Is procurement overlooking the importance of language services?

Is procurement overlooking the importance of language services?

Large international organisations operating across regions have a wealth of content –  including marketing, product development, manuals, human resources, and technical documents – that needs translating. The challenge of getting the right language technologies and services in place is becoming ever more pressing. 

At the same time, the importance of getting the right message across in different cultural settings, with the right nuance, has never been greater. However, too often companies are taking a fragmented approach to this work, with different departments working in silos and no overall strategy. Procurement often has a limited role in sourcing, onboarding and managing language services providers (LSPs), with an emphasis on a cost-per-word, commoditised approach.

In this whitepaper, produced in partnership with RWS, we look at how procurement departments can rationalise language services spend and bring to life a strategic approach that supports not only departmental goals and objectives, but those of the wider business too.

Related Expert Reports

Vantify Annual Compliance Report 2026

Drawing on thousands of live compliance assessments across fire safety, water hygiene, asbestos management and operational risk, the Vantify Annual Compliance Report 2026 provides procurement and supply chain professionals with a data-driven view of the compliance and facilities management trends shaping the sector, giving you the intelligence to benchmark your approach against the organisations setting the standard.

Buying Through Climate and Nature Risk

A competitive, well-prepared procurement strategy in 2026 involves not only considering factors like price, quality and reliability, but also taking into account direct and indirect carbon costs and nature-related supply risks.

The Supply Chain AI Readiness Report

More than half of supply chain professionals are probably using generative AI. But fewer than 1 in 10 of supply chain AI pilots have identified what it takes to translate that enthusiasm into industrial-scale results.

Through our research and interviews with senior supply chain executives, we have identified a group we call the “Performance Elite.”

share