Things are changing so rapidly in the translation industry, and to cope with the fast-paced world, translators have to develop higher work efficiency. Translation and localization solutions are high in demand like never before. Especially after COVID, things have changed for good in the business landscape. Companies are looking for new ways to capture the attention of maximum prospects. It is only possible through creating relevant brand identities that your customers can resonate with.
The demand for professional translators is also becoming very high to meet the increasing localization needs. So, it is high time for translators to pull up their sleeves and improve their work efficiency to manage large-scope translation projects. They need to improve their craft and bring in advanced technology, such as a CAT tool, translation management system, or a localization platform that can really support them in the effective management of localization projects.
CAT Tools – Introduction
CAT tools are computer-assisted translation tools that are used by translators and editors to effectively manage translation memories and glossaries. Most people confuse CAT tools with machine translations, but they are actually used to automate and simplify the translation processes. CAT tools do provide machine translations but it comes as a secondary feature only. Using a CAT tool would significantly enhance the work efficiency of employees and they can manage more work in less time. CAT tools come with different features that you can customize as per your unique translation and localization needs. These tools come at quite affordable rates and support translators to get detailed insight on translation projects in process. Instead of replacing human translators, CAT tools are designed to work in collaboration with a translator to keep the translation project workflow smooth and optimized.
How Can CAT Tools Help Professional Translators?
Using CAT tools can significantly reduce your translation workload because of automatic and optimized workflow. Below are some common perks of CAT tools for professional translators.
Built-In Translation Editors
So, there is no need to switch between apps for translation management, editing, and quality assurance. You can conveniently do it all in a single CAT tool. It indeed saves a lot of time and effort. The built-in editor in your CAT tools allows you to proofread your translated content on the spot. Professional linguists can easily review their translation files, QA feature detects and remove all potential mistakes from your translations. So, you don’t have to spend too much time editing the documents, as QA tools have done half your job already.
Effective File Management
Freelance translators have to work on multiple translation projects at the same time. Working with different clients and effectively managing their translation documents is a great hassle. If you don’t have a reliable translation management system, there are chances that you may face issues like missing files, or redundant data. CAT tools make it super easy for you to manage and store translation files properly. Without putting in a lot of manual effort, your translation gets managed automatically by CAT tools.
Better Terminology Management
Managing the brand terminologies and glossaries is another challenge for translators, and they have to make sure things don’t mix up. Effectively managing the brand glossaries allows you to keep your translated files single-toned, and your brand voice remains unchanged throughout the project. Especially, the translators, who go about outsourcing their projects to a third-party language service provider, should manage brand terminologies properly. It will make it easier for another translator to get an idea about the brand voice. This way, your brand voice remains consistent and unchanged in all regions.
High-Quality Machine Translations
Some CAT tools also provide high-quality automated translation to their users. As you start getting more translation work from clients, you must have a reliable tool in place that would help you get away with high volumes of translation without compromising the quality. Advanced MT tools use translation memories to make the translation processes quick and effective. If you want to translate repetitive text, you can systematically search for similar results in your translation memory databases to save more time. This way, you don’t have to create a new translation from screech and use the existing translations sometimes. However, it is still your choice whether you want to use the already-done translation phrases or generate new ones.
Automatic File Formatting
Working with international clients means you have to deliver the final translation documents in different file formatting. Manually changing the file formatting could be time-consuming. By using a professional CAT tool and localization platform, you can automatically change the file formats as per user requirements. CAT tools support different file formats that can be a major time saver when it comes to dealing with multiple clients at once.
Wrapping Up!
CAT tools use advanced AI technology to make your translation operations super smooth and effortless. Professional translators can use these tools to get away with everyday translation challenges. It allows individual freelance translators to handle multiple translation projects single-handedly. Make sure to hire a reliable CAT best language service provider that understands your translation needs and provides you with the most suitable solution.
