The Good and Bad of Language Translation Devices

Employing thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands, of frontline workers makes industrial facilities and enterprises some of the most diverse workplaces. Out in the field, communication and collaboration are already vital to your overall success, but additional diversity makes it even more important in today’s global workforce.

With the recent surge in language translation devices and technology, enterprises have begun using these to overcome language barriers taking place in their work sites. But not every device is equal. These devices come with obvious benefits to your enterprise, but many also come with downfalls. That is except for the weavix platform and walt Smart Radio. Here are some possible pros and cons of using your main communication device as a translator device, including the ease of selecting a desired language for translation using these devices.

Good: Overcomes Communication Barriers with a Portable Language Translator

The whole point of a language translation device is to help workers overcome language barriers on-site. 40% of the world only speaks one language fluently, so as enterprises expand globally, these language differences eventually impact productivity and overall business operations. A handheld translator overcomes the linguistic gap and bridges language differences between any of your workers, especially when they work together closely or in the same facility.

Bad: Limited Language Capacity

Some language translation devices are limited to single words or phrases, while others only offer a select few languages to translate between. Additionally, some devices don't seamlessly transition to multiple networks. It depends on the model, but in the workplace, these types of devices can become more of a hindrance than a benefit. With the walt Smart Radio, our translation solutions build a truly connected workforce with a long list of the most commonly spoken languages on the frontline and the ability to maintain the strongest signal of any frontline comms device out there.

Our walt™ Smart Radio supports all available languages to ensure every worker is accounted for. Language translation devices that don't include commonly spoken languages aren’t suitable for many enterprises, especially those with a global workforce or facilities in various places around the world. A comprehensive translation system is crucial for enterprises with a global workforce. These devices are built to overcome language barriers, and weavix ensures that we do that, no matter what languages are involved.

Good: Convenience of Translation Apps

In an industrial facility, workers already carry around enough to get the job done. While a portable language translator is normally small and handheld, adding another device solely for language translation is overkill. That’s why we include our language translation services in our walt Smart Radios. We know your workers are already using them daily to communicate, and now it’s just an added capability in their digital toolbelt, similar to how a portable translator like the Pocketalk Plus can be useful for specific vocab, paperwork, and working with multilingual teams in urban areas. The walt Smart Radio communicates, alerts, translates, plays music, and so much more. It's one device that does everything and continues to adapt to the needs of every worker.

Bad: Inconsistent Accuracy

The worst reaction someone can have to a voice translator device is, “That’s not right.” Voice translation is crucial for ensuring accuracy, as it allows for fast and efficient translation, including support for slang and jargon, and the ability to translate text into speech. Inaccuracies and inconsistency can cause major issues to an entire project, depending on the severity and importance of what was translated. It also makes your workers, executives and even yourself uncomfortable using the device, especially if there’s no way to verify what’s being translated is accurate.

Rather than constantly worrying if your language translation is accurate and makes sense, weavix translations perform throughout your entire workforce with unmatched accuracy. You’re relying on these devices to overcome communication barriers within your facility, and our complete collaboration suite does so with greater precision and reliability than many other language translation devices out there.

Good: Improves Safety

Any safety professional’s top priority is for their frontline crews to reach muster during an emergency. Simultaneous interpretation, supported by the right interpretation equipment, plays a crucial role in ensuring that all workers, regardless of their language, receive real-time safety instructions. Regardless of their preferred or native language, your language translation device should support all workers in getting to safety in your facility. With the ability to instantly send mass alerts, weavix automatically translates all the relevant safety information to drastically improve safety initiatives on-site. Not only that, it will tell admins when and if workers reach the muster area with geofencing capabilities so there's no more simply hoping everyone is safe.

Bad: Costly Translation Devices

Cost is always a factor when deploying new technology throughout your enterprise. When you buy translation equipment, it's crucial to research and find the right gear for your specific audience, space, event, and budget to avoid wasting time and money on unsuitable equipment. While it depends on the model, functionality, and quantity you need, the cost of language translation devices varies greatly. Text-to-speech transcription devices, for example, can range in price between $60 and $200 each. For speech-to-speech translators, they can cost up to $1,000+ per device. There are also additional costs not included, like replacement batteries, maintenance, or recurring fees that can greatly increase your overall investment over time.

At weavix™, we are a big advocate for giving every worker a smart radio. They are instrumental to the overall production of an industrial facility. And we don’t let price get in the way of connecting every worker. Our walt Smart Radios provide accurate, premium language translation capabilities, and we never charge you for the device or any repairs. You simply pay a set fee per employee, and that covers them for the life of the contract. This means we will replace units when needed, fix any issues that arise, provide 24/7 support, and make sure you have the latest hardware and software all at a cost that you can expect and is typically lower than the other guys.

Good: Builds Strong Relationships

Some frontline workers feel isolated, often due to the nature or location of their jobs. But this feeling grows when there’s a language barrier between a worker and the rest of the crew. It can quickly divide your workforce or lead to higher turnover. Instead, a language translation device that supports multiple languages can reinforce strong relationships among frontline workers. As a result, workers can hold each other more accountable for their responsibilities, which can lead to an increase in overall productivity across your whole enterprise.

When choosing a language translation device, you need one that fits your worker’s needs and your enterprise’s goals and budget. weavix is that balance. With language translation capabilities as only part of our full digital collaboration suite, all wrapped up in our walt Smart Radio, we provide an advanced, comprehensive solution for your workers and your enterprise, without the hassle of multiple devices, clunky operating systems, and high costs.

To see our language translation capabilities and more, schedule a demo and get started today.