When does terminology really pay?

With the help of interviews and a table calculation it is possible to calculate the costs incurred by a company when there is no terminology management. It is also possible to determine how the benefits of technology can be increased through a combination of personnel and software.

Text by Rachel Herwartz

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When does terminology really pay?

For translators, the answer to the question “Is a translation memory system worth it?” appears to be pretty simple. The return on investment, ROI in short, can be calculated from the rate of reuse and translation volume for the software with which the already existing translations can be reused and specified terminology can be displayed. “Is a terminology management system worth it?”  – this question doesn’t have an easy answer on the other hand. If one also enquires into why a company requires a separate employee for terminology management across the company, the matter becomes even more complex.

Although questions regarding the costs and benefits of terminology work cannot be answered easily, it is still possible to find answers – even in figures. Thus, a company can use a cost-benefit analysis to calculate the position of a  part- or full-time terminologist. And the cost that incurs ...