# Implications of Agile Working on Consistency in Localized Content

Madiha Kassawat

► To cite this version:

Madiha Kassawat. Implications of Agile Working on Consistency in Localized Content. Media and Intercultural Communication: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2025, 3 (2), pp.107-126. 10.22034/mic.2025.524537.1041. hal-05197669

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Keywords

agile translation;
corporate websites;
localization; translation
consistency; translation
quality

Submitted:
14 April 2025

Accepted:
09 July 2025

Published Online:
01 August 2025

Copyright:
©2025 Madiha Kassawat

To cite the article:

Kassawat, M. (2025).
Implications of agile working
on consistency in localized
content. *Media and
Intercultural Communication:
A Multidisciplinary Journal*,
3(2), 107-126.

https://doi.org/10.22034/mic.
2025.524537.1041

Implications of Agile Working on Consistency in Localized
Content

Madiha Kassawat*1

Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, France

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

https://doi.org/10.22034/mic.2025.524537.1041

Abstract

Despite its relatively recent presence, localization has gone through
multiple phases of evolution. However, little is known about the general
framework that it has come to, as it started with the waterfall method and
has got to the agile management method. This paper starts off with how the
agile working method is applied in the localization cycle. Then, it explores
the impact of agility on the translation consistency and the position of the
language agent in the process. A corpus was used as a starting point to
design a translator-oriented survey addressing inconsistency issues in light
of agile practices, such as fast delivery, teamwork, and repetitive iterations.
The textual corpus shows questionable textual inconsistencies which can be
associated with the agile working framework, such as terminology and
tagline/description incoherence. The survey received 38 answers, providing
deeper insights into the translator's point of view with regard to consistency,
which should help in pointing out the weaknesses of the process. The
answers reveal tendencies about how challenging consistency is, which
aspects of the localized content are more challenging than others, and how
consistency is maintained.

<footnote n="1">1 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3753-9117 | madiha.kassawat@sorbonne-nouvelle.fr</footnote>

<footnote>* Corresponding author. Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3, Paris, France.</footnote>

<footnote>This is an open access article which is distributed under the [Creative Commons Attribution
License (CC BY)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This allows for unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
providing that the original author(s) and source are properly credited.</footnote>
# 1. Introduction

The evolution of translation practices has been significantly influenced by advancements in technology and shifts in project management methodologies. Since its beginning, the localization industry has developed both content- and technology-wise simultaneously. As for the workflow, it was initial and unstructured in 1985–1995, structured in 1995–2005, and virtual starting from 2005 (Schäler, 2008, p. 198). This evolution also reflects the change of work management within development teams, which is represented by the Agile Manifesto announced by a team of developers in 2001. Agile working has become the norm in almost every virtually-performed work nowadays, including localization. In recent years, the traditional, linear model of translation has been increasingly challenged by more dynamic, iterative approaches such as agile translation. This shift reflects broader trends in global business operations, where agility and responsiveness are prized attributes. This paper encapsulates this critical examination of the contrasting paradigms in translation management and their impact on the quality of localized content. Junker (2023, p. 2) notes that most research on agile working now is on software development and is done by researchers in information systems. This highlights the need for parallel research in Translation Studies (TS).

Agile translation promotes a collaborative, flexible, and iterative process<fnref n="1" />. This method allows continuous feedback, frequent updates, and adaptive planning, which are particularly beneficial in fast-paced industries where content needs to be promptly and accurately localized to keep up with market demands. Agile translation is:

a technology-dependent translation management method used mostly in localization, whose practices can be followed partly or completely to ensure fast and small-batched delivery of translations, and iterative linguistic testing and bug fixing, while facilitating communication between agents and/or with the client in a time- and space-flexible manner. (Kassawat, 2024)

Hollstein and Rosa (2023) categorize acceleration in terms of technology, social change and the pace of life. They define social acceleration, for example, as “an increase in quantity of one sort or another per unit of time” (Hollstein & Rosa, 2023, p. 710). This applies to current translation practices, where quantity is being redefined (words, segments, strings, screen in an app). These chunking practices are essential in agile translation and need to be examined. This paper explores the implications of adopting agile working methods in translation projects, and examines how translators deal with consistency challenges in the agile cycle.

To start with, a brief overview will be provided about agile working and how it has been integrated into translation. It will be followed by an explanation of the difference between agile methods and older – but still used to a certain extent – methods like waterfall, and a few paragraphs about agility in the translation

<footnote n="1">¹ https://lokalise.com/blog/agile-localization Accessed on 02 March 2025</footnote>
industry. Then, the methodology of the study will be detailed, and followed by an illustration of the results
with a discussion.

## 2. Review of literature

### 2.1. What is agile working?

The term “agile” is not new and was used before the agile manifesto. The term itself and the agile methods appeared in academic research in the 1990s, mainly in the industrial manufacturing and logistics management areas. Terms such as “agile manufacturing” (Kidd, 1995; Shewchuk, 1998), “agile supply chain” used as a response to cope with uncertainties (Bal et al., 1999), as well as “agile assembly systems” (Arai et al., 2000), were used to refer to the acceleration of assembly systems in order to improve the competitiveness of firms (Gunasekaran, 1999). The goal was to achieve higher levels of quality while ensuring more flexibility with lower costs and shorter product life cycles (Plonka, 1997). The need to deliver products fast was also critical in such domains though minimizing the “time-to-market” and using new technologies for global communication (Bunce & Gould, 1996). With the increasing reliance on new technologies such as the Internet, new digital products have become in demand too. The fast-changing nature of the technology industry started to be thought of as the beginning of the use of agile working methods (Cohen et al., 2004, p. 3), even though these methods were already applied in other industries. From another perspective, the “open source” method may have also paved the way in the 1980s for the later expansion of agile working, since the former was anti-capitalist and aimed to provide free accessible software, seeking freedom from funding entities, control and management (Boboc & Metzger, 2020). The adoption of agility in the high-tech industry was, according to Boboc & Metzger (2020), due to the inability of customers to “definitively state their needs up front, while at the same time, expecting more from their software”. The agile mode of work was ironically described to be based on the Californian start-up myth whose spirit would surely turn towards innovation (Benedetto-Meyer Marie & Anca Boboc, 2021, p. 118; Boboc & Metzger, 2020). Agile working has expanded into many contexts and is no longer limited by manufacturing or technology. It now represents a wider range of activities as it includes liberation from traditional structuring of work through temporal and spatial flexibility (Izak et al., 2023) (empowered by the increasing possibility of virtual work), engaging in innovative activities, and utilizing new communication and digital technologies to better respond to priorities (Grant, 2020). This can be applied to almost every virtually-performed job nowadays, but this paper will focus on the localization industry and the jobs of “localization language agents” (LLAs) (Kassawat, 2022, p. 260) in particular. This term will be used interchangeably with ‘language agent’. The term is to include translators, reviewers, post-editors, and any other agents involved in translating the text.

### 2.2. Waterfall versus agile working

Waterfall and agile working methods share several points, as the former paved the way for the latter. In general, the agile method aims to deliver functioning products fast through short iterations while ensuring collaboration and product ownership for each team member (Tripp et al., 2016). It follows a loop-based
structure. The waterfall method, though, is based on a linear structure, that is, repetitions or corrections
are not tolerated during the process, which obliges teams to finish all the steps before they can reiterate.
This strict process is considered to be time-consuming and can be costly. However, the agile method is
more flexible as it tolerates adaptation (Cohen et al., 2004, p. 5) and reduces the cycle time, which are
sought-after objectives in the context of an economy, characterized by acceleration and innovation (Boboc
& Metzger, 2020). In fact, the term “sprints” is often used in the agile method, which indicates the
importance of time limitation and fast delivery goals. A sprint in agile working is a short, time-limited
period, usually four weeks (Cohen et al., 2004) during which the team should complete a set amount of
work or a specific small objective or phase. The term is influenced by sports, where a sprint is defined as
“a footrace over a short distance with an all-out or nearly all-out burst of speed, the chief distances being
100, 200, and 400 metres and 100, 220, and 440 yards”.

Both methods have been used in localization. According to Kabát (2023), the waterfall method is considered as time consuming due to starting the localization cycle only after the release, and keeping the strings locked until the end of localization. This strict plan makes it difficult to update a translation or fix a bug as soon as it appears. Agile working, however, integrates localization in the development process, allowing bugs to be fixed during or after the publication of the product, and the product to be released despite the issues (Kabát, 2023).

## 2.3. Agility in the localization industry

In the dynamic landscape of the localization industry, agility has become a cornerstone for managing
translation and localization processes. This shift is evident as localization efforts are increasingly
integrated into the product creation phase rather than being treated as a post-development task. This
approach, known as “continuous localization”¹², allows for real-time translation of new content while it
is being developed. Consequently, when new product versions are released, LLAs and localization experts
are ready to localize the incremental changes. This system filters smaller amounts of content continuously,
avoiding the need for massive updates and ensuring that localized versions remain current with the
product’s development<fnref n="3" />.

The adoption of continuous localization offers several advantages. Primarily, it significantly enhances
efficiency. By localizing content as it is being produced, there is a reduction in the backlog of content that
traditionally accumulates in the waterfall localization model. Additionally, accessibility is simplified,
since platforms are employed to manage localization tasks instead of relying on the exchange of files and
emails. This not only streamlines the workflow but also supports sustainable development <fnref n="4" /> by
maintaining a steady pace of localization activities, thus distributing the workload more evenly over time.

<footnote n="1">¹ https://poeditor.com/blog/what-is-continuous-localization Accessed on 02 March 2025</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² https://www.transifex.com/blog/2023/what-is-continuous-localization Accessed on 02 March 2025</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ https://www.marstranslation.com/blog/agile-translation-a-quick-guide Accessed on 02 March 2025</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴ https://phrase.com/blog/posts/translation-management-agile-localization Accessed on 02 March 2025</footnote>
However, continuous localization is not without its challenges. It demands substantial effort and resources to maintain the seamless integration of translation processes into the ongoing product development. Proper coordination between language agents and developers is crucial to ensure that localization keeps pace with product changes. Moreover, the rapid pace of continuous localization can sometimes lead to compromised quality, as there is less time for thorough review and editing compared to the more deliberate waterfall localization process.

Despite these challenges, the use of machine translation (MT) within continuous localization frameworks can offer a viable solution. However, it is important to recognize the significant drawbacks associated with this approach. MT often produces lower-quality translations that can undermine the overall user experience. Despite accepting the trade-off by some stakeholders⁶ due to the benefits of continuous updates and corrections, the initial drop in quality is a critical concern. Unlike the waterfall approach, where all elements must be perfected prior to release, continuous localization allows for ongoing refinements, as new or modified strings are automatically identified for the localization experts and language agents to work on<fnref n="1" />. This iterative process can lead to a cycle of perpetual corrections, which may never fully resolve the quality issues introduced by the hasty initial translations. Consequently, continuous localization can ensure timely updates, but it may result in a product that struggles to meet the high-quality standards expected by users despite the continuous tweaks.

# 3. Method

## 3.1. Background on the study

A previous study was conducted on localization quality, analyzing an English-Arabic corpus of 2524 product blurbs from fifteen international corporate websites (furniture, high-tech, and cosmetics). The analysis focused on issues that prevent the text from functioning (e.g. lack of comprehensibility and logic of the message), and creative translations which include specific elements expected in advertising texts, such as metaphors, cultural references, and play on words (Kassawat, 2022). The study resulted in 283 blurbs, and issues were found in 192 blurbs. It also resulted in website-based general observations which indicate a lack of consistency in the translation approach of terminology used within the same website, as in using transliteration, English naming, and translation for product names interchangeably in the same website (Kassawat, 2022). However, as consistency and agile working aspects were not within the scope of that study, those observations were not analyzed more deeply. Therefore, the resulting corpus of 283 blurbs has been re-examined to explore inconsistencies in light of the agile method. Besides terminology, inconsistency was spotted in terms of the lack of coherence between the tagline and description of the blurbs. While the reason cannot be traced by an outsider, it is commonly known now that agile working is the used method, and can be responsible to a great extent of such issues.

<footnote n="1">¹ https://lokalise.com/blog/agile-localization Accessed on 02 March 2025</footnote>
## 3.2. Textual quality

The following examples should highlight how agile translation can impact the quality due to the process or the pressure put on the agents. The survey which I will detail later will also reveal the issue from an insiders' perspective.

Example 1 below is about a furniture product consisting of a seat and shoe storage. It contains an accuracy issue due to inconsistency with the tagline. The first sentence of the body paragraph 'Have a seat while putting on your shoes' was translated as اجلس بينما تكون مرتدّيا حذاءك (Sit with your shoes put on). The Arabic version can be confusing for a user who does not have or understand the English or any other version at hand. They will wonder why they should put on their shoes before or while sitting down on the seat, and they cannot be barefooted while sitting on the bench. Such approach can be due to chunking in the agile cycle, the use of MT and/or the speed required to deliver the translation without allowing enough time or providing enough context on the function of the product.

<table><caption>**Table 1.** Example 1, taken from the product advertisement of a furniture product<fnref n="1" /></caption><tr><td>RT</td><td>HEMNES<br>Bench with shoe storage, white<br>Have a seat while putting on your shoes. The simple, classical design with a touch of tradition looks great with other furniture in the HEMNES series.</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>HEMNES<br>مقعد مع وحدة تخزين للأحذية, أبيض<br>اجلس بينما تكون مرتدّيا حذاءك. التصميم الكلاسيكي البسيط بلمسة تقلیدیة بیبدو رائعا مع قطع الأثاث الأخرى من مجموعة HEMNES.</td></tr><tr><td>BT</td><td>HEMNES<br>Bench with shoe storage unit, white<br>Sit with your shoes put on. The simple, classical design with a traditional touch looks great with other furniture in the HEMNES collection.</td></tr></table>

Example 2 is for a blurb of a lip gloss whose main characteristic is to make the lips look shiny. The Arabic tagline is inconsistent with the body text as it introduces the notion of softness as if it is the main characteristic of the product, instead of the glossy effect which is the focus in the first sentence of the body text. This can be caused by the lack of context. In localization, it is very common to send fragments of the text to the translation team, where the tagline can be sent to an agent and the body text to another.

<table><caption>**Table 2.** Example 2, taken from the blurb of a lip gloss<fnref n="2" /></caption><tr><td>RT</td><td>hervana ultra plush<br>berry pink lip gloss<br>Pure lip bliss!<br>Our plush glosses glide on extra smooth and feel ahhh-mazing. The six irresistible shades,</td></tr></table>

<footnote n="1">¹ https://www.ikea.com Accessed on 18 April 2019</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² https://www.benefitcosmetics.com Accessed on 19 April 2019</footnote>
<table><tr><td></td><td>from sultry nudes to punchy pinks, come in soft-squeeze tubes with a custom tip designed for perfectly even application.</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>مستحضر hervana ultra plush ملمع شفاه وردي تويتي<br>شفاه في غاية النعومة! تنساب مستحضراتنا لتلميع الشفاه بكل نعومة وتجعلك تبدين رائعة. يتوفر هذا المستحضر في ست درجات ساحرة، من درجات النود الجذابة إلى الدرجات الوردية المثيرة، وياتي في أنابيب من السهل الضغط عليها مع طرف صمّم خصيصا لتطبيق متناغم مثالي.</td></tr><tr><td>BT</td><td>The hervana ultra plush product berry pink lip gloss Very soft lips! Our lip gloss products glide smoothly and make you look great! This product comes in six charming shades, from attractive nude shades to alluring pink shades, and it comes in soft-squeeze tubes with a tip designed especially for perfectly even application.</td></tr></table>

Example 3 was retrieved from a high-tech corporate website, and presents a camera function of a mobile phone. The English text focuses on the wide angle of the camera which allows to include more people in the shot. The translation of the body text was accurate, but the tagline changed the meaning completely from 'Get everyone in the shot' into the 'جميل الجميع' (A collage image among everyone). While the tagline was creative, using a rhetorical device in 'tajmee' and 'jamee' which rhyme, it changed the intended message and function of the product. Instead of showing how everyone will be in one photo, it referred to having a photo made up of several images using the collage technique. The creativity efforts were lost due to inconsistency with the body text and, possibly, the lack of context in case the tagline and the body were worked on by different agents.

<table><caption>**Table 3.** Example 3, taken from a high-tech corporate website<fnref n="1" /></caption><tr><td>RT</td><td>Get everyone in the shot<br>Selfies with friends have never looked better. The GALAXY Grand Prime has a 5MP front camera with an ultra-wide view angle of 85 degrees. The wider angle of view means you can get more of your friends and more of the background in every shot—and leave the selfie stick at home. The high resolution ensures you'll get crisper, more awesome photos that you can't wait to post.</td></tr><tr><td>TR</td><td>صورة تجميع بين الجميع<br>استمتع بصور ذاتية مع الأصدقاء لم يسبق لها مثيل. حيث يتمتع هاتف GALAXY Grand Prime بكاميرا أمامية بدقة ٥ ميجابنسل بزاوية عرض فائقة الاتساع تبلغ ٨٥ درجة. وتتيح لك هذه الزاوية العريضة التقاط صور تجمع المزيد من الأصدقاء وخلفية أكبر في كل لقطة - واستمتع بالصور الذاتية التي تماًل جنبات المنزل. وتضمن الدقة العالية الحصول على صور واضح وأكثر نقاءً ستشعر بالرغبة في نشرها على الفور.</td></tr><tr><td>BT</td><td>A collage image among everyone<br>Selfies with friends have never looked better. The GALAXY Grand Prime has a 5MP front camera with an ultra-wide view angle of 85 degrees. The wider angle of view means you can get more of your friends and more of the background in every shot—and leave the selfie stick at home. The high resolution ensures you'll get crisper, more awesome photos that you can't wait to post.</td></tr></table>

<footnote n="1">¹ http://www.samsung.com: Accessed on 22 April 2019.</footnote>
### 3.3. Survey design and distribution

Given the reexamination above, it was necessary to understand the process behind the scenes. In other words, poor translation quality does not have to be the result of an unexperienced translator. The chunking process, which also implies reiterations and team work, can lead to similar inconsistencies and issues affecting the quality. A survey was designed to address aspects of agile translation, such as update frequency, text fragmentation, and consistency, in addition to the use of available resources such as translation memories, style guides, and glossaries. The survey, distributed using Google Forms, was only sent to translators specialized in localization as they define themselves on LinkedIn (Desjardins, 2017, p. 108). Private messaging was mainly used to contact 90 translators. Only 38 responded to the survey with a response rate of 42.2%. This was expected due to the limited translation area, and the response rate obtained in a previous study with a similar methodology (Kassawat, 2024). The answers were being similar over time, which indicated a sufficient sample for the purpose of the study.

The survey (detailed in the appendix) started with questions about the status, experience, content type(s) the respondents work on, and frequency of collaborating with other team members. Personal demographic information was not requested due to its irrelevance for the study and the extra time it would take from the respondents. The second section of the survey focused on the workflow. It included questions on the frequency of receiving small projects or incremental updates, and how they manage those updates. The survey then presented questions on ensuring consistency and the impact of the workflow on consistency. The last section investigated how they deal with consistency challenges in terms of several aspects such as terminology, style, and formality.

## 4. Results and discussion

### 4.1. Overview of the participants

The majority of the respondents (32) work off-site, four work on-site, and two have a hybrid status. Their experience was less than five years (6 respondents), five to ten years (16 respondents), and more than ten years (16 respondents). Most of them work on a mix of several products (24 respondents), while 8 work on website localization. The remaining respondents work on games (4), software (1), and subtitling (1). For more details on the nature of content they handle, 25 work on marketing/commercial content, 24 work on user interface content, 17 work on help content, and 17 work on technical texts. Fewer are the ones who work on legal (10 respondents), humanitarian (2 respondents), official (4 respondents), medical (5 respondents), and other (12 respondents) content. The frequency of collaboration with other team members varied from “Almost always” (11 respondents), “Often” (17 respondents), “Occasionally” (6 respondents), “Rarely” (3 respondents), and “Never” (1 respondent). Therefore, coordination with other translators is a part of the professional life of the majority of the respondents.
## 4.2. Regular updates and consistency

Their answers regarding the frequency of receiving partial updates rather than a complete project varied from “Very often” (8 respondents), “Often” (9 respondents), “Occasionally” (12 respondents), “Rarely” (6 respondents), and “I don’t know” (3 respondents). When new content is added or an update is made to the content, 24 respondents handle updates independently, as continuation of the initial work, while nine respondents have a handover or briefing process to ensure consistency, three stated that updates are assigned to different agents, and two reported other approaches such as having direct channels to consult agents who previously worked on a project. One respondent was not able to specify a unified way due to working with different clients and processes.

When the respondents were asked “How do you typically ensure terminology consistency when working on large projects or projects with frequent updates?”, the majority (27 respondents) reported using company-provided glossaries or translation memory tools, five rely on personal glossaries and translation memories, and three collaborate with other team members, and three others reported using a mix of those solutions. These results correspond with their answers about the resources they find most helpful for maintaining general consistency when they manage updates. The majority (22) think that translation memories are most helpful, four chose style guides, eight chose communication with other team members, and four chose all the options, depending on the project. No one chose regular feedback sessions, which can be considered normal, since consistency issues are dealt in the moment of translating rather than waiting for the session. It can also be an unnecessary procedure for consistency but more helpful for other aspects in the process, such as sharing tips and recommendations. Interestingly, while collaborating with other team members was relatively high (28 respondents reported collaborating often or very often), this solution is not used as often to maintain consistency. This can be due to the time it takes to contact another agent, the overwhelming number of projects that makes it difficult to remember what they did, or the availability of other more helpful resources.

## 4.3. Consistency maintenance

When asked for their opinion regarding the impact of frequent updates and multiplicity of contributors on the consistency of language, tone, and style across different parts of the text, 18 respondents reported a moderate impact, 14 reported a significant impact, while 6 reported a minor impact. No one reported a zero impact. No relationship was observed between the status and the impact from the respondents’ point of view. In other words, being an on-site agent, for example, does not improve the agent’s impression of the process, nor does it reduce the impact on the quality. Despite the agreement regarding the negative impact on consistency, most of the respondents (20) find it “Somewhat easy” to maintain consistency when updates are introduced, 14 respondents find it “Somewhat difficult”, two think that it is “Very easy” and two find it “Very difficult”. No relationship was found between the years of experience and the difficulty of maintaining consistency. This tendency can be interpreted by the dependence of translators on the company’s offered resources, such as glossaries and translation memories, which help translators stay consistent with previous works.
Responses on area-specific questions provided more insights. Figure 1 below illustrates how keeping consistency is most challenging in terminology, where 22 respondents said “Very Often” and “Often”, then in tone and voice, as 16 responded similarly, and in style preferences, with 14 with the same level of challenges.

**Figure 1.** In your experience, how often do translation updates create challenges in ensuring the following aspects are consistent?

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

While almost half (14) of the participants found that keeping consistency in general is “Very difficult” or “Difficult”, they also found the consistency of terminology “Very often” or “Often” challenging. This tendency indicates that terminology is the main consistency challenge. However, this is an unexpected trend due to the availability of glossaries that are often integrated in the translation tool. It can be due to the regular term updates to the glossary and polluted translation memories which do not serve the agents enough in their mission. The results were also consistent with their answers regarding the high frequency of feedback they receive about the inconsistency of terms, illustrated in Figure 2.
**Figure 2.** In your experience, how often do translation updates create challenges in ensuring the following aspects are consistent?

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

I should note here that another aspect “Different parts of the text (e.g., title and body paragraph)” was introduced in light of the lack of context they may have and the textual sample I started from for this study.

**4.4. Consistency and feedback loops**

Figure (3) shows that 14 respondents receive feedback about the consistency of terminology “Very often” or “Often”. A similar trend was observed with style and tone (10 respondents), and style preferences (10 respondents). Consistency between the different parts of the text was not among the problematic areas which receive feedback. This can be due to focusing on more important aspects of a product, such as the product name or brand translation, which might lead to legal issues. Moreover, the agents who send the feedback do not have to be translation specialists to be able to flag incoherence or meaning nuances such as the ones provided earlier.
**Figure 3.** How often do you receive feedback from clients or project managers about the need for maintaining consistency in the following areas?

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

4.5. Quality risks

The textual corpus showed how the translation quality is often compromised in the localization industry due to opting for faster solutions which ensure functioning, but not error-free localized texts. The survey responses showed how the fast-paced delivery and updates can often be challenging for the language agents, and were reported to have a negative impact on the final quality. On the contrary, agile manufacturing originally focuses on the quality (Plonka, 1997) despite the fast delivery requirements. The results should question the current practices of adopting agile methods, given how these methods have been used in factories. Ironically, both virtually-localized or digital products, and physical products are made to satisfy consumers, but the conceptualization and delivery of the quality are different. Agile translation might be time- and cost-efficient, but it entails many risks that can mislead the consumers and affect the image of the company.

Agile translation not only has an impact on consistency, but also on the language agents themselves. They often have to work on extracted texts without having enough context (Kabát, 2023), leading to inaccuracy. A few tools offer integrating context in the translation projects to help the agent see the exact location of the phrase in the whole text<fnref n="1" />. However, this is not always applied either because of commercial and confidentiality reasons or the unavailability of the full context at that step of the project. Context in the original language can help understand the intent of the message better, but it cannot necessarily ensure correct translation, as this can differ linguistically, depending on how the other parts were translated. Moreover, the small number of words the agents work on in a single project, even if the overall daily

<footnote n="1">¹ https://www.transifex.com/blog/2022/app-localization-tools Accessed on 30 June 2024</footnote>
volume is big, shrinks their contribution and role in the process of localization. They would rarely feel
that they fully accomplished a project, as it is distributed into many agents.

4.6. In-process risks

Agents who work on content for the same client can also get used to the texts, terminology, and style, which makes them push the translation as fast as they can due to boredom or the habit to see similar texts. This can prevent the agent from reassessing the message and its fitness to the purpose. The repetitive cycles of agile translation lead to the same outcome, as the agent works on the same or a similar segment over and over again every time a minor update takes place. Such repetitions can also lead to missing updated terms or recent instructions added to the style guide, also causing inconsistency in the overall content. Moreover, opting for agile translation in general, and in localization in particular, necessitates creating bigger teams in order to distribute smaller tasks repeatedly and simultaneously to different agents so that the delivery can be faster. Having bigger teams can also lead to inconsistencies in the style, terms used, and general translation choices. As the survey answers showed, the majority of the respondents collaborate with other colleagues, which reflects the common tendency in the industry to favour team work. Furthermore, the fast pace and frequent iterations can limit opportunities for in-depth collaboration and feedback, which is already contradictory with the principles of the agile manifesto. Quality translation often benefits from collaboration among translators, editors, and subject-matter experts. However, the lack of comprehensive feedback loops in agile processes can result in lower-quality outputs. Quality in agile translation can be enhanced through regular sanity checks by experts, constructive audits, and translation memory cleanups, and granular instructions in the briefs and style guides.

Translation is no longer perceived as a craft or an art “where there are limited choices” and where “the sense of the translation must be tested for each unit and stretch of language against the original, and vice versa, as well as against the reference, so that clear errors of language and fact are eliminated” (Newmark, 1976, p. 21). Based on the notion of “repairing texts” used by Krings (2001) regarding post-editing, O’Brien argues that the translator is “demoted to the status of a fixer [...] of seemingly unintelligent errors” (O’Brien, 2012). A localization language agent does not always have the luxury of working on a full text. He/she rather localizes the changes through MT post-editing, tests the functionality of the text in its context if required, fixes the linguistic bugs, updates terms, cleans up translation memories to reflect the term updates in all the other units, and pushes the task to the next agent as soon as possible to start working on another small one. This streamlined process mechanises translation and makes it similar to working in manufacturing assembly lines, except that these localization assembly lines are virtual and compromise the quality of the final product.

5. Conclusion

This paper attempted to examine the impact of agile working on the quality of translation in the
localization process. It provided an overall description of the scene in the industry in terms of adopting
speed-based solutions. It also briefly distinguished between the agile and waterfall management methods,
and how they are applied in localization. The study aimed to explore consistency issues in light of current agile practices, and how translators deal with such challenges. The study started based on a bilingual corpus of product blurbs using Arabic and international English versions of corporate websites. A few examples were provided to show inaccuracy and inconsistency issues within the message, and how these issues can be caused by agility. The use of machine translation, memories, and post-editing are all tools used to speed up the process, and they are all factors that impact the translation quality negatively. To interpret those trends from the translators' point of view, a survey was designed to collect feedback from translators. The responses confirmed the inconsistency challenges and were associated to a great extent with agile aspects in the process regardless of the translator's experience and content type. The survey helped reveal more details about the consequences of agility, such as the means they use to keep consistency, and how challenging consistency is for them. The responses, despite their relatively small number, provided a detailed understanding of the current practices. With the examples, it is clearer how and why the translation quality can be affected by the agile practices.

The discussion referred to the impact of agility on the translator, even though the notion is sometimes
fuzzy in localization due to the multiagency. This multiplicity shows how the translator's role is becoming
smaller in terms of quantity and visibility, and his/her task is urged to become faster and repetitive. I
argued that this process is similar to manufacturing assembly lines, with reservation to the good quality
ensured in industrial processes but compromised in localization.

By examining the implications of agile work on localized content, this research sought to provide valuable insights for translation scholars, project managers, and localization professionals. It aimed to contribute to the ongoing discourse on optimizing translation practices to meet the evolving needs of global communication and content delivery. The paper should contribute to the practice with more insight on the advantages and disadvantages of agile work, and integrate relevant research from management into Translation Studies. It can also be a helpful explanation of the work nature awaiting translation students wishing to work in localization. Future research can also benefit from this exploratory study to conduct on-site studies which link between the output and the process.

The adoption of agile translation methodologies has undoubtedly streamlined translation processes and aligned them with the demands of the global market. However, it has also transformed the role of the translator, making it more mechanistic and less centered on human creativity. As the industry continues to evolve, it is essential to strike a balance between the efficiency afforded by agile processes and the invaluable human touch that skilled translators bring to their work. This balance will ensure that while the speed and scalability of translation services improve, the quality and cultural relevance of localized content are not compromised.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
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# Appendix

## Survey: Exploring translation workflows and output consistency in localization

Thank you for participating in this survey. We are interested in understanding your experiences and perspectives regarding workflow processes and their influence on consistency in localization projects.
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes.

Personal contact information are not required or collected. Your answers are anonymous and will only be used for research purposes. Please choose the closest answer to your situation.

### Your main status

* On-site

* Off-site

* Hybrid

### How long have you worked in the field of translation/localization?

* Less than 5 years

* 5 – 10 years
o 10+ years

**Translated content**

*What type of localization do you usually work on?*

o Websites & platforms

o Applications

o Software

o Games

o Video subtitling

o Other

o A mix of several ones

*Which type of content do you mostly localize? Multiple choices are possible*

o Humanitarian/NGO content

o Marketing/commercial

o Help articles

o Legal

o Technical

o User interface

o Official/governmental

o Medical

o Other

*In your work, how often do you collaborate with other translators, editors, or team members on the same project?*

o Almost always

o Often

o Occasionally

o Rarely

o Never
## Workflow and project management

How often do you receive partial, incremental project updates rather than complete documents at the beginning?

* Very often

* Often

* Occasionally

* Rarely

* Never

When new content or updates are added to a project, how is this typically managed?

* I handle updates independently, as a continuation of the initial work.

* Updates are assigned to different agents.

* There is a handover or briefing process to ensure consistency.

* Other (Please describe in the space below)

If you answered "Other" in the previous question, please explain how.

## Consistency across translations

How do you typically ensure terminology consistency when working on large projects or projects with frequent updates?

* Rely on personal glossaries and translation memories

* Collaborate with team members to maintain consistent terms

* Use company-provided glossaries/translation memory tools

* Other (Please describe below)

If you answered "Other" in the previous question, please explain how.

In your opinion, how does working on a project with frequent updates or multiple contributors affect the consistency of language use, tone, and style across different sections?

* No impact

* Minor impact
o Moderate impact

o Significant impact

How easy or difficult do you find it to maintain consistency when updates are made to existing translations?

o Very easy

o Somewhat easy

o Somewhat difficult

o Very difficult

## Specific consistency factors

In your experience, how often do translation updates create challenges in ensuring the following aspects are consistent? (Please select all that apply)

o Terminology

o Tone and voice

o Formatting and layout

o Cultural nuances

o Style preferences (e.g., formal vs. informal language)

o Terminology

o Tone and voice

o Formatting and layout

o Cultural nuances

o Style preferences (e.g., formal vs. informal language)

How often do you receive feedback from clients or project managers about the need for maintaining consistency in the following areas? (Select all that apply)

o Formatting and layout

o Different parts of the text (e.g., title and body paragraph)

o Style preferences (e.g., formal vs. informal language)

o Terminology

o Accuracy of cultural context
○ Style/tone

○ Formatting and layout

○ Different parts of the text (e.g., title and body paragraph)

○ Style preferences (e.g., formal vs. informal language)

○ Terminology

○ Accuracy of cultural context

○ Style/tone

When managing project updates, what resources are most helpful for maintaining consistency?

○ Translation memory tools

○ Style guides

○ Communication with other team members

○ Regular feedback sessions

○ Other (Please describe below)

If you answered "Other" in the previous question, please explain how.

About the author

Madiha Kassawat holds a PhD in Translation Studies and is an associate researcher at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University. Her research has focused on website localization, translation quality, and transcreation. She is a member of the editorial team of the journal Critic: Pour une traductologie africaine. She is herself a practicing professional translator and reviewer in the field of localization.