8 Benefits of Using Translation Project Management Software

The value of the global language services market reached nearly $50 billion in 2019, and much of this came from innovations in technology.

Today’s enterprises will first look at the tools that can support the project management aspect of translation over the hiring of individual translators; that’s because there are many time- and cost-saving benefits to using translation project management software.That’s not to say all translation software provides equal value. It’s a very challenging product to evaluate as you really can’t see how well it works until you tax the system.

However, with the right program, you can enjoy a wide range of benefits that will save your organization money, improve your returns, and make the process more efficient.

8 Benefits of Translation Project Management Software

Translation is quickly becoming a software-driven industry rather than a human-centric one. Consider something simple, like the Google Translate app, which translates 140 billion words every single day–more than any human translator will handle in their lifetime. Of course, businesses need something a bit more robust. Enterprise-level translation projects are far more than simple text updates; they require active project management and client-specific information. Choosing to go with advanced translation software has several proven benefits, including:

#1: Improving resource allocation

Mundane tasks create “hidden waste” for project managers. Following up on late documents or reports may only take a few minutes, but when they have to do that hundreds of times per week, it amounts to weeks worth of work lost every year.Project management software can automate many of these mundane tasks, eliminating the need for follow-up. This allows the project manager to focus on more vital undertakings that require their attention while eliminating wasted hours of work.

#2: Providing long-term cost savings

Technology-driven translation enhances cost savings by eliminating unnecessary tasks and reducing errors that can damage reputations and lose customers. On top of that, software that uses machine translation can eliminate the costs of linguists for lower-priority projects, allowing companies to focus on areas of greater need.

#3: Allowing for seamless market entry

With multilingual translation software, all the time investments occur upfront. As you outline your project flows, file engineering strategies, and target markets, this information goes into a detailed client profile. Once that’s established, it’s much easier to switch gears and shift to a new market.

#4: Enhancing oversight

There are lots of moving parts in a large translation project. It can be challenging to keep track of everything using traditional strategies like emailing documents back and forth and following up via phone or IM. It’s a process that will quickly get out of hand.Translation technology combines all this information in a single space, meaning the manager can get a holistic view of statuses in one place. It allows the manager to switch to exception-based project management, where they only need to follow up on issues instead of every task.

#5: Enabling continuous scalability

One problem with traditional translation is that it’s not exactly scalable. Once you send off a large packet of documents, it can be challenging to pull them back or request additional projects. Translation project management software will allow you to connect with different linguists and update projects whenever you need to, offering a fully scalable solution.

#6: Strengthening processes

Many translation programs use two valuable tools for organizations–translation memories (TM) and machine translation, which work together to enhance the overall results. The TM is used to store client-specific information like termbases, preferences, and corporate lexicons. It then combines and uses the data to run machine translation, which can either translate low-priority content or guide linguists as they work.

#7: Producing granular-level metrics

One valuable aspect of translation project management software is that it can act as a data repository for other programs, like the content management system. Here, the user can consolidate their results and use them to run reports that help them find the content that converts users from the optimal target audience.

#8: Bettering business decision-making

Software with the right features can provide the information needed to make better business decisions based on empirical evidence. For example, a program may show that instruction manuals in Chinese are doing better than how-to videos in French, indicating more effort should focus on text documents for Chinese audiences. Not all programs offer this much information, depending on the level of integrations available. A program that connects to reporting platforms, the CMS, and other business management software is best.

Things to Avoid When Choosing Software

The above benefits are only realized with the right software, and choosing the right one isn’t always easy. Individuals may focus more on the UX or UI instead of considering how the program will scale over time. They may also become sidetracked by more attractive features–like live previews–that won’t have much practical use over time.The best thing to focus on is scalability. You shouldn’t lock into a contract that you can’t get out of when volume increases. Dealing with a large-scale operation can break many programs, so it’s wise to take a gradual approach to translation project management software. You should also focus on the program’s more mundane features, like how it parses or the flexibility of regular expressions. This will provide far more value for your localization program than any useless, flashy feature.Versatility is key when choosing translation project management software. It will determine how scalable and flexible a program is to meet your needs. With the right options, you can enjoy a wide range of benefits that make your strategies more efficient, effective, and affordable.