Today, international expansion is in the DNA of virtually every business. As Nataly Kelly states in her study Take Your Company Global, the moment you launch a website, you become visible on a global scale, while platforms like Amazon, Etsy and others allow you to sell your products to customers worldwide. In the global digital marketplace, it’s crucial that your services or products are localised – that is, tailored to directly reach customers through their native language and cultural identity. As shown in the survey from 2020, this is the only way to achieve maximum trust and demand. However, localisation goes beyond one-time translation. It’s a comprehensive, strategic process that must be fully understood and consistently applied across the entire company.

The Concept of the Localisation Maturity Model

The Localisation Maturity Model (LMM) is a framework used to evaluate an organisation’s localisation processes and capabilities. Its goal is to help businesses identify their current level of localisation maturity and pinpoint areas for improvement. The LMM consists of five levels, which describe how a company deals with localisation. Ideally, a company progresses steadily to the fifth stage, improving its localisation processes along the way.

Let’s explore each level in detail.

Maturity Levels:

1. Reactive: This is the first step in the localisation journey. Your team occasionally needs to translate some content, but the process is chaotic and unclear. Solutions are sought only when the need arises. At this stage, the company lacks a strategy and planning, as well as clearly defined roles and responsibilities related to localisation.
2. Repetitive: Some processes begin to repeat and are documented. Team members regularly use these processes. The company has some experience with professional translation services and uses basic tools and procedures. Short-term strategies can be planned, but there’s a lack of skills for large-scale or specific localisation tasks.
3. Managed: At this stage, companies might feel localisation is running smoothly. Processes are transparently documented, automated tools are used, and the business can work effectively with language service providers. The company is capable of planning ahead.
4. Optimised: Now you have a clearly defined localisation workflow that all departments involved in localisation use. Roles and responsibilities are well set. The company employs comprehensive technical solutions, and processes are optimised to meet the specific needs of your business.
5. Transparent: This is the final phase of the LMM. At this stage, localisation is fully integrated into the company’s processes. All functions, roles, documentation and operational tasks are transparent. Localisation is incorporated into business planning and strategies, closely linked to product development, planning, and release.