How to select a translation memory system

Precision and patience pay off when you’re looking for the right translation memory system (TMS) for your company.

The challenge

The perfect enterprise TMS solution does not exist and, in our opinion, cannot exist. The requirements of the stakeholders involved are too varied. The framework conditions and strategic goals of companies are too diverse.

What can indeed exist: the best-possible TMS. One that offers the greatest possible benefit with the least possible restrictions and risks. A carefully considered, structured selection process is required to reach a decision. Time and again, we observe that this process is not optimally planned and executed. The experience companies require to choose a TMS is simply not there.

Planning is everything

We know from experience: Many of our clients’ TM systems simply do not – or only partially – cover what is required. The desired effectiveness in terms of quality, efficiency, and cost savings is only achieved to a limited extent.

The most common causes:

1. Relevant requirement categories and stakeholders are not taken into account
2. Insufficient details and inadequate weighting of the requirement catalog items
3. Inconsistencies in the factual evaluation – the selected decision criteria do not reflect the requirements

It is essential to avoid errors by being precise, prioritizing, and involving the right people in the decision-making process – right from the start.

Solution approaches: The three Ps

1. People: Integrating relevant requirement categories and stakeholders

If you restrict yourself to functional aspects when considering the situation, you can only assess whether a TMS is functionally suitable. The problem: All aspects, opportunities, and possibilities that a TMS can offer beyond this are excluded. All relevant stakeholders must therefore be involved in the decision-making process. Otherwise, the selection process leads to an incomplete picture. An optimal decision is then hardly possible.

Recommendation:

• Consider requirements from all relevant categories
  Determine and take into account all requirement categories that will have an influence on the optimal effectiveness of the TMS to be selected in the context of your company. In addition to purely functional aspects for the specific workflows of the translation projects, consider requirements from the areas of system architecture, supply chain (distribution and acceptance), data protection, license models, support services, and the general assessment of the TMS manufacturer.

• Involve all relevant stakeholders – from the beginning to the end of the decision-making process
  When making your decision, consult all stakeholders or representatives of stakeholder groups who can provide a comprehensive and well-founded assessment of the various requirement categories. Because a meaningful assessment is only possible once all the necessary categories have been fully taken into account.

2. Priorities: Specifying requirements in sufficient detail and carefully weighting them

The catalog of requirements should be scrutinized and specified in sufficient detail. If this does not happen, the comparison of the various systems in question is only superficial. Ideally, all significant use cases in the translation workflow have been ascertained in advance: This refers to all use cases that need to be supported by the TMS in order to achieve your strategic business objectives in the area of multilingualism. Otherwise, they cannot be adequately implemented later or will fail to have the desired effect. In the worst case, the TMS will not cover them at all.

Recommendation:

• Describe use cases and requirements in sufficient detail
  Invest time. Assign internal (or external) experts to create a complete catalog of requirements. First define all current and future use cases as a basis for defining the requirements. Involve relevant stakeholders when defining the use cases and creating the requirements catalog – and not only during the subsequent assessment of whether the systems in question meet the requirements.

• Set priorities
  Weight the requirements according to the importance of the underlying use cases and your strategic goals. A conscious, defined weighting of the individual requirements enables a much more target-oriented evaluation: You will be able to recognize more quickly and much better which TM systems on the market meet your requirements. You define your scores more precisely and achieve a higher degree of objectivity – both in the selection of possible products and in the final decision.

3. Precision Consistent and factual assessments and decisions

Even if a working group is formed in your company and a detailed catalog of requirements is drawn up, the assessment should be carried out by process participants who are sufficiently qualified and understand the consequences of the decision. The next step of the selection process often involves a self-assessment by the tool manufacturer – and therefore also an appraisal. The assessment a company then makes in-house thus often lacks an objective basis. In the worst case, decisions are based on gut instinct or the impression made by the manufacturer’s sales team.

Recommendation:

• Facts and figures instead of gut feeling
  Create a complete, detailed catalog with weighted requirements based on your use cases and involve all relevant players with the corresponding requisite expertise: From the creation of the requirements catalog to the subsequent evaluation of the degree of fulfillment. Work with clearly defined scores and benchmark values for your assessment. If all the necessary aspects cannot be competently considered by the in-house team, get an external expert on board for the selection project. Partners with several years of active project experience in the field of complex TMS-based translation processes are ideal here.

The optimal choice of your TMS not only has medium- and long-term effects on the translation processes. You benefit from financial advantages that go far beyond the investment or rental and maintenance costs of the software. So if your company needs and wants to purchase a TMS, the planning qualities described above are make or break when it comes to reaching the “right” decision.

Of course, a carefully conducted selection process can be time-consuming and requires the perseverance of everyone involved. But it’s worth it. Resist your gut feeling, even if the temptation is great. There are no shortcuts when comes to deciding on the right TMS. Your diligence will pay off several times over the entire service life of the TMS.