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A translation management system (TMS) is a software used to optimise a translation project’s resources. In a nutshell, automated workflows, cloud storage and centralised resources create improvement for everyone involved in a translation project, ranging from quality control to speed of delivery. Conceptually a TMS is the equivalent of an enterprise resource planning system (ERP), with tools specially tailored for the translation process.
What aspects should you take into account when choosing a TMS for your company?
There are many translation-management-system suppliers. It’s important to consider what each one can offer to make the best choice. At LocalizationLab we know what we need, and what our customers need.
1. Security
Security is one of the biggest concerns when translating a document. The fact that confidential information is taken outside a company doesn’t need to pose a risk. Using a suitable translation management system ensures a secure environment where documents to translate can be stored and sent.
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It’s crucial to use SSL security certificates and to have the option of using a private, online customer portal where the documents to translate and instructions for the projects can be uploaded. It guarantees that all information is encrypted and stored on the cloud. Nobody will have access to the information, ensuring that the files to be translated are kept secure at all times. Even the files for translators can be sent encrypted.
Registering documents in a translation management system
At the same time, all the translated documents are registered at the different stages of the translation process, allowing any version to be recovered, including projects that have been delivered and finalised.
Working in a cloud environment also enables immediate access to a project from any device, which protects against system incidents.
2. Adaptability and automation
Being able to personalise processes and adjust them to respective customers’ needs is essential. A translation management system lets workflows be adapted in detail so that specific processes can be created for each customer, ranging from linguistic revision to translation with revision and editing of a final document format.
This flexibility enables the requirements of each project to be established quickly, and if it’s a frequently repeated project, it can be standardised to optimise delivery time. For texts with a repeated structure, such as technical manuals or medical texts, adding machine translation to the process is also an option.
3. Quality Control
Any tool that is part of the translation process has a direct impact on the quality of the end outcome. Automating repetitive management tasks means that resources can be dedicated to improve the project’s overall quality even with tight deadlines.
What’s more, translation memories and dictionaries are always connected to a respective customer’s project. Working in a cloud environment also means that translation is always based on the latest version of documents, despite frequent changes made to adapt them to a customer’s needs.
Translation Memories
Translation memories have a great impact on the overall quality of a translation. Therefore, managing and maintaining translation memories for respective customers is incredibly important. Updated translation memories ensure that a translator will use reference texts that have been approved by the customer, which use their particular style and vocabulary. This also means that you can avoid translating fragments more than once, as they will be identified from previous projects, thus avoiding unnecessary cost.
Specialist Dictionaries
Consistency of terminology is also crucial for translating technical projects as well as for conveying brand identity in documents, websites and audio-visual files. As a result of using a translation management system, dictionaries are always kept updated and are available for translators. Terminology checks can also be carried out once a translation has been completed to check that the final text is adjusted to the customer’s needs.
Managing Customers and Linguists
Following up projects for both respective customers and linguists working on projects can be done more efficiently if a translation management system is used. That’s because resources can be assigned based on a customer’s needs. We can also make sure that the same team of linguists always works with the same customer. This way, we are able to offer the best quality standards at all times.
4. Communication
Communication both with customers and linguists is much more efficient when using a translation management system. At the start or end of a project, delivery notifications can be scheduled on any day of the week and at any time. That allows both linguists and customers to receive documents straight away, regardless of the time zone they’re working in, thus speeding up delivery. If there are any questions relating to content to be translated, they can be conveyed easily via a translation management system. An exclusive communication channel is established for each project.
At LocalizationLab we’ve done market research to select the best translation management system for our customers. We’ve contacted the main market suppliers and we’ve tested first- hand the top translation management systems. Following a rigorous selection process, we’ll be implementing a TMS in the coming weeks. Speeding up the management of translation projects combined with cloud storage will help us to be more efficient.
If you’d like to know how this will benefit managing multilingual content, please send us an email (info@localizationlab.com). We’d be delighted to help.
By LocalizationLab