There are lots of people involved in localizing a tech product. Content writers and managers, designers, developers, and, of course, translation agencies, freelancers, or other linguists. Because of this, managing translation might seem like a task on par with herding cats.
Fortunately, a hero has arisen to tame this primordial chaos. This hero is a type of software known as a translation management system (TMS). A translation management software is designed to simplify, manage, and streamline the localization process, ensure a smooth workflow, and kill any errors before they have a chance to crawl into the final text.
Whether your company requires translating websites, mobile applications, product documentation, or marketing materials, a good translation system is the middle entity between you and your agency or a favorite linguist. It provides the tools and workflows necessary to ensure the back-and-forth between you is as efficient as possible.
Here’s our latest guest blog featuring a deep dive into TMS systems by Diana Voroniak.
Why Use a TMS?
Using a TMS offers several advantages that help to improve the localization process. So, what can a TMS do for you?
- Save time by automating repetitive tasks and managing everything in one place;
- Reduce costs through reusing previous translations, reducing the need for rework and lowering overall localization expenses;
- Enhance brand consistency across different languages;
- Ensure smoother collaboration;
- Scale easily by managing multiple languages and large volumes of content.
Key Functions of a TMS
So, what does a translation management solution actually do?
Centralized management
TMS provides a unified platform where companies can manage all multilingual content in one place. This reduces the challenges of tracking different translation projects, ensuring that content is up-to-date across languages and accessible to the entire team. TMS business is all about saving the nerves and time of both the client and their translation manager by killing the necessity to look for millions of different files across numerous platforms.
Translation memory and glossaries
With translation memory, a TMS store previously translated phrases and sentences, which can be reused in future projects to maintain consistency and speed up the process. Glossaries help ensure brand-specific terms are translated consistently, preserving the integrity of the brand message across regions.
Automation and AI
Many modern TMS platforms integrate AI and machine translation (MT) tools to assist with initial translation drafts, which human translators then refine. This approach speeds up the localization process and reduces costs while retaining high quality.
Workflow customization and integration
TMS solutions allow companies to customize workflows to fit their specific needs. Integration with other software – such as content management systems (CMS), version control platforms, or marketing tools – ensures seamless content updates and translation management.
Who Are the Primary Users of a TMS?
TMS platforms cater to a variety of users across industries:
- Translation agencies that manage large volumes of work across numerous languages for multiple clients benefit from centralized management and improved workflows. This makes TMS a primary choice for translation agency software.
- Tech and software companies, especially large ones like GitHub, Microsoft, or Discord, use TMS solutions to deliver localized products that appeal to a global user base. For these companies, a TMS helps manage and update content across websites, apps, and in-app interfaces.
- Game developers also use TMS platforms to bring their content to audiences worldwide. A TMS enables these companies to handle translations for game dialogues, user interfaces, and support materials while ensuring a consistent player experience across languages.
- E-commerce and retail use TMS solutions to adapt their platforms and product information for global customers. Localizing these touchpoints can drive engagement and increase sales in new markets.
- Finally, educational platforms leverage TMS tools to make their courses and resources accessible in multiple languages. This broadens their reach and enhances the educational experience for learners around the world.
What are the Advantages of Using a TMS?
Software translation management provides companies with numerous benefits. Here are the key advantages:
Efficiency and speed
One of the primary advantages of a TMS is the increase in efficiency and speed it offers to the translation process. By automating repetitive tasks, such as reusing common phrases or retrieving previously translated content, a TMS eliminates much of the manual effort involved in translation. TMS platforms allow teams to manage and update content in real time, making it easy to publish translations simultaneously across multiple platforms. This streamlined process enables businesses to enter new markets faster and respond quickly to changing content needs.
Enhanced accuracy and consistency
Consistency is crucial for maintaining a unified brand message, especially when dealing with multiple languages. A TMS management tool achieves this by offering translation memory (TM) and glossaries, which ensure that brand-specific terms, phrases, and stylistic elements are preserved throughout all translations. Glossaries and style guides within a TMS further support this consistency by ensuring that technical terms, product names, and industry-specific jargon remain uniform, which enhances the overall quality and reliability of the translations.
Cost-effectiveness
Translation management services can significantly reduce the costs associated with localization by optimizing workflows and minimizing redundant work. Through automation and the use of translation memory, companies can avoid paying for the same translation multiple times. With features like automated project management and in-context previews, a TMS minimizes the time and effort needed from human translators, enabling teams to allocate their budgets more effectively.
Simplified collaboration
Modern TMS platforms are designed with collaboration in mind, providing tools for both internal teams and external contributors, like freelance translators or volunteers, to work together seamlessly. This collaborative environment helps teams stay aligned, speeds up the translation review process, and ensures that translations are cohesive. It also allows stakeholders to approve translations promptly, accelerating project completion and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Improved scalability
For companies planning to scale internationally, a translation management company provides the structure needed to manage an increasing number of languages and projects efficiently. TMS platforms are equipped to handle high volumes of content, adapt to different formats, and support custom workflows that can be scaled as the company grows. This flexibility means that whether a business needs to add one new language or twenty, a TMS can accommodate this expansion without sacrificing quality or increasing the workload on translation teams. Scalability is essential for businesses with growth ambitions, as it allows them to stay agile and responsive to new market opportunities.
What are the Options on the Market?
When it comes to choosing a translation business management system, there is a range of options that offer distinct features and capabilities suited to various needs. From enterprise-focused platforms to solutions designed for open-source projects, each TMS provider brings unique strengths. Below are some of the top TMS options available on the market and what sets them apart.
Crowdin
Crowdin offers flexible solutions tailored to the needs of diverse teams. Crowdin.com is designed for individual developers and smaller teams, providing extensive integration options and AI tools to enhance productivity. For larger organizations with a focus on security and data privacy, Crowdin Enterprise delivers advanced capabilities and customization options. Both products support over 100+ file formats and connect seamlessly with 600+ apps and integrations, making Crowdin adaptable to projects of all sizes. Crowdin’s scalability and robust feature set make it an ideal choice for teams seeking a reliable, agile-oriented localization solution.
Transifex
Transifex is well-regarded for community-driven and open-source projects. It integrates effectively with version control systems like GitHub, enabling continuous localization alongside development. While Transifex offers free options for public projects, its paid plans start at $120 per month. It may lack some of the advanced AI tools and granular customization options found in other TMS platforms.
Lokalise
Lokalise is a robust TMS known for its collaboration tools and user-friendly interface, making it popular for teams working across different regions. It provides integrations with tools like GitHub, Figma, and Slack, helping streamline translation workflows. However, Lokalise’s AI integration is more limited, with only OpenAI’s ChatGPT available, and it has fewer file format support options compared to other platforms. Starting at $120 per month, it can be a more costly option for some businesses, especially smaller teams.
Phrase
Phrase offers a variety of automation tools. Its features include translation memory, term bases, and real-time collaboration, helping maintain consistency across projects. Phrase has competitive pricing, with a freelancer plan starting at $27 per month. As a drawback, its integrations and support for machine translation providers are more limited compared to some competitors, which may impact usability for larger projects requiring diverse integrations.
Smartling
Smartling is a comprehensive TMS tailored for large enterprises needing powerful localization management tools. Known for its visual context feature, Smartling allows translators to preview content layouts, which helps improve translation accuracy. It also provides detailed reporting and analytics, making it a preferred choice for companies that prioritize performance insights.
A minus – Smartling’s pricing is available only upon request, which may make budgeting and planning more challenging for smaller businesses or new users.
How Crowdin Stands Out Compared to Other TMS
Crowdin differentiates itself through its focus on flexibility, advanced AI capabilities, and user-friendly features designed to enhance efficiency and collaboration. Here are some key advantages:
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- Budget-friendly compared to other tools with a free version available and paid version starting from $50 a month.
- Integration with multiple AI providers allows users to leverage advanced AI technologies for efficient, high-quality translations. Unlike other platforms, Crowdin allows users to fully customize AI prompts at various levels, as well as integrate custom AI providers. Crowdin’s functionality allows you to get the most out of AI translation tools.
- Crowdin offers enterprise-level security and compliance, offering peace of mind to organizations handling sensitive data. For companies in sectors with stringent data protection requirements, such as healthcare, finance, or government, Crowdin’s comprehensive security protocols are a significant advantage.
- Crowdin supports over 100 file formats and integrates with more than 600 apps and connectors, including, of course, essential tools like GitHub, Figma, and Slack. This level of integration enables teams to seamlessly incorporate Crowdin into their existing workflows, making it easier to manage and update multilingual content.
- Crowdin’s collaboration features are scalable for large teams and community projects. The platform supports real-time collaboration, in-context editing, and customizable workflows, which are essential for managing large volumes of content across multiple languages.
- Crowdin continuously improves in response to client feedback and needs, constantly introducing the features specifically requested by clients.
“I was super impressed by the Crowdin in-context localization feature – I didn’t even know that something like this would be possible, when I first started looking for TMS solutions for our company; but once I’d seen it, I knew that it was something that I definitely had to have. ”
Merit Burenkov, Localization Lead , Pipedrive
Crowdin’s customers include Microsoft, GitHub, GitLab, AjaxSystems, and many more, and their customer testimonials prove that Crowdin is a go-to choice for an efficient workflow, smooth communication and constant innovations.
About the author:
Diana Voroniak is a product marketing manager and content creator with over four years in the localization industry. She specializes in crafting impactful, audience-driven content that boosts brand visibility and resonates with international audiences. Known for her strategic and creative approach, Diana balances her work with a love for animals, good food, music, and crafting ceramic pieces.