How do businesses expand and stay connected with their audiences across languages and regions?
Imagine a business with, say, 500 employees, 40 markets and content types ranging from regulatory documents to marketing campaigns, across all teams - how do they adapt – or localise, as we say in the industry – all this content into all those languages?
How do they make sure the correct industry terminology is used across all assets?
How do they manage design-heavy content like brochures, packaging, or other layout files across languages?
How do they make sure translations are actually compliant for regulated industries?
How do they scale up and down depending on need, without the managerial overhead?
That is where a Translation Management System (TMS) comes in.
What is a TMS?
A Translation Management System (TMS) is a single hub for localisation operations.
It is the environment in which teams control, track, and order their language projects, and gain access to a network of language professionals and services.
Depending on the type of TMS, it may allow you to:
order services, such as creative translation, machine translation, layout review or validation;
order and implement translations via your own CMS, PIM, or DAM, so you don't have to leave your own platform;
outsource project management to TMS project managers;
access a network of professional translators, with the flexibility to let the TMS team handle management, or work with your own translation or validation team;
access localisation technologies such as AI Dubbing or Translation Memories, or smart features like AI Quality Estimation or AI Editing.
How does a TMS work?
A TMS can work in different ways depending on your setup and needs. One typical model at LanguageWire, for example, is Fully Managed, meaning that after the onboarding period, our clients don’t need to do any project management. They use the system’s infrastructure, tools, and pool of language professionals to localise content and send files to the right location.
Requesting the tasks and providing basic scoping information is the only thing the client is responsible for. This works well when many different teams in a company have to work independently without needing an internal team to manage operations.
The steps to complete a project in a TMS:
Order a translation service, for example web or document translation, subtitling, voiceover, proofreading, machine translation, and creative translation.
Upload source files, choose languages, and set a deadline.
Wait. A TMS project manager finds the right people for the job.
Your files are returned to you, fully localised.
An example
Let’s look at a practical example. How would a product team at a car manufacturer use a TMS?
Let’s imagine they need to localise a product brochure.
Without a TMS, the product team would get in touch with an agency or freelancer, project manage from start to finish, and double check manually for quality and brand consistency. They would need to make sure that the localised text fits into the brochure design.
With a TMS, they simply upload the brochure as well as the source file (for example PhotoShop), choose languages, set a deadline, and wait for the results to come back.
The TMS’ project manager assigns the relevant experts to the task. The experts translate and review the brochure’s text and design.
That’s it.
The product team doesn't have to manage anything. However, they still have full control over the result with the power to:
choose translation quality, adapting budget and deadline;
track the progress in the platform;
validate the translated content with in-country reviewers, who check for brand consistency and quality before the project is finalised.
They can also choose to use a Termbase and Translation Memories to create ever better translations for each project.
A Termbase (TB) is a glossary that consists of company or industry specific vocabulary, so that translators know exactly which words to use. This is especially relevant for regulated or specialised industries where wording is critical, not just for clarity, but also for compliance.
Translation Memory (TM) repurposes approved translations for future projects.
These are expanded over time, to create ever better translations and save costs for each project.
What is included in a TMS?
Now that we’ve talked about how to use a Translation Management System (TMS), and the kind of services that can be ordered through it, many will naturally ask: what exactly is included in a TMS?
This can vary from system to system. Let’s look at how LanguageWire TMS is built:
TMS is the foundation: Infrastructure and network
The Translation Management System is the foundation. The infrastructure of the TMS, including project managers, dashboards, and network of experts is part of this foundation.
The building blocks: Services, connectors and technologies
Any combination of services and technologies can be added on top of the TMS foundation:
Services: Translation, Transcreation, DTP and layout, etc
Connectors to plug your CMS, CCMS, CRM, and PIM systems into the TMS, such as Umbraco or Drupal
Technologies such as AI dubbing, machine translation, and AI quality assurance
Three ways a TMS becomes the cost-efficient solution
Reduced overhead
Having one TMS – one provider – instead of handling many different providers is the main differentiator we see from both clients and non-clients that makes the biggest economic difference – regardless of which TMS they choose.
This is because it only takes a small internal team to manage one provider – as opposed to building briefs and contracts, and ensuring consistency, across multiple providers specialised in their unique fields. In a TMS, you get access to a network of language professionals through the same environment, so you don’t have to nurture these relationships individually.
Greater consistency without the effort
Another benefit of operating within a TMS is consistency. Working with many different teams that don’t communicate can make the result inconsistent. Sharing your preferred vocabulary with all of them would be a hassle. With a TMS, your network of experts all has access to the same information – your Termbase, Translation Memories, brand guides and briefs.
Higher scalability
Managing different agencies and freelancers individually becomes exponentially more difficult and costly as your company scales. A TMS is flexible and can be scaled up or down as needed without requiring effort or restructuring on your part.
Final thoughts
A TMS is your ecosystem for managing translations at scale. It's where you go to order translation projects, whether it’s for subtitling, transcreation or good old-fashioned translation. It's where you train your AI or human translators and reviewers in vocabulary, style, and tone. And it’s where you connect your own systems so that the results travel effortlessly to the right places.
Learn more about LanguageWire TMS
