{"id":5864,"date":"2023-05-26T07:19:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T05:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/?p=5864"},"modified":"2024-02-19T16:04:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T15:04:52","slug":"cat-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"CAT Tools: Unlocking the Potential of Computer-Assisted Translation for Global Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"acf\/text-block_222a370f517b170c37d0b01151fa1a24\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--text alignfull spacing--default bg--white\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg animate-in\">\n\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools (computer-aided translation tools) have been around in one form or another since the 1950s and have had a substantial impact on how people do <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/translation\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">translation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for both personal and business use:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They started as standalone software that could only be used on a single computer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later on, they found use as client-server tools on company networks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today\u2019s CAT tools are cloud-based and can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, via a web browser.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This guide will walk you through the different types of CAT tools, the benefits they offer for growing businesses, and the key factors to consider when choosing a CAT tool for your business needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/blog-cta-block_6411e3a19cf73\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--blog-cta bg--green image--orientation-landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"block-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image image--align-middle\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1260\" height=\"1159\" src=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TMS_Hero-e1678895852531.png\" class=\"attachment-original size-original\" alt=\"Phrase TMS | Phrase\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TMS_Hero-e1678895852531.png 1260w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TMS_Hero-e1678895852531-300x276.png 300w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TMS_Hero-e1678895852531-1024x942.png 1024w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TMS_Hero-e1678895852531-768x706.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1260px) 100vw, 1260px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"subhead\">Phrase TMS<\/p>\n<p class=\"secondary h6\">The enterprise-ready translation management system<\/p>\n<p class=\"small\">Work with the leading TMS to automate translation workflows with cost control and quality checks.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn--outline\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/platform\/tms\/\">Explore Phrase TMS<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/text-block_caa587e2c85892cff4aa87d5babec2ae\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--text alignfull spacing--default bg--white\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg animate-in\">\n\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Overview<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#what-are-cat-tools\" title=\"What are CAT tools?\">What are CAT tools?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#machine-translation-vs-computer-assisted-translation\" title=\"Machine translation vs computer-assisted translation\">Machine translation vs computer-assisted translation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#whats-the-difference-between-tms-and-cat-tools\" title=\"What\u2019s the difference between TMS and CAT tools?\">What\u2019s the difference between TMS and CAT tools?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#how-does-a-cat-tool-work\" title=\"How does a CAT tool work?\">How does a CAT tool work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#common-computer-assisted-translation-tools\" title=\"Common computer-assisted translation tools\">Common computer-assisted translation tools<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#translation-memory\" title=\"Translation memory\">Translation memory<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#term-base\" title=\"Term base\">Term base<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#style-guide\" title=\"Style guide\">Style guide<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#quality-assurance-features\" title=\"Quality assurance features\">Quality assurance features<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#the-benefits-of-cat-tools\" title=\"The benefits of CAT tools\">The benefits of CAT tools<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#cat-tools-increase-productivity\" title=\"CAT tools increase productivity\">CAT tools increase productivity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#cat-tools-foster-consistency\" title=\"CAT tools foster consistency\">CAT tools foster consistency<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#cat-tools-are-flexible\" title=\"CAT tools are flexible\">CAT tools are flexible<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#cat-tools-increase-translation-quality\" title=\"CAT tools increase translation quality\">CAT tools increase translation quality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#cat-tools-save-you-time-and-money\" title=\"CAT tools save you time and money\">CAT tools save you time and money<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#why-are-language-translation-tools-important-for-global-business\" title=\"Why are language translation tools important for global business?\">Why are language translation tools important for global business?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#how-to-choose-the-best-cat-tool-for-your-needs\" title=\"How to choose the best CAT tool for your needs\">How to choose the best CAT tool for your needs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/cat-tools\/#say-hello-to-a-new-cat-tool-experience\" title=\"Say hello to a new CAT tool experience\">Say hello to a new CAT tool experience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-are-cat-tools\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are CAT tools?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>CAT tools are software programs that assist human translators in transferring the meaning of text between languages more quickly and efficiently.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> More specifically, CAT tools provide translators with an interface for submitting, editing, managing, and storing multilingual content in one place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing businesses use CAT software as part of their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/global-expansion\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">global expansion strategy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to speed up the time to market by automating manual or repetitive translation work when creating content for audiences in different target markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"machine-translation-vs-computer-assisted-translation\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Machine translation vs computer-assisted translation<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Machine translation (MT) tools are increasingly becoming useful in creating multilingual content at scale. However, they have a different objective than CAT tools: <\/span><b>CAT software lets the human translator lead the way, while MT tools convert text from one language to another automatically.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the advancement of MT, the decision between using machine or CAT translation is becoming less relevant. Many organizations rely on machine translation to boost translation productivity and reduce costs\u2014typically using it as a starting point for post-editing by human translators.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By combining the speed of MT engines and the accuracy and consistency of CAT tools in cloud-based <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/translation-management-system-how-it-works\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">translation management systems<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (TMS), growing businesses can streamline the translation process to deliver high-quality multilingual content more quickly and efficiently than ever before.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"whats-the-difference-between-tms-and-cat-tools\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s the difference between TMS and CAT tools?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A translation management system is a comprehensive software platform that combines CAT tools and machine translation capabilities with project management and business intelligence features.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modern TMS systems are based in the cloud and serve as the central hub for all processes aiming to adapt a product, service, or content to the culture and language of a target market\u2014for which the umbrella term is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/how-important-is-localization-for-your-business\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">localization<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/blog-cta-block_6411ee37524d1\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--blog-cta bg--outline image--orientation-square\">\n\t<div class=\"block-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"subhead\" style=\"text-align: center;\">On-demand webinar<\/p>\n<p class=\"h4\" style=\"text-align: center;\">The benefits of using a translation management system<\/p>\n<p class=\"small\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Learn how a translation management system can help you open the door to global business by automating, managing, and translating all your content into the languages your audiences speak.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn btn--primary\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/resources\/webinars\/translation-management-system-benefits\/\">Watch webinar<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/text-block_f06381ff7baa6c3bd56d9d94a5a448bc\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--text alignfull spacing--default bg--white\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg animate-in\">\n\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-does-a-cat-tool-work\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does a CAT tool work?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools are designed to help linguists do their job more quickly and efficiently\u2014and with the best possible quality. They work by breaking the source text down into smaller segments and storing all the source and translated segments in a database. They also come with a range of capabilities for editing and linguistic quality assurance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working with a computer-assisted translation tool usually involves the following steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The translator inputs text into a CAT program in the source language.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CAT tool extracts the content for translation (source content with images or other non-text elements won\u2019t appear as translatables in the user interface).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The software splits the text into translation units\u2014phrases, sentences, or paragraphs\u2014also known as segments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CAT tool displays the source text field and the translation field side by side\u2014one segment after another.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The translator types translations into the still-empty target segments until the translation job is complete.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a translation segment has been completed, the CAT tool saves the source text and its translation together as a pair in a database called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/translation-memory\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">translation memory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The translator can return to this pair at any time to make changes, and the translation memory will update accordingly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CAT tool will recognize identical or similar source-text segments (matches) and auto-fill the corresponding translations in the target column, drawing from the translation memory.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more content you translate, the more translation matches the CAT tool will be able to reuse in the long run\u2014saving time and resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By maintaining consistency with previous translations, the CAT tool significantly improves the quality of translations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"common-computer-assisted-translation-tools\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common computer-assisted translation tools<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools are similar to text editor programs with added features for translation. There are many CAT products on the market, each with its own unique set of functions. Nonetheless, modern CAT tools usually have some standard functionalities in common.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"translation-memory\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Translation memory<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/translation-memory\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Translation memory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a record of previously created translations, aligned with source texts. You can use the translation memory function to split large multilingual documents into translation segments (phrases, sentences, or paragraphs) stored in a database.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As soon as the translation memory finds identical translation segments (full matches) or similar translation segments (fuzzy matches) in a new translation project, it will let you reuse your previous translations with or without making changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Translation memory saves you time and increases translation consistency by letting you save all previously approved translations and reuse them when translating similar content.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"term-base\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Term base<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/term-base\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Term bases<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, also known as translation glossaries, are databases providing definitions or specific instructions for the use of translated terminology. You can think of it as a dictionary you use alongside the translation memory to look up terms that are relevant to the organization that you translate for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Term bases help you to maintain translation accuracy across multiple projects by enabling consistent usage of common or specialized terminology relevant to your business.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"style-guide\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Style guide<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/blog\/posts\/translation-why-you-should-work-with-a-style-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Translation style guides<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are sets of guidelines that serve as the rulebook for accurately translating your content into each target language\u2014while preserving its original meaning and intent. A translation style guide can help you ensure that your brand&#8217;s unique attributes are conveyed consistently across all languages, cultures, and markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A translation style guide helps you maintain brand consistency across languages by spelling out guidelines to ensure accurate translation of content while keeping its original meaning.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"quality-assurance-features\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quality assurance features<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to the spelling and grammar check tools in text editing software, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/solutions\/translation-quality-assurance\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">translation quality assurance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (QA) capabilities, such as spellcheck, prevent errors from creeping into your translation projects. QA tools can also identify missing text or tags, deviations from approved terminologies, or numeric mismatches.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can start the QA process before sending a project for translation, continue it during translation and editing, and perform final checks even after completing the final translation version.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>With linguistic quality assurance, you can be confident that your translated content is error-free and of the highest possible quality every time.<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/blog-cta-block_2b9f56774391fa8f8ef5b093c17f9941\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--blog-cta alignfull bg--green image--orientation-portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"block-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image image--align-middle\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1700\" height=\"2200\" src=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover.png\" class=\"attachment-original size-original\" alt=\"Localization best practice ebook cover | Phrase\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover.png 1700w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover-791x1024.png 791w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover-1187x1536.png 1187w, https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Localization_Best_Practices_Ebook_Cover-1583x2048.png 1583w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1700px) 100vw, 1700px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"subhead\">Free download<\/p>\n<p class=\"h6\">Best practices for developing effective localization strategies<\/p>\n<p class=\"small\">Explore how to tackle localization management efficiently and engage customers across the globe in their native languages and local experiences.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn--outline\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/resources\/localization-best-practices\/\">Download ebook<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/text-block_9fc0c851b7e2136ceee1834fd97f5ae8\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--text alignfull spacing--default bg--white\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg animate-in\">\n\t\t\t<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"the-benefits-of-cat-tools\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The benefits of CAT tools<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools can handle everything from editing text to performing quality assurance\u2014using indexing tools, applying formal rules or style guides, correcting formatting, and standardizing terminology. With the aid of CAT software, your translation projects can improve in several ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cat-tools-increase-productivity\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools increase productivity<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a CAT tool, you no longer have to copy and paste your translations into a template. Rather than taking precious time out of your day to type, edit, and format content, you can focus only on translating the units that need translation. Your CAT tool will handle the rest and will even generate a clean copy of your original file in the source language once you are done.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cat-tools-foster-consistency\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools foster consistency<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to translation memories and term bases within CAT tools, you can translate multiple texts with the same consistent results every time. Your CAT tool will also get smarter the more you use it, as its translation memories\u2014or database of previously used translation units\u2014will keep on expanding, i.e., there will be fewer words that you will have to translate individually.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cat-tools-are-flexible\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools are flexible<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools are easily adaptable to a variety of professional needs and workflows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of them are compatible with exchange files from other CAT tools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They include integrations and built-in modules that allow you to customize your workflow, so you can tailor the solution to most projects.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can configure customized access rights so that certain users have write permissions while others have read-only access.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools are usually accessible across devices\u2014on the web, desktop, and mobile\u2014so you can use them on your preferred device, in the office, in your cloud, and on the move.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cat-tools-increase-translation-quality\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools increase translation quality<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a CAT tool, you will be able to deliver high-quality translations consistently and effortlessly. If you frequently have to produce texts using technical, financial, or industry-specific jargon, then you know just how important tone and terminology are. By referencing internal or external language databases integrated into a CAT tool, you can pick up these nuances more easily and translate texts more quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cat-tools-save-you-time-and-money\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools save you time and money<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to their matching technology, CAT tools let you work more quickly and efficiently every single time. Your translators and other team members no longer have to go through the trouble of retyping the same translation several times in similar texts.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-are-language-translation-tools-important-for-global-business\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why are language translation tools important for global business?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global expansion is as much about having a product or service that resonates with international audiences as it is about approaching the process strategically. In other words, every move must aim to maximize growth while minimizing risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through automation, customization, and quality assurance, CAT tools can relieve the burden of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/solutions\/translation-management\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">translation management<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when expanding into new markets. Their value lies in speeding up the time to market, reducing opportunity costs, increasing profitability, enhancing scalability, and boosting brand recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5174%;\"><b>Business goals for global expansion<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50.4826%;\"><b>How CAT language tools can help<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5174%;\"><b>Time to market:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The time spent ramping up and entering new markets should not take too long.<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50.4826%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools make the translation process faster by letting you reuse translations from past projects, directly impacting the time to market.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5174%;\"><b>Low cost of opportunity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The potential foregone profit of not entering the global market or of doing it poorly should be minimal to avoid sales loss.<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50.4826%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT tools reduce the effort and cost of translation, allowing you to enter global markets faster with high-quality results.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5174%;\"><b>Profitability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Your global operations should generate more revenue than they cost to run over time.<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50.4826%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revenue is directly related to time and reputation. CAT tools can improve a company\u2019s ability to manage translations more quickly, while maintaining quality, resulting in increased revenue.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5174%;\"><b>Scalability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You should be able to scale your global operations to additional and larger markets without too much difficulty or expense.<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50.4826%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By ensuring quality while speeding up project delivery, CAT tools help you add new markets or product lines more quickly and efficiently, without using too many additional resources.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5174%;\"><b>Brand recognition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Your brand should be recognizable, appreciated, and trusted across cultures and target markets.<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50.4826%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combining translation memories, term bases, and style guides ensures consistent, high-quality translations. This builds trust in your brand and reputation among customers worldwide.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-to-choose-the-best-cat-tool-for-your-needs\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to choose the best CAT tool for your needs<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CAT software market keeps growing. To survive the excess choice and find a CAT tool that best suits your business needs, it\u2019s important to be aware of what matters most to your organization:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Decide on your budget:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> CAT tools come in different price ranges. Your investment might seem high in the beginning, but it will pay off in the time you save and the efficiency you get.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Define your goals and needs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Work out who will use the tool and ask what specific features would benefit them. For example, what file formats do you need the tool to support?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Factor in the learning curve:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An intuitive interface saves users time. Choose a flexible and user-friendly CAT editor with a simple dashboard, clear navigation, knowledge base, and support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Look for integrations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The best CAT tool can integrate with your preferred software tools to seamlessly communicate and exchange data within your digital ecosystem.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Test before committing:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Take advantage of free trials to test the software before committing and get an understanding of how the tool can meet your requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Choose a future-proof CAT tool:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Finally, choose a CAT tool provider that can scale with your growing needs and is open to collaborating with customers to provide updates that may be useful to you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"say-hello-to-a-new-cat-tool-experience\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say hello to a new CAT tool experience<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get all of the above\u2014and more\u2014from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/platform\/tms\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phrase TMS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the enterprise-ready translation management system within the Phrase Localization Platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing companies around the world rely on Phase TMS to reach global markets more quickly by efficiently translating their websites, product documentation, sales presentations, marketing collateral, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Phrase TMS, you get:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fully-featured <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.phrase.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/5709683847964-CAT-Editor-TMS\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CAT editor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with advanced visual editor with real-time previews of translated content<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/support.phrase.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/5709688865692-Translation-Memories-Overview\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Translation memory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to keep you from translating the same work twice<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/support.phrase.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/5709733372188-Term-Bases-Overview\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Term base<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help translators stick to your preferred terminology<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/solutions\/translation-quality-assurance\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">translation quality assurance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to keep translations accurate and consistent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30+ software integrations, from content management systems to marketing automation platforms and source code repositories<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The choice to utilize add-ons for what matters most to your organization:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/platform\/orchestrator\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phrase Orchestrator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for building automated workflows<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/platform\/analytics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phrase Analytics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for creating detailed custom reports<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/platform\/ai\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phrase Language AI<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for leveraging machine translation technology<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The possibility to order <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/solutions\/pro-translation-services\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">professional translation services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in one click and manage them from within a single platform<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robust security features to ensure secure data storage and transmission<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comprehensive technical support and customer service<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A predictable and flexible pricing model<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A free trial period to test the platform before committing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking to speed up your translation process and expand the global reach of your business, Phrase TMS is the optimal solution. Try it out today, and see why it\u2019s the top-ranked translation management system on the market.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"acf\/blog-cta-block_505c52c8505e4c9a8e63d82ba5cc2121\" class=\"pxblock pxblock--blog-cta alignfull bg--green image--orientation-square\">\n\t<div class=\"block-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"h4\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Speak with an expert<\/p>\n<p class=\"small\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Want to learn how our solutions can help you unlock global opportunity? We\u2019d be happy to show you around the Phrase Localization Platform and answer any questions you may have.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn btn--outline\" href=\"https:\/\/phrase.com\/demo\/\">Book a call<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn why growing businesses utilize a computer-assisted translation tool for global expansion, what benefits it offers, and how to select the best CAT tool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"class_list":["post-5864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-translation-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5864"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5864"}],"version-history":[{"count":67,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83336,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5864\/revisions\/83336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phrase.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}