A TMS enables the creation and enforcement of specific vocabulary and terminology guidelines. These guidelines can include preferred terms, forbidden terms, style preferences, or client-specific terminology requirements. For example, if you’re translating a project for a sports retailer, there may be a preference to use ‘sneaker’ instead of ‘trainer’, and a terminology database can indicate that to linguists so that the translation is consistent. By enforcing these guidelines, a TMS helps linguists adhere to predefined terminology standards, ensuring accuracy and consistency in translations.

During the translation process, term suggestions based on the approved terminology can be provided. When the TMS identifies that a term in a segment is in the termbase, it suggests it to the translator, thus facilitating and speeding up the translation task.

To ensure the quality and accuracy of terminology, a TMS may include verification and validation mechanisms. This can involve automated checks to identify potential errors or inconsistencies in the use of terminology, alerting linguists for further review or correction. An example of this would be if a brand name alternates uppercase and lowercase in its name in an unconventional way (e.g. eBay), it can sometimes be translated as ‘Ebay’ at the start of a sentence. A TMS will flag this as an incorrect translation of the term and will suggest the correct spelling for the linguists to use.

A TMS integrates terminology management by including a series of features such as term bases, glossaries, collaborative communication channels (chats), and quality-assurance checks. All these features together enable linguists to handle terminology management efficiently. Consistent terminology allows organizations to achieve better translation outcomes and maintain their desired linguistic standards in all their global markets.