Translation management platforms have now taken over the translation world. Businesses and companies are opting for management platforms to automate and streamline their work. They have to face fewer hassles and they can do more work. A TMS helps with complicated translation operations which otherwise can consume a lot of time distracting people from their real job tasks. A platform comprises many important features and as a client, you should be asking your language service provider about the features that have been integrated into the platform to make the translation process convenient and more affordable.
Terminology management is one of the fundamental features of a good translation management system. It plays a vital role in executing the translation project seamlessly. Also, this is especially important to set up a terminology database for translation, technical, legal, and medical content creation. It helps ensure consistency, bringing clarity and making the content accurate. All these factors are particularly significant for the specialized terminology. The organizations have to work on the glossary to ensure that translators and they are on the same page. However, working on it can be challenging and perplexing.
Here are a few important tips that have been listed to help companies work on terminology management in a better way.
Start with a Terminology Database
Working on a terminology database is a challenging task as a comprehensive list demands a lot of dedication. You should start with the terminology database. The selected terms, their definitions with their context, and other important associated translations should also be considered in this process. You, as businesses, should always make sure that you do mention the context of the terms if these are important and add value to the overall content.
Compiling Terminology Resources
The terminology resources are crucial to effectively create and manage glossaries for your translation projects. You should start with the existing terminology resources within the organization. This may include glossaries, the style guide to follow, technical documents along previous translations. External resources including industry glossaries and standards also require consideration. The more the merrier should be the approach for this process. You should try to put every possible term that translators could need while working on the translations. If you are looking to create a robust database you should be gathering the maximum number of relevant terminology.
Consistent Definitions Only
In order to maintain consistency in the definitions it is significant to create consistent definitions. A professional localization solution for enterprises requires a translation solution that is precise and consistent. Therefore, you should ensure that you have established clear, transparent, and consistent definitions in your database. These not only should be consistent but also concise and clear enough to not create misunderstandings. Moreover, you should always consider taking the services of a subject matter expert in the process of setting the terminology list. As they can supervise and edit the technical and industry-specific terms more profoundly.
Contextual References and Proper Usage
Contextual use plays an important role in the translation process. While working on the terminology you should make sure that context is the key, particularly in terminology management. A management platform can not excel without an effective terminology management feature. Hence, providing content and usage information for every term in the database can make things quite easier for the translators and people involved. Also, there should be a proper explanation about the usage of the terms and sample sentences to illustrate the right use. This helps greatly understanding the nuances of the terms.
Implement Version Control
While working on the terminology list you should also consider version control. With the evolution of terminology over time, it has become essential that your terminology database has version control. This is quite beneficial with many factors. This helps with tracking the changes, updates, and revisions that can be needed while using the definitions and phrases. The use of version control also makes sure that people are working on the most advanced and updated version of terminology.
Integrating Terminology into Workflows
The best localization management system works efficiently when every feature is well integrated and used whenever needed. Terminology management can yield optimum results when you integrate it with the relevant workflows. This may include incorporating the terminology review and its approval steps into the creation of the content and translation process. This ensures that terminology is actively used.
Access and Training to the Right People
The process of accessing the terminology should be simple and feasible for everyone who could possibly ask for it. The employees and teammates should be able to access the database conveniently. They should also get training about accessing it properly, to find the terms, their contextual, and other relevant information. You as a business should educate them about the best practices of using it effectively. This can help them know about the terminology well and use it for a consistent and accurate translation.
Regularly Update and Review (Translation)
As the specialized field and terms keep on evolving. There are new terms and phrases every now and then. The terms that are commonly used today didn’t even exist a few years back. Therefore, a regular update on the terminology list and reviewing it for better can help make the process of translation better. You can also schedule the reviews of the database to identify outdated or inaccurate terms. You should also encourage the users and teammates to provide feedback to make improvements accordingly.
Conclusion
Working on terminology management can be a hectic process. However, it is significant to establish a database to use the translation management platform seamlessly. Companies should make sure they work on translation terminologies effectively. They should start with a database by compiling the terminology resources, adding consistent definitions, and contextual references, and implementing the version control. Also, integrating terminology with relevant workflows can also help with productive use.
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