where the company is already present.
Systemair’s site is presently localized for the following areas:
Americas: Canada, Mexico, Perú, USA.
Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Eastern Europe: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine.
Africa: Morocco.
“We translate our shop website, selection tools, content, and attributes. Also, we localize the presentation tools and renderings we use in exhibitions. We have so many projects, so we do not need to keep everything in mind anymore because we have Crowdin.”
And also the example of a localized products page on the site:
The Outcome
Systemair effectively incorporated localization into its development process. And the company also increased its productivity by using Crowdin, a cloud-based translation management service. With Crowdin, you have tasks, a progress meter for each language, activity history, and a filter option. The Systemair team can now keep track of all localization tasks. So, you may expand your project management process to heights you have never experienced using Crowdin.
