What should automation in a translation agency look like?

When working in a professional translation agency, where expert texts are translated, it is easy to notice that the same phrases are often repeated - they can be single, specialist words, but also characteristic phrases and sentence segments.

If the translator remembers that a given fragment has already been repeated in previous works and knows where to look for it, he or she can copy the given sentence segment to the current translation. However, a more convenient and faster solution will be to use a translation database, which will allow for automatic inclusion of frequently used phrases in the text. Any modifications can always be made manually, adjusting the sentence to the current text. It is worthwhile to optimize the translation process in this way, because it will shorten the working time, and it will also be more efficient and operative.

Helpful tools for translation agencies

What tools should I use to optimize the translation process? CAT (Computer Aided Translation) is one of the most frequently used tools for translators to support their work. In the translation industry, working without them is very difficult. These programs remember the phrase entered by a translation agency employee and combine it with the source text. The database created in this way contains pairs of translation units not only in one but also in two languages.

If there is a situation in which the translated text contains an identical phrase to the one already used, the program will automatically translate it for us, including a translator - this makes the translation process faster and more efficient.

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Professional translation of texts

The IT market offers us many CAT programs that operate on the same principles. They are intuitive to use, some are superimposed on editors (on Word), others have their own built-in templates.

Regardless of what form a text translation tool takes and how advanced it is, one should not forget about the natural person performing the translation, i.e. the translator. Each of the translation agency employees, if possible, adjusts the tools according to their own preferences and preferences. The quality of a given translation is determined primarily by the translator's skills; supporting programs can only facilitate it, but certainly will not do it on their own (and certainly not as professionally as specialists in the industry).

Translation agencies are aware of the fact that competition on the market is immense, so it is necessary to take care of every detail of the translator's work and know what may affect its quality. In order to stand out from the competition you need to act quickly and professionally. Use the various available programs and their functions to make the translation process smoother and easier. The use of all the advantages of CAT programs will allow for quick execution of even those large and difficult orders. Complicated vocabulary can be quickly found in the database and placed in the text. From now on, specialist terminology will not be a problematic issue!

When to use CAT tools?

CAT tools may also be indispensable in cases where translation agencies cooperate with translators from outside their company. In this way, you can send them a translation memory - this will give them control over the translations performed by external partners. It is also a reasonable step towards harmonising the working style of freelance and freelance interpreters. Thanks to our optimized work, we will maintain quality, stylistic consistency and specialist terms characteristic of a translation agency.

CAT programs will also be beneficial in the case of translations, especially when a large file of documents has to be translated. In this situation, you can create customized glossaries, thanks to which we will maintain the current formulas, document templates and specialist vocabulary. Thanks to the use of CAT tools, the persons coordinating the translation process (inside and outside the company) can cooperate with each other all the time and update orders, as they have access to the works being translated on an ongoing basis. Thanks to this, the work is constantly monitored, so that the quality is maintained and we save a lot of time.

What else besides CAT?

The market offers many tools for translation agencies, but the XTRF application has attracted special attention. It is a SaaS software operating in the cloud and automating a number of activities related to running a professional translation agency.