The use of translation memories and terminology software offers great benefits. Such tools have been common for many years among translation departments, agencies, and freelancers, but experience learns that there is still much to gain in this area.
Imagine that an annual report needs to be translated. There is a lot of overlap with the report from the previous year, but you only have a PDF of the report. The translator can lay the two annual reports side by side, but the repetition of text parts and terms usually does not appear on the same pages and is difficult to find with the naked eye or even a search function.
If only a translation memory had been used the previous year, then previously translated text parts would be automatically presented during translation, and it would be easy to search for context and terminology.
The solution: have the previous year’s report aligned. The aligned file can then be read into almost any translation memory. Freelance translators who do not have such tools can download a free reader, so the memory is still searchable.
Translations made in the past are capital that can earn money time and again and with which companies and freelancers can distinguish themselves from the competition.