When it comes to Visual Management and cultural differences, I know you covered that color coding is a must. However when you need to be more detailed about the process, is it effective to translate it to various languages?

It will always depend on the process and what you are trying to get across. If the goal is to Identify/Instruct/Inform/Plan, then the order of questions might be:

• Can I use colors (green/yellow/red)?
  
• Is there a photo/graphic/image that will get the point across?
• If I have to use text, what are the fewest number of words I can use?
• If I have to use text, do I need to translate it?
  

As you saw in many of the examples, it’s often a combination of colors, images and text that works best. Try that as a process and see if it helps you decide what would work best.