Excel translation

Excel is the leading spreadsheet application software for compiling any type of financial or statistical data, used by individuals as well as organizations large and small.

Due to its widespread, worldwide popularity, many organizations have a need to make the information in their Excel spreadsheets available in more than one language. While on the face of it the process may seem straightforward, there are several items that need to be taken into consideration in order to ensure a successful outcome.

Worksheets/Worksheet names

It is not uncommon for even the most simple Excel workbook to contain multiple worksheets. Thought must be given as to whether all worksheets need to be translated, and/or whether the worksheet names themselves should be translated. Formulas that reference data located in other worksheets can be “broken” by translating worksheet names, regardless of whether or not the underlying data is localized. The entire workbook must be examined in order to ensure these types of conflicts do not impact the functionality, as originally intended, of all internal references.

Formulas

Excel's strength lies in its ability to design and manipulate formulas ranging from statistical analysis, to mathematical calculation, and to string concatenation, to name just a few of the most popular ones. During the translation process, it is crucial that all formula functions be protected. Formulas need to be analyzed to make sure that internal references remain intact, and any string literals contained within the formula are translated without affecting its functionality.

Content

When translating an Excel spreadsheet, often times there will be content within the workbook that does not need to be translated. This can consist of entire worksheets, rows or columns, and sometimes even just a single cell. It is very important that the translation process take this into account, keeping this content in its source language within the translated workbook.

Excel Translation Process

What is the typical workflow for an Excel translation project? It begins with the source workbook being provided for translation by the client. The file is first analyzed and prepared for translation to ensure that any content that does not require translation is protected, as well as protecting all formula functions. All content is then reviewed to highlight any questions there may be before the actual translation is launched.

The translation, revision, and proofreading phases are then executed by professional in-country linguistic teams. Prior to delivering the translated workbook, a final round of Quality Assurance is executed by the linguistic teams. The final deliverable will be a workbook that is professionally translated and formatted to exactly match the source Excel file, with all formulas functions kept intact, and ready to deploy immediately, requiring no additional work for you or your team to do.

Interpro has been providing Excel translation services into the world's most popular languages since 1995. These services are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and 17100:2015 standards. For your upcoming Excel translation project, contact us and let us assist you in ensuring success.