Featured guide
Invoices and delivery notes in every language, from one ERP
Companies that sell across Europe often need the same invoice, order confirmation and delivery note in many languages, with country-specific layouts. This guide explains how to do that from one ERP and one set of templates.
Most ERP systems store the data for an invoice, but not the words around it. Headings, labels, payment terms and legal text are fixed text in the layout. When a company sells in many countries, that fixed text is where the work grows: every new language often means a new copy of every layout.
The problem: one ERP, many languages
A common starting point is one layout per language. It works for two or three languages. It does not scale. A company with five document types in 15 languages can end up maintaining 75 layouts. A new logo, a new bank account or a changed payment term then has to be made 75 times, and tested 75 times.
The result is familiar to most IT teams: small changes wait for developer time, countries drift apart, and documents for smaller markets fall behind.
What changes from country to country
Language is only part of it. A document that is correct in one country can be wrong in the next because of:
- Fixed text - headings, field labels, payment terms and footers.
- Formats - dates, numbers, decimal separators and currencies.
- Legal and tax wording - VAT notes, reverse charge text and company registration details.
- Layout rules - address formats and page sizes, for example A4 or US Letter.
- Character sets - Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Thai, Chinese, Japanese or Korean need fonts that contain those characters.
- Delivery - print, email or a structured e-invoice, depending on the customer and the country.
Three ways companies handle it
| Approach | Works well when | Where it gets hard |
|---|---|---|
| One layout per language, built in the ERP | Few languages, few document types, few changes | Every change is repeated per language. Layouts drift apart. |
| Translated text inside the ERP, via the ERP's own form tools | One ERP, and a team that can develop in it | Changes need ERP skills. A second ERP means a second solution. |
| One template with translation files, in an Output Management layer beside the ERP | Many languages, several document types or several ERPs | Needs a clear list of text keys and someone who owns the translations. |
How one template can serve every language
- The ERP sends the data with a language or country code, for example the customer's language from the customer master.
- The template reads that code. There is one layout, not one per language.
- Fixed text comes from translation files, one file per language, all using the same keys. If a text is missing in one language, a fallback text is used, so the document is never blank.
- Country-specific blocks are shown by rule, such as a legal note that only applies in one country.
- Fonts that cover the character set are used and embedded, so the document looks the same on screen, in PDF and on paper.
- The finished document is delivered by the channel that customer needs: print, email or e-invoice.
How InterformNG2 handles multi-language output
InterformNG2 is an Output Management platform that sits beside your ERP. It is built for this pattern:
- Translation files in the Library - one file per locale. A translation element in the designer and the built-in ng:translation function pick the right text by locale, with a fallback value when a key is missing.
- Translators can work without the system - translation files can be exported to and imported from Excel and XLIFF, the standard exchange format used by translation agencies. They can also be edited directly in the InterformNG2 Library.
- Full Unicode (DBCS) support across all output channels, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Russian, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew.
- Any TrueType font, embedded or referenced, so output looks the same on printers and in PDF.
- Barcodes such as Code 128, GS1-128, DataMatrix and QR on documents and labels in every language.
- No ERP changes - InterformNG2 works with SAP, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics, IBM i and other ERP systems, and the language logic lives in the template, not in ERP code.
Read more about character sets and barcodes on the Unicode and barcode page.
Checklist before you start
- List your document types and the countries and languages each one needs.
- Collect every fixed text into one list of keys, before anyone translates anything.
- Agree a fallback language for missing texts.
- Check which character sets each country needs, and which fonts cover them.
- Get legal and tax wording approved per country by finance or a local adviser.
- Decide who owns the translations, and how translators receive and return files.
- Test with real ERP data from each country, not only sample data.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need one template per language?
No. With translation files, one template can produce the document in every language. The ERP sends a language or country code, and the template picks the matching text.
Can translators work without access to the system?
Yes. In InterformNG2, translation files can be exported to Excel or XLIFF, translated outside the system and imported again.
What happens if a translation is missing?
A fallback value is used for any key that is missing in a language, so the document is still produced with readable text.
Does InterformNG2 support Chinese, Japanese and Arabic?
Yes. InterformNG2 supports Unicode (DBCS) across all output channels, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Russian, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew, with any TrueType font.
Do we need to change our ERP?
No. The ERP only needs to send the data, including a language or country code. Layout and translation logic live in InterformNG2.
Related reading
Need documents in more languages?
Talk to us about your countries and documents, or download InterformNG2 and try it yourself.