Using a GMS (Globalisation Management System)

（Edited by freelance Chinese translator li – English to Chinese or Chinese to English translation services）

A GMS is designed to allow a company to manage many parts of the translation workflow themselves. It allows them to deal directly with translators. It also allows them to deal with translation vendors but removes much of the project management, file handling and memory management resource so allows negotiation of much better prices, and allows much easier swapping of vendors.

A GMS generally consists of the following elements:

Extraction

The GMS is installed and configured to accept files from a number of sources. Sources could be content management systems, document management systems, databases, file repositories and anywhere else that translatable content exists. The GMS will generally advertise many pre-built 'connectors' for standard applications such as standard CMS (content management system) solutions.

Filters

As well as having the necessary technology for extracting the file out of its source repository, the GMS also has many 'filters' that, once the file is in the GMS, will extract the text out of the file so that it can be translated without breaking the file.

Workflow

The GMS has workflow capability that enables the GMS manager to set up a process flow for each file type, or each file type from each repository. An example of such a workflow might be:

1. Extract File
2. Filter File
3. Leverage Memory
4. Translate
5. Proofread
6. Back Filter
7. In-Context Check
8. Return File

Each of these stages is either performed by the GMS itself or is managed by the GMS. In the case of translate and proofread, for example, the GMS cannot perform these stages, but instead manages these stages by emailing the relevant parties, logging any work completed, and on completion, continuing to the next stage in the workflow.

Memory

The GMS has a built-in memory so when translators log in and choose to translate a file they are generally pre-leveraged. This means that the translator does not need any CAT (Computer Aided Translation) tools, and all translators receive benefit from the memory the instant a translator adds a new translation unit (typically a sentence).

Vendor Management

The GMS will generally have some translation vendor management facilities allowing translators or translation vendors to be added to the system. The system can hold price information and other details and allow the system manager to select the best translator or vendor for the job.

Review

Review mechanisms allow the reviewers, as part of the translation workflow, to log in and make annotated amendments to the translations.

Given the above functionality, it is possible to choose the cheapest translator for the job, and not pay for any of the add-on services of the vendor since all the extraction, filtering and memory management is done automatically. The aim of these systems is that the client only pays for the translation.

from:www.thebigword.com