The quality of the loc kit is a barometer of the client’s sophistication in and regard for the localization process.

The Best
Have you ever received or sent a loc kit of which you were proud? What did you put into it? How long did it take you to put it together?

• Software – resource files/bundles, object code, source graphics, installer scripts, start menu items and all libraries in the correct file structure required to build binaries
• Documentation – source files for text, source files for graphics in text, build structure for online help systems, list of preferred tools and authoring applications
• Web – files in correct structure, access to stage site to test translation (especially for .php/.jsp/.asp/.do- based Web content), clear guidelines about how far to translate and what to do about references to untranslated content
• Sales/marketing materials – source files (InDesign, Quark, Creative Suite), access to the printing company for proper preparation
• Multimedia – source files for Flash and movies, scripts, uncompressed QuickTime files
• Glossaries and existing TMs – assets from previous translation efforts, or at least previously translated materials (even sales collateral) whether authorized or not
• Instructions – what to translate, what not to translate, how to build the product, encodings to use, special notes for translators
• Request for Proposal/Quotation (RFP/RFQ) – target languages, timelines, expectations for the quotation

…and all of it properly internationalized.

The Worst
If a client sends a vendor a handful of PDFs and asks for the translations “as soon as possible” (most people’s favorite deadline), they probably don’t have much regard for the work involved. Most vendors can do the job from PDFs, of course, but they’re a pain in the neck (the PDFs, not the vendors) because it’s very hard to do a good job from PDFs. Without the source files from which the PDFs were made, the vendor has to create from scratch most of the things the client takes for granted in the PDFs: formatting, spacing, layout, typeface, page setup, headers, footers, margins…

Wiggle Room
Of course, perfection is not in human nature. The handful-of-PDF’ers aren’t being malicious; they’re just doing as they’re told. Over time, the patient vendor may build a relationship with these people such that their interest in localization rises and their kits improve.

And even the best of loc kits does not answer every question. We’ve been running projects from the client-side with the same vendor for years, and questions still arise. I look forward to the questions, because we can improve the loc kit based on them. In fact, I get nervous when there are no questions: I suspect that somebody is doing something wrong and is afraid to check with me.

What have I left out? Do you have a secret weapon that you put into your loc kits?