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Translation Management Technology
 
Keywords
translation management, globalization management, workflow, global content management, enterprise content management, GCM, ECM, enterprise software, content management, document management, globalization, ERP, business software, ASP, SaaS, collaboration

Abstract
In the late 1990s, several software developers and many multinational companies expended significant effort developing systematic approaches to managing translation workflow and related business processes. These client/server applications, grandiosely labeled "globalization management systems" (GMS) by their developers, each conformed to a similar model. They were premised on a "conveyor belt" workflow metaphor for HTML content, in which work product such as discrete HTML files are shuttled from one skilled worker to the next in assembly-line fashion.

Today we find three distinct system types which encompass translation workflow within their features sets. We call this broad category "translation management systems" (TMS) in recognition of their focus on translation rather than the amorphous and often discontinuous business processes required for managing the myriad operational and financial aspects of business globalization. The three approaches arose as developers variously sought to underpin the purposeful activities of companies, workgroups, or individuals.

You can read about previous research on these topics: Global Content Management Technology and Rage Against the Content Management Machine.

Benefits
In General: This report provides an overview of the software products available for managing the manifold business activities in and around translation workflow. The report is directly relevant both to enterprise buyers of translation services and technology as well as to language service providers looking to automate their translation operations. More specifically, it should appeal to:
For Buyers: Any organization that distributes global content. Planners at multinational companies, government agencies, military and intelligence units, and non-governmental organizations that globalize their websites, documents, products, and other materials will learn what technology is available to support translation and related business activities. Many organizations will turn to web-hosted or software-enabled service providers to obtain some or all of these capabilities, and the solutions discussed in this report include those options.
For Suppliers: Suppliers of language services and of globalization software. Language service providers (LSPs) rely on software tools and vertically oriented business systems to increase the efficiency of their knowledge-based services activity. This report will help them select and perfect their systems for operational and business management.

Managers, marketers, engineers, and business consultants responsible for developing, selling, and integrating software products that support translation management will benefit from the discussion of industry, market, and technology dynamics.

Physical Details
Authors: Benjamin B. Sargent and Donald A. DePalma
Date: 21 December 2006
ISBN: 1-933555-34-3
Pages: 42

Companies
across, AuthorIT, Beetext, Clay-Tablet, DocZone.com, EMC Documentum, Ektron, FrontRange, Heartsome, IBM, Idiom, Lido-Lang, Lingotek, Lionbridge, LTC, Microsoft, Oracle, Plunet, Project Open, Projetex, Sage, Sajan, Salesforce.com, SAP, SDL, SugarCRM, TheBigWord, Translations.com, Transware, Tridion and Vignette.

Table of Contents
  • Topic
    • Managing Business Activities in and around Translation Workflow
    • How to Navigate This Report
    • Who Should Read This Report?
  • Demand
    • Why Demand Grows for Translation Management
    • How Volume Growth Affects Information Publishers
    • Which Software Products Best Manage Content Complexity
      • How TMS Differs from CMS
    • Who Should Consider Formal Translation Management?
      • Small LSPs Seek a Silver Bullet
      • Medium and Large LSPs Have a Need for Speed
      • Enterprise Departments Know Too Much But Spend Too Little
      • EnterpriseIT Want Open Architectures, High Performance, and Scalability
    • Many Look for Systematic Translation Management, But Few Buy
    • TMS Shows Typical Software Market Shape and Destination
      • E-mail and FTP Underpin Most First-Stage Ad Hoc Systems
      • Regularity Drives Investment in Custom Systems
      • Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software Responds to Broad Market Needs
      • Other Product Categories “Featurize” Multilingual Functionality
  • Supply
    • How Software Manages the Translation Process
    • TMS Subcategories and Customary Features
      • Business Management Keeps the Lights On
      • Process Management Ensures Job Flow
      • Language Management Centralizes Translation Assets
    • How Translation Management Systems Evolve
      • Follow the Money: Business-Centric, Project-Based Systems
      • Manage the Core: Process-Centric, Workflow-based Systems
      • Centralize the Work: Translator-focused, Collaborative Workbench Systems
      • Consolidate the Processes: Comprehensive Systems
  • Implications
    • Adoption Strategies: Install, Host, or Embed
      • Option 1: Licensed Software – Keep IT Behind the Firewall
      • Option 2: Hosted Applications – Employ Software as a Service
      • Option 3: Captive Technology – Leverage a Managed Service
    • Special Considerations for Captive Systems
    • Who Needs a TMS
      • Enterprises Achieving Localization Maturity Model Level 3
      • LSPs Seeking a Competitive Advantage
    • Balancing Organizational Risk against ROI
      • The Collaborative Future
      • The Collaborative Future
  • Contact Information
  • Figures
    • Figure 1: Annual Growth Rate of Content under Management
    • Figure 2: Translation Workflow As Seen by a Project Manager
    • Figure 3: Many Companies Centralize Localization Management
    • Figure 4: Product Category Life Cycle
    • Figure 5: Translation Management in the Global Content Supply Chain
    • Figure 6: Discrete, Purposeful Activities Give Rise to Different Application Types
    • Figure 7: Primacy of Needs in TMS
    • Figure 8: Translation Workflow As Managed by Simple TMS
    • Figure 9: Evolution of Project-Based TMS
    • Figure 10: Evolution of Workflow-Based TMS
    • Figure 11: Evolution of Collaborative Workbench TMS
    • Figure 12: TMS in the Localization Maturity Model
    • Figure 13: Perceived Importance of Automation for LSPs
  • Tables
    • Table 1: Client Side Demand, the Reality
    • Table 2: Demand-Side Needs by Buyer Category
    • Table 3: Client Side Technology Use, As Perceived by Language Vendors
    • Table 4: Business Management Checklist Items for TMS
    • Table 5: Process Management Checklist Items for TMS
    • Table 6: Language Management Tools Checklist Items for TMS
    • Table 7: Adoption Strategies for TMS – Pros and Cons