How much does localization cost? Getting an estimate

Once you have located potential vendors, you must communicate your
needs to them (typically to their client account manager). As you
begin your discussions, the vendor representative should pose many
questions to you before trying to send you an estimate of the project.
Preparing your information in concise, easy to follow units makes this
transfer of requirements easier. Once each potential vendor has the
information they need, an estimate can be generated for you so that
you can pick the lucky winner.
So now, armed with a bunch of estimates—how do you make heads or
tails out of them? Comparing one bid to another is not an easy task. It
is tempting to accept the offer of a few bids from different vendors and
then to simply go with the lowest bid. Resist that temptation! Take the
time to investigate each vendor’s services thoroughly. Here is a list of
questions you can use to interview a potential vendor:
• What is your company’s area of specialization?
• How do you qualify your linguists?
• How will you manage my project?
• Will I receive status reports on my project?
• Who will be my primary contact during the project?
• Do you have the necessary hardware and software to
efficiently handle my work?
• Have you managed projects like mine before?
• How do you assure quality?
• Will you develop and maintain a terminology list specific to
my project?
• How are changes handled during the course of a project?
• What is your record for delivering on time?
• How accurate are your estimates?
• Can you provide me with references and examples of similar
completed projects?