Why is terminology management so critical?

In large scale translation programmes, uncontrolled variation in terminology is one of the main sources of quality issues, lengthy reviews and higher costs.

Benefits of structured terminology management

Keeps brand voice and key messages consistent across all languages.
Shortens review and approval cycles and reduces the number of review rounds.
Combined with translation memories, increases leverage on repeated content and lowers overall cost.

Where to start

A practical terminology framework can start small and grow over time.

List the core product, service and process terms that appear frequently in your content.
Define approved equivalents for each term in source and target languages.
Review the list with stakeholders from marketing, legal and technical teams.

Implementation and maintenance

Terminology management is not a one off exercise but an ongoing process.

Integrate the termbase with translation tools and project management systems.
Set rules for how new terms are proposed, approved and versioned.
Monitor the use of non approved terms and share findings with teams on a regular basis.