About Common Sense Advisory

What is Common Sense Advisory?

Common Sense Advisory is an independent research firm that analyzes the best practices, services, and technology requirements to do business internationally. We focus on the processes commonly referred to as translation and localization, adaptations that affect internal and external corporate operations such as document and content management, transaction and commerce systems, and logistics. Founded in 1999 as a management consultancy, Common Sense Advisory switched to market research, analysis, consulting, and training in September 2002.

Who is Common Sense?

The company’s two principals, Don DePalma and Renato Beninatto, are widely recognized experts and thought leaders in localization and the systems, technologies, and processes that support it. You may know Don from Forrester Research where he initiated that firm's coverage of content management, application development for strategic Internet systems, digital marketing technologies, ethnic marketing, knowledge management, and globalization. His book on business globalization issues, Business Without Borders, was published by John Wiley & Sons in 2002 and re-issued in late 2004. Renato is a localization industry authority, with broad experience as a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, executive, practitioner, and strategist.

In addition to research and consulting, both Don and Renato regularly speak at conferences, write articles for other publications, and participate in industry-building activities such as associations and advisory boards.

Who reads Common Sense Advisory reports?

Our research clients are split equally between buyers and suppliers of technology and services. They want to hear what we have to say about corporate solutions such as database, content management, application servers, and web services -- and their support for global, mutilingual operations. They are interested in the best practices for language services and tools.

Why should we pay attention to Common Sense Advisory?

At the risk of being immodest, Don is the premier independent industry analyst dealing with business globalization and localization issues. Along with industry luminary Renato Beninatto, Don has built a strong focus around the practice of localization and business globalization. Unlike the traditional research firms that treat globalization as a secondary issue, it's the core of our practice. Common Sense Advisory helps both buyers and suppliers learn about and understand how to succeed in international markets.

And because it does not write sponsored white papers, manufacture quotes for press releases, or speak on behalf of suppliers during vendor webcasts, you can trust Common Sense Advisory to give you clear, unvarnished advice on what to do.

What topics do you cover in Common Sense Advisory research?

Our reports and Quick takes cover a variety of topics, including:

• Business strategy. Globalization is a fundamental business issue that reaches deep into companies. We analyze localization and translation issues in this broader business context, helping our readers understand where their efforts intersect with corporate goals.
• Best practices. Localization and translation can be expensive and painful. Our research uncovers best practices for process, vendor selection and management, and online operations. We help readers do more with less.
• Industry commentary. The language industry evolves daily through practitioners’ advances, tool and service improvements, conferences, and mergers and acquisitions. We comment on these happenings, both in reports and timely Quick Takes on events as they happen. Our Global Watchtower™ quasi-blog observes language industry and globalization issues on an almost daily basis.
  
• Market data. Our Global DataSet™ reports and DataPoints™ provide data about markets, industry verticals, websites, companies, and other information that proves invaluable in benchmarking operations and performance.
• Technology. Localization and translation tools do not exist in a vacuum. In our reports we consider these tools in the broader technology and investment context of enterprise functions like content management, testing, search, and application development

 

Sounds great. How can I get your reports?

Common Sense Advisory reports are available on an annual membership basis. While we make some reports available for individual purchase, the best way to get plugged into the flow of original, actionable research is to subscribe. You will find that our research provides members with a perspective that you won't get anywhere else: the combination of business savviness and global awareness balanced with a healthy dose of pragmatism.

Why isn’t your site globalized?

The reason why we haven’t made our site available in Spanish or Chinese or other languages at this point is because we follow our own advice – “know your market and supply what it needs.” Because our audience is largely executives at large corporations in the United States and Europe, we have the luxury of a market that feels comfortable in English – and to the best of our knowledge does not read our reports in their underwear. That will change over time (well, maybe not the underwear part) and we will adapt our offerings to the needs of newer subscribers. Incidentally, our original site in early 2002 was available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Once we realized that the most frequent reader of the Portuguese variant was Renato’s mother, we decided on an English-only website and research for now.