1. What Is a Translation Management System?
A translation management system (TMS) is a translation software that streamlines translation and localization processes. A TMS helps companies and organizations manage and centralize your whole localization activity, and gives you full visibility, transparency, and control over every step.
2. What Does a Translation Management System Do?
A translation management system is the hub for all localization programs. It’s the centerpiece around which the whole localization ecosystem revolves around. You can connect it to other content-creation software, centralize all language assets to maintain brand image across all markets, and allow everyone involved in the end-to-end process to work on the same platform.
Thanks to the advanced automation tools used in this translation software, it also drastically reduces the number of manual tasks involved in the localization process. By doing this, it drives up cost-efficiency and productivity in all processes throughout the whole localization program.
Integrated AI and Machine Translation
Speed Up Projects with Automatic Human-like Translations
Speed Up Projects with Automatic Human-like Translations
A translation management system supports leading machine translation (MT) engines, some of which with AI technology like neural machine translation (NMT) and customized engines. Leveraging these engines enables companies to automatically create human-like translations that require minimum input from linguists. Therefore, AI in translation software and technology is now a basic need and creates a competitive advantage with:
- Faster time-to-market for global content
- Increased volume of content with the same resources and time
- Improved customer satisfaction thanks to higher-quality content
AI is the present and future of localization technology. Leverage the latest AI features in a translation management system and speed up your processes with top-quality translated content and lower costs. With AI, you can increase your global-content volumes without deploying additional resources and time, accelerate your time-to-market, and improve customer satisfaction thanks to higher-quality content.
A translation management system can leverage both native and external AI technology. Intelligent automation supported by AI features drives efficiency in automated TMS workflows. Integrated CAT tools can also include AI-powered features such as auto-inline placement or the Weighted Token Levenshtein algorithm which greatly boost efficiency.
AI is also the driving force behind NMT engines. NMT engines can be integrated into the translation management system and provide human-like machine translation to considerably reduce the need for human input. As a result of this, AI has become an essential part to help companies produce and translate better content more quickly without spiraling costs.
Connect With Other Systems
Seamless Integration
Seamless Integrate Your Content and Translation Software
Connectivity is one of the most important features of a TMS. You can connect your content system, such as a CMS, marketing automation software, E-Commerce, and PIM systems or developer tools to your translation software for a seamless and efficient content-localization process. All it takes is an automatic import and export of translatable files, reducing project management tasks to just a few clicks.
Connectors save time, reduce file management costs, accelerate time-to-market, and simplify localization.
Advanced Reporting Tools
All Your Data at a Glance
All Your Data at a Glance
A translation management system allows you to easily export real-time data reports for all projects, from performance statistics per language to comparative supplier costs. This enables you to have a clear overview of all localization activity at a glance and make smart, data-driven decisions to optimize your processes and spending.
3. How Does a Translation Management System Work?
A translation management system is a hub for all global-content activities. It allows everyone involved in the end-to-end translation and process to work on a single platform.
Content is automatically imported into the TMS from the content system. Thanks to pre-configured automated workflows, the content is automatically sent to the appropriate linguists, who can leverage the centralized language assets for higher-quality output. The automated workflows instantaneously send content from one step to the next after each step is submitted, saving valuable time and unnecessary delays. Once the content has been fully translated and reviewed, it is automatically imported back into the content system, where it is ready to be published.
4. What Are the Benefits of a Translation Management System?
A central hub for localization provides you with a systematic and scalable approach to content globalization. By using a translation management system, you can achieve significant and proven gains and savings, including:
Reduce Localization Costs by More Than 60%
Leveraging existing translated assets means the same content is never translated twice. Using high-quality machine translation means that linguists only have to focus on ensuring that the translated content meets the quality standards.
Reduce Time-to-Market by More Than 80%
Combining the automation of manual tasks and leveraging existing translations coupled with machine translation means that content can be localized much more quickly and efficiently without compromising quality. This allows companies to publish their content in a timely manner and maintain their competitive advantage in their global markets.
Improve Translation Quality by More Than 90%, and Increase Source Volume by More Than 2.5x
Thanks to centralized language assets available to all linguists, the quality of translations increases considerably, and inconsistencies are removed, enabling companies to maintain their brand tone and voice across their global markets. With a translation management system’s automated workflows, the localization process becomes much more efficient, allowing companies to more than double their localized output without requiring any additional resources.
Create End-to-End Data Reports
A translation management system can provide qualitative and quantitative granular data from all actions in the localization process at a glance, enabling you to make smart, data-driven decisions and take your localization program to the next level.
Launch Projects From Anywhere
A translation management system is a cloud-based translation software, which means it can be accessed from anywhere in the world, regardless of the device or operating system. This removes any accessibility issues by users, facilitates connectivity with other cloud-based software, and contributes to everyone involved in the process working together on the same platform.
Have Peace of Mind With Full Data Protection
Control access to content through robust security settings and have full visibility over all actions and who performed them at any step of the localization project. A translation management system also provides enhanced security features such as private clouds, which are cloud-based servers used only by a single company, giving you full control on where your data is stored and hosted.
Have All Your Vendors Working on the Same Platform
Most translation management systems are vendor-agnostic, which means that as the owner, you have the freedom to choose the fastest, most skilled, and cost-effective providers for any given project who can use the TMS. Increase the quality of your content by having a centralized localization ecosystem in which all your vendors can work on the same platform.
Maintain Unwavering Brand Consistency
Utilize a translation management system to ensure your brand speaks with one voice across the globe. It’s essential for keeping your messaging consistent across all languages, reinforcing your brand’s identity and trust with international audiences.
Guarantee Translation Excellence
A translation management system is your partner in delivering translations that are not only accurate but also of the highest quality, ensuring your message is perfectly understood, no matter the language.
Enhance User Experience Globally
With a translation management system, create experiences that resonate locally in every market. It’s about offering content that’s not just translated but culturally adapted, making every interaction with your brand feel native to users worldwide.
5. When Should I Use a Translation Management System?
As localization programs grow, managing them becomes a bigger challenge, and deploying the same methods and processes during this growth can result in delays and problems. If you have encountered any of the following scenarios or asked yourself the following questions, it may indicate that you need to use a translation management system.
I need technology that can grow with our expansion
As localization programs grow in size and complexity, which can be due to increased content volumes or the inclusion of new languages as a result of market expansion, companies can struggle to transition from a small-scale effort to a larger-scale process and still maintain the desired level of quality and efficiency without deploying additional resources.
Managing a growing localization program becomes impossible using the standard tools and resources deployed when it was in its infancy. More advanced translation management software is required to accommodate growth—translation software such as a translation management system. A TMS enables companies to scale at speed without requiring growing resources or driving up costs thanks to its advanced automation features, making the end-to-end localization process quicker and enabling the human team to use their time more efficiently by removing manual tasks.I need full control over my brand tone and voice
Companies may seek new options for their localization program with companies who deploy a multi-vendor approach if they lack control and visibility over their language assets, see inconsistencies in brand tone due to lack of communication between vendors, and realize unnecessary costs associated with unnecessarily duplicated translation.
By having a centralized platform like a TMS, all vendors can work together and leverage the same assets, ensuring consistency and quality in the brand tone and voice across all markets.I need to go to market faster despite increased volumes
A translation management system optimizes existing or brand-new localization programs and streamlines your processes so you can localize their content more quickly and efficiently or land in new markets more quickly and gain a competitive advantage.
There is no global online presence without localization, and there is no efficient localization without a TMS.
6. How Do I Choose a Translation Management System?
There are many translation management systemss available on the market, but not all of them have the same features. Therefore, you should ask a few questions before making your choice.
Does It Meet Your Business Goals?
The best TMS for you can support not just your present needs but also your future ones.
Can it support your current and projected content volume?
Does it have a connector for your content system?
Does it integrate your choice of machine translation engine?
Does it allow you to scale at speed and incorporate increasing volumes, languages, and users on the fly without affecting performance?
Will it be able to support the latest emerging technologies?
One of the most important aspects to consider when choosing a translation management system is that it can seamlessly incorporate and support not just your needs of today but also those of tomorrow. Future-proofing your localization program starts with making the right choice of localization technology and having one which can grow with you is a big step towards ensuring your localization success in the long term.
7. Will a Translation Management System Integrate With Our Systems?
Most translation management systems support connectors or integrations with other content systems. This is a key feature of any TMS, since it is the cornerstone of an efficient localization process. Connecting your content system to your translation management system allows you to automate most manual tasks and increase productivity while reducing time-to-market goals.
Benefits of Integration
Create and track localization projects within your existing content system. See how GoTo enhanced their localization efficiency with a tailored Sitecore integration to a translation management system, streamlining their process and cutting costs. Learn more about their journey here.
Create and use fully customizable and automated workflows to speed up your localization projects. See how FARFETCH leveraged automatic workflows within a translation management system to triple their localization output, transforming their global reach and efficiency. Read the complete case study here.
Get your content translated and localized faster and publish it to your global audiences in a fraction of the time. See how RS Group transformed their workflow with a translation management system, ensuring consistent and timely translations for daily product releases. Discover their story here.
8. Will a Translation Management System Integrate With Our Third-Party Language Tools?
Save time, cut down on excessive email communication and reduce manual actions using your translation management system connectors. Integrate your TMS with your existing content management systems, source control systems, and other solutions to streamline and automate the localization workflow.
Translation Technology
From terminology management to project-management software, your TMS can be integrated into a wealth of translation-technology platforms to make your localization process more efficient.
Machine Translation
Machine translation (MT) engines are integral to the efficiency that comes with having a TMS, allowing you to automate translations while still maintaining the quality of your localized content.
Key Takeaways:
What Is a Translation Management System?
Critical Tool for Global Expansion: Translation management systems are indispensable for businesses aiming to enter new markets, This translation software ensures products and services are adapted to local languages and cultures, and enhance reception and drive international sales.
Streamlines Localization: A translation management system simplifies and accelerates the localization process, making it more efficient and cost-effective. This is crucial for businesses seeking to manage multilingual content seamlessly across various markets.
Supports Strategic Growth: By facilitating efficient localization, a translation management system plays a vital role in a company’s growth strategy, helping to maximize return on investment (ROI) through optimized translation workflows and reduced manual efforts.
Enhances Content Consistency: Ensuring consistency across all translated materials, a translation management system helps maintain brand integrity and message coherence, which is essential for building trust and recognition in new markets.
Reduces Localization Challenges: Implementing a translation management system addresses common challenges associated with entering new markets, such as language barriers and cultural sensitivities, making it easier for companies to connect with local audiences.