How to optimise costs with translation memory

Translation memory technology stores previously translated segments and suggests them when similar content appears again. This leads to faster turnaround times and lower costs, especially in high volume and repetitive projects.

Main benefits of translation memory

Ensures that identical phrases are translated in the same way every time.
Reduces translation cost on repeated content and frees up capacity for new material.
Allows teams to translate only the modified parts of updated documents.

Where translation memory adds most value

Technical manuals, product data sheets and safety documentation
Financial reports and recurring corporate publications
Standard contract templates and legal boilerplate
Software interfaces and online help content

Points to watch

To benefit fully from translation memory, some basic rules need to be in place.

Agree on file naming and version control conventions across teams.
Define segmentation rules that match the content type and language pair.
Make sure that approved revisions are written back into the memory regularly.
Maintain a central memory at organisation level rather than scattered project specific databases.