Nowadays, translation and localization are essential parts of marketing.

For brands to tap into international markets, companies need to establish their branding in a way that can be easily understood by their customers.

While English might be the most spoken language in the world (Ethnologue), customers tend to be more comfortable when shopping in their local language. In fact, studies have shown that a staggering 75% of consumers are more likely to buy products from websites in their native language (PRWeb).

With that said, translation and localization can be a tricky process. It isn’t as simple as copy-pasting words into Google Translate, neither is it as easy as hiring a third-party translator to handle the end-to-end localization work for you.

In this article, we’ll cover 5 key tips that can speed up your translation work and management, and how you can transform your workflow using an important tool in localization— a Translation Management System (TMS).

What is a translation management system?

In short, a translation management system (TMS) is a type of software that is designed to help the localization team streamline its workflow. While one TMS may vary from another, here are some of the key features to look out for in a system:

• Smart translation features
• Collaboration tools with third-parties
• Reusable translation database
• Data protection and safety measures
• Reliable support system

Do I need a translation management system?

While some might be comfortable sticking with their existing method, the traditional process of localization is undeniably manual and requires a lot of hands-on work.

For one, the manual method takes up countless hours of work from the project team compiling information onto a spreadsheet, and re-integrating translated contents back to its source format. It’s repetitive, prone to error, while also costing businesses time and money that could be better utilized otherwise.

Furthermore, the marketing industry is an ever-competitive and challenging field. With the Internet, customers are consuming more content faster than ever. Companies need to keep up with the demand by ensuring that their marketing is optimized to reach their target audience. With a TMS, a business’s marketing efforts can be targeted effectively to reach more customers at a faster pace.

In short, the traditional method of localization is an unsustainable long-term solution. It takes up too much manpower and increases the risk of mistakes in the final translated work. On the other hand, translation management systems are investments that can maximize efficiency while minimizing potential human mistakes.

Top Five Tips for Better Efficiency in Translation Management

#1 Take advantage of automation

One immediate way to fast-track any translation process is through automation.

Remember all that manual work done during the traditional method? A TMS can complete all that work with the click of a button.

All that is required is for the user to upload the content in its original file format onto the platform. The system will help extract all translatable content and compile them in XLIFF or Excel. And now the project team can hand off that document to a third-party translation team to do the actual translation.

The same can also be done when re-adding translated content into the project. Simply upload the content from XLIFF or Excel into the platform, and then download a translated version with the source styles and formatting intact.

This one tip will help your team accelerate their translation project by cutting down hours of manual work into a simple upload/download job.

#2 Collaborate with third parties directly on the platform

Project managers often face challenges when working with collaborators.

For one, since most collaborators use a separate system from the project team, managers find it difficult to keep track of the translation progress. Secondly, manual translations often rely on endless spreadsheets, emails, word files. Combined with the issue of versioning, this is often a logistical nightmare.

A translation management system allows project managers to gather a team of collaborators—whether that is an editor, proofreader, or translator—to work directly on the platform. Send out invitations to third parties and grant them access to specific documents that are relevant to them. At the same time, the status of ongoing projects can be monitored through a dashboard.

TMS also centralizes all documents and removes the need for users to exchange copies of files with one another via email. This eliminates any duplicated documents being used and reduces potential errors. With a cloud-based TMS, users can even access the system from anywhere at their convenience.

#3 Utilise intelligent translation features

An indispensable feature in a TMS is the use of computer-assisted translation tools (CAT tools). One of the main CAT tools is Machine Translation, which are built-in engines that can be used to pre-translate contents in bulk instantly. The engines used will differ from between providers, for example, Redokun uses Google Translate and DeepL Translate.

While machine translations can’t replace the work of a translator entirely, they can be used as a foundation for further localization. For short and simple sentences, machine translation is a handy way to jumpstart the translation process. As for longer and complex sentences, the translator can lean onto the pre-translated texts and apply any changes needed based on contextual insights to the project.

Furthermore, the same pre-translation can be used even when the project team is exporting XLIFF files to third-party collaborators. Hence, it’s useful in helping translators speed up their translation process.

#4 Reuse any previous translations when possible

One long-term drawback of the manual method is the lack of reusable translations.

This means that if a keyword has been previously translated, users have no way to recall the previous translation in their new projects, resulting in repeated work along with extra time and cost.

As translations are often consistent within the same company, the localization team should be able to reuse the same translation between projects. With the help of another translation software feature —Translation Memory (TM), users can store all approved translations and the software will recommend them for use when translating new contents.

On top of that, certain industries have specific jargons which may not be known by a third-party translator. If that’s the case, the project team can also opt to include these recommendations when sharing XLIFF files with collaborators.

#5 Choose a TMS that is easy to use

There are many translation management systems and CAT tools in the market. However, not all of them are equal.

If you’re unsure which one to go for, it would be ideal to choose one that is easier to use.

While some software such as SDL Trados comes with advanced computer-assisted translation functions, it may also come with a hefty price tag and a steep learning curve. Depending on your company, however, it may not be suitable for your individual use case.

Alternatively, it’s more important to take into account the learning period required to transition to a new system, while having a simpler tool that achieves what you’re looking for without the bells and whistles.

Conclusion

With the rise in consumer need for localization, it’s more imperative than ever for translation teams to ensure that their workflow is ready to meet the demand. At the same time, advancements in translation technology such as Translation Memory and Machine Translation meant that businesses can enhance their marketing efforts to a wider audience with greater accuracy in their language.

Author’s bio: Shu Ni Lim is currently forging her path in the SaaS space, particularly in translation and localization. As a writer at Redokun, she aims to create useful content for translators and businesses hoping to optimize their workflows.