Tips on Translation Management Systems

 Many clients frequently seek our expertise in evaluating and recommending the best tool for their needs. This article aims to shed light on key features that can assist in effectively assessing a TMS.

What are Translation Management Systems?

Translation Management Systems (TMS) are powerful tools to optimize and simplify the translation process for businesses and language service providers working together on multilingual projects.

Some of the key features of TMS are:

• Centralized Hub: TMS store all assets related to translation in a single space, such as source and translated content, translation memories, glossaries, and style guides.
• Accessibility and Security: Last-generation TMS can be conveniently accessed through the cloud. They also comply with all applicable safety and privacy regulations.
• Workflow Automation: TMS streamline the entire translation process from start to finish including project assignment, task tracking, and notification systems, which play a vital role in keeping all stakeholders engaged and well-informed throughout the project.
• Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools: Incorporating advanced CAT tools aids human translators by leveraging translation memories and terminology databases, as well as enabling quality assurance capabilities.
• Collaboration: TMS facilitate collaboration among translators, linguists, project managers, reviewers, and other stakeholders. TMS often include communication tools, comment features, and version control to enhance participation and maintain transparency.
• Terminology Management: TMS play a crucial role in ensuring the adherence to consistent terminology throughout translations, and offer a range of features to create and maintain terminology databases.
• Integrations and Application Programming Interface (API): For businesses that manage their UI files in repositories, or host websites or other digital content in CMS platforms, integration with a TMS can provide a seamless and smooth translation process. Most TMS also offer API capabilities to connect and exchange content with other systems, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) Machine Translation.
• Reporting and Analytics: Track translation project progress, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), and analyze the efficiency of the translation process.
• Scalability: TMS are designed to handle the translation needs of both small and large organizations.

Cloud Versions

SimulTrans’ project managers, linguists, and localization engineers have vast experience with the most popular, cloud-based TMS in the market, among them:

• CrowdIn
• Lingohub
• Lokalise
• MemoQ
• Phrase TMS
• Smartling
• Transifex
• WorldServer
• XTM

Desktop Versions

However, our team can also work with desktop versions of widely used Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, like:

• MadCap Lingo
• Multilizer
• Lingobit
• Poedit
• RWS Trados Studio

Which TMS to Choose?

Integrating a TMS can greatly enhance the efficiency of translation processes, minimize expenses, and elevate the overall quality and consistency of translated content.

However, this implementation comes with a price tag. It is crucial to conduct thorough research, considering factors such as your specific content, system setup, number of vendors, and budget, to determine the optimal TMS solution for your company. 

If you are too busy, not technical enough, or simply want an unbiased opinion, then book a consultation with SimulTrans. We are technology agnostic, allowing us to advise customers on the most appropriate translation management system to consider.

Connectors and Plugins

If you work with a content management system (CMS), file repository, cloud service, or marketing automation platform and need content translated into other languages, SimulTrans can seamlessly automate the process via a connector or plugin.

SimulTrans offers connectors between popular CMS platforms and our internal TMS. Our Enterprise-level subscriptions support virtually every file format and language pair, and provide AI Machine Translation, API, CMS Integration, Quality Assurance, and Review capabilities.

If your company already owns or is subscribed to a TMS instance, you can seamlessly add SimulTrans as a vendor to share your localization projects with us.

Looking for assistance? Schedule a paid consultation with one of our experienced localization experts and delve into a one-hour conversation about your selected TMS tool and its suitability for your specific needs.