How can all your workers understand each other if they speak different languages? What’s the best way to remove these language barriers?
Language translation devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, but not all of these systems are created equal. These platforms can improve safety and worker productivity, but many also carry striking drawbacks. Fortunately, there is a way to erase language barriers on your worksite without any tradeoffs.
With the right technology, your frontline employees can select their preferred language when they set up their profile on the device. They’ll get instant, accurate translations, and you’ll remove a major obstacle to their workflow. Here are the pros and cons of using your primary communication platform as a device for language translation.
Key takeaways:
- You can break down common communication barriers in the workplace with a device for language translation. However, since some tools have limited accuracy and support for different languages, you’ll need to weigh potential downsides before you make a decision.
- The best instant translation devices integrate with your workplace tools. This is how you centralize your frontline communications in a single platform.
- The Walt Smart Radio System by weavix combines AI-powered translation, communication, and collaboration into a single platform. Walt can translate 20+ languages instantly, so all your workers can communicate with each other.
Good: You Can Overcome Communication Barriers With Translation Devices
Think about what your career would look like if you had specialized skills, but couldn’t speak the dominant language. Communication barriers would severely limit your opportunities even if your skills were in high demand. And even if you found a job, you might wind up feeling isolated, unable to communicate with your team.
You don’t have to imagine it. This is what life is like for many workers in the US right now. But translation devices can change all that.
The whole point of a device for translation is to overcome communication barriers in the workplace. With the right systems in place, you can attract and retain skilled workers no matter which languages they speak. Remove these communication barriers, and you remove one of the biggest obstacles to frontline collaboration.
A handheld translation device can erase language barriers for all of your workers, whether they work on the same team or thousands of miles apart.
Bad: Some Handheld Translation Devices Have Limited Capabilities
Some handheld translation devices are limited to single words or phrases, while others only offer support for a few languages. And on top of this, some devices don’t let you easily switch from one LTE network to another depending on signal strength. And that means these devices can connect to a weaker network even when a stronger one is available, which creates more problems than they solve.
If your language translation device doesn’t support a wide range of languages, that might hurt your ability to hire and retain the best people. In short, these devices simply aren’t suitable for many multilingual workforces.
Walt’s comprehensive AI-powered language translation system supports 20+ languages. And Walt will automatically switch between different LTE and Wi-Fi networks in search of the strongest signal. The best instant translation device requires many choices for languages, both for dialects and for languages, but also good connectivity and reception.
Keep reading: Compare translation devices to understand why weavix stands out
Good: The Best Devices Offer the Convenience of Translation Apps Without Any Liabilities
When companies look for a voice translation device, it’s only a matter of time before apps enter the conversation. But in many frontline environments, these apps are a dead end. Here’s why:
- Higher Liability: If you ask workers to install a translation app on their personal phones, you’re opening Pandora’s box. Regardless of language translation features, what happens if workers use their personal mobile devices to share proprietary information with people outside of the company?
- Lower Productivity: A translation app might help with communication barriers, but then it will have to compete for your workers’ attention with all the other apps on their phones. This is a dangerous distraction that can quickly impact their productivity and safety.
- Safety Hazards: These apps must be installed on smartphones, which don’t belong anywhere near industrial sites. The majority of smartphones are not permitted in Class 1 Div 2 environments, and they’re certainly not rugged and waterproof. And if your frontline employees have to remove their work gloves to use a translation app, a worker may be putting themselves or others in danger.
That’s three strikes against smartphones, so translation apps on smartphones are out. This is why Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies — as alluring as they are — won’t work for most frontline employees. And as it turns out, workers don’t want anything to do with BYOD in the first place, since they prefer to keep their personal lives separate from their time at work.
What if you gave your workers portable translation equipment in addition to their analog radios? They would have to carry around two devices at all times, which would only increase complexity, safety, and drive up your costs and risks of injury.
Keep reading: Discover what it’s like to use AI-powered language translation on the frontline
Bad: Some Voice Translation Devices Aren’t Very Accurate
What’s the use of a voice translation device if it’s not accurate? If you can’t trust it, it’s worse than worthless. Miscommunication of any kind can cause costly production delays and safety risks. If a device like this creates more barriers to clear communication on the frontlines, it will jeopardize your workers’ safety every time they clock in for a new shift.
Walt relies on Microsoft Azure to be the best speech-to-speech translation device. Microsoft Azure uses “Neural Machine Translation” (NMT), a neural network whose translations get more accurate with frequent use. Prior translation models used statistical methods, but NMT is a giant leap forward in terms of context recognition, fluency, and accuracy. Walt is a real-time translation device that lets everyone on your team communicate in their preferred language.
Keep reading: Understand the human impact of AI-powered translation on the frontline
Good: The Best Instant Translation Devices Improve Safety
We’re curious about what steps your team has taken recently to improve workplace safety. When we talk to our customers, they don’t often consider language barriers as a safety risk. The truth is, language translation devices can have an immense impact on safety outcomes because they improve communication for your whole team. When seconds count during an emergency, can you and your workers afford any confusion?
When it comes to safety, the best language translation devices have one single goal: enable your team so they can avoid as many accidents as possible. If all your workers can quickly get answers in their preferred language, everyone will always be on the same page.
That way, when you do have to deal with an emergency, Walt’s robust alerting system will ensure that everyone can respond to important safety updates fast. When you can eliminate language barriers and confusion, you improve safety.
Keep reading: Explore the importance of a frontline real-time language translation device
Bad: Costly Translation Devices Undercut Efficiency
When you buy a device that translates languages, it’s crucial to find the right gear for your team. And while price is always a factor when adopting technology, be sure you understand the total cost of ownership, including hidden fees. Many devices charge extra for replacement batteries or maintenance, or even for translation, which can inflate your costs over time.
At weavix, we want every frontline worker to have a smart industrial radio as their standard translation device. And that means we’ve made our pricing model as simple as possible with real-time AI translation included.
With our Walt smart radios, you gain:
- A speech-to-speech translation device in the hands of every worker
- Real-time, accurate translations across 20+ languages
- Fast replacements for damaged units at no extra cost to you
- Regular updates and 24/7 support
If you want replacements for most analog radios, that could cost you thousands of dollars more every year. And those aren’t even portable translation devices! With Walt, you can bundle everything you need into one cost-effective smart radio system.
Keep reading: See how a real-time language translation device changes the frontline dynamic
Good: The Best Language Translation Devices Build Strong Relationships
Frontline workers can often feel isolated due to the nature or location of their jobs. And this gets even worse when there’s a language barrier between a worker and the rest of the crew. This can impact frontline workforce collaboration, weaken employee engagement, and lead to higher turnover.
A handheld translation device can permanently erase language barriers. These devices can encourage camaraderie and keep workers connected, which can help create a network of accountability on the frontline. When everyone can communicate clearly, productivity will increase across your whole enterprise.
Keep reading: Learn how a platform with advanced language translation builds belonging
Go with Walt, the Best Portable Translation Device
When you need a device for language translation, you’ll need to balance your employees’ needs with your company-wide goals. And we strike that balance with our Walt Smart Radio System.
Walt delivers a full digital collaboration suite on top of AI translation and transcription, often at a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) than legacy two-way radio systems.
To see our language translation capabilities in action, schedule a demo and get started today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a device that translates languages in real time?
Yes, there is a device for translation: the Walt Smart Radio system offers real-time AI translations and transcriptions for 20+ common languages. With Walt, you benefit from:
- Different translation modes, including including speech-to-speech, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and text-to-text
- Instant access to accurate translations, eliminating misunderstandings
- The convenience of translation apps and portable translation devices without any of the downsides
While translation is important, you’ll also need to make sure the translation device is suitable for your workplace. Here Walt comes out on top again, since it’s the only waterproof, rugged radio certified for Class 1 Div 2 environments.
How many languages does Walt translate into?
Walt translates into 20+ languages and dialects. Our smart radio’s language translation capabilities include:
- English
- Albanian (shqiptare)
- Burmese (မြန်မာ)
- Chinese (Mandarin) (中国人)
- Filipino
- French (Français)
- German (Deutsch)
- Italian (Italiano)
- Japanese (日本語)
- Korean (한국인)
- Lao (ພາສາລາວ)
- Malay (Melayu)
- Nepali (नेपाली)
- Pashto (پښتو)
- Persian (Farsi) (فارسی)
- Portuguese (Português)
- Spanish (Español)
- Swahili (kiswahili)
- Thai (แบบไทย)
- Ukrainian (українська)
- Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)
Walt also supports Spanish dialects from the following countries:
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Spain
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Paraguay
- El Salvador
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Because the Walt Radio System is a complete digital communication platform, the employee’s language settings stay with each employee’s profile, and not with the radio itself. In other words, once your employee picks their preferred language, those settings will be preserved even when they swap instant translation devices or log in to our mobile app.
For the most up-to-date list of all our supported languages and dialects, visit Language Translation with weavix in our Help Center.
How does a translation device work?
A translation device works in a number of different ways. These methods are constantly evolving to deliver ever more accurate and reliable translations for a wide range of languages. The Walt Smart Radio System processes every message in real-time through a secure cloud service. This process offers AI translation and transcription, so you can preserve a record of your workers’ communication even in noisy environments.
This weavix handheld translation device relies on “Neural Machine Translation”, or NMT. Our system uses Microsoft Azure to simplify communication for diverse frontline workforces. Microsoft first introduced this revolutionary technology in 2016, and they have committed to continuous improvement ever since.
What is the best translation device?
The Walt Smart Radio System is the best translation device for frontline workers. There are several factors that back up our claim:
- Walt is the only smart radio rated waterproof to IP68 standards, which means it’s completely resistant to dust and can withstand submersion in shallow bodies of freshwater for up to 30 minutes
- Rugged, drop-proof, and certified for Class 1 Div 2 environments, which are common at chemical plants and oil and gas facilities
- TCO that is often much lower than legacy two-way radios, because Walt lets you create unlimited channels without the need for FCC licensing
- Fast and free replacements if you break or damage a unit, because your team shouldn’t have to wait for clear communication
- Designed to surpass the needs of frontline workers, so anyone can learn it in seconds and use it with work gloves
- And of course, real-time AI translation and transcription for 20+ common languages
When you consider all these factors, one thing is clear: the best translation device does far more than simply convert one language into another. It must fit perfectly into your employee’s existing workflow and improve their communication and collaboration.
If devices translate languages but can’t survive conditions on your worksite, it’s not the right solution for your team. They must be fully ruggedized and trusted to get banged up during your work procedures. These standalone smart radios are designed for some of the harshest, noisiest environments you can imagine.
Keep reading: Explore 7 reasons why phones don’t work for the frontline
