We clean your CAT translation memories
for optimized translation results
Translation memories (TM) for computer assisted-translation (CAT) tools have become an indispensable part of professional translation processes. They provide consistent translations, reduce costs, and accelerate the entire workflow. A CAT translation memory stores segments, such as sentences or paragraphs, from previous translations. In future projects, identical or similar text passages can be automatically recognized and efficiently reused.
Over time, however, large amounts of language data are accumulated in a CAT translation memory. If it is not regularly maintained, this can seriously affect the quality and efficiency of future translations. Unstructured or outdated entries can turn what originally was a helpful system into a potential source of errors. The entries in the CAT translation memory can become confusing, leading to inappropriate translation suggestions.
This is exactly where our language data cleaning service comes in. With our AI-powered solution, your TM can work accurately again and deliver consistent results, ensuring that you continue to benefit from the advantages of a well-maintained CAT translation memory.
Why language data cleaning is essential
Ensuring quality and consistency in translation memories
CAT translation memories can only achieve their full potential if they are regularly maintained and well structured. However, even when carefully maintained, inconsistencies can creep into the database over time, which affects the quality of the translation results.
Typical problems in CAT translation memories include:
- inconsistent or incorrect segmentation,
- duplicate entries,
- incorrect punctuation,
- number transposition or numerical errors,
- multiple 100% matches with different translations,
- outdated or inconsistent terminology.
These discrepancies not only negatively impact the consistency and efficacy of the translation process, but also increase the risk of poor quality. Targeted language data cleaning can identify, analyze, and systematically correct these errors, ensuring that your CAT translation memory remains a reliable and powerful tool for your translation projects.
Our process is structured, scalable, and efficient
Three steps to a clean CAT translation memory
Our AI-powered language data cleaning follows a clearly structured, yet flexible three-step model. This ensures that your CAT translation memory remains accurate, consistent, and powerful – regardless of the size or age of the database.
In the first step, we systematically analyze the existing CAT translation memory. The data is automatically searched and filtered for inconsistencies.
The identified discrepancies are then classified into content-related and structural categories. These may include:
- incorrect or inconsistent punctuation,
- grammatical and spelling errors,
- potential mistranslations,
- numerical errors (e.g., in dosage information or item numbers).
Additional categories can be added as required to meet your specific CAT translation memory requirements.
The third step involves the actual cleanup of the TM. The inconsistent segments are either:
- automatically deleted,
- checked and corrected by qualified specialist translators, or
- saved to a secondary CAT translation memory, which is progressively revised during future translation projects, and then reintegrated into the main TM.
This modular approach means the service can be flexibly adapted to your project structure – guaranteeing the long-term optimization of your language data.
Flexible data management options that are individually tailored to your requirements
Three ways to a clean and powerful translation memory
Thanks to our proprietary language data cleaning solution, we can offer you tailor-made options for specifically removing incorrect or inconsistent entries from your CAT translation memory (TM). Data does not necessarily have to be deleted – depending on the objective and quality requirements, different strategies are available. We will determine which option makes the most sense for you based on a thorough analysis of your TM data.
During this process, erroneous or redundant segments are completely removed from the CAT translation memory after the automated analysis.
Advantage: The quality of the remaining data increases immediately – and your TM is “cleaned” and free of problematic content.
Disadvantage: The database becomes smaller because all the affected segments have been removed.
Problematic or incorrect segments are verified and corrected by experienced specialist translators. This ensures that the content of the TM remains correct and complete.
Advantage: The quality of the CAT translation memory is improved without loss of valuable content.
Disadvantage: This approach is more time-consuming and costly because the review is carried out by human language experts.
Incorrect segments are transferred to a separate, secondary TM (“Error-TM”). This is actively used during the live translation process with a maximum match rate of 80%. Translators revise the segments one at a time, and after they are corrected they are incorporated back into the main TM.
Advantage: Low initial costs.
Disadvantage: The entire cleaning process takes place gradually over a longer period of time.
Our services are tailored to your requirements
Language data cleaning for a managed database
Our AI-powered solution is suitable for CAT translation memories of any size. We consistently focus on quality rather than quantity: The focus is on a structured, error-free database – for better translation quality, greater clarity, and more efficient processes. We clean your TM and can provide tailored advice on the appropriate data management options.
Our service comprises:
- AI-based analysis of your TM
- Assessment of the cleaning required
- Three options for cleaning depending on your needs and individual requirements
- Advice on future TM maintenance
FAQs
A translation memory (TM) is a technology based on a language database that stores previously translated sentences, paragraphs, or text segments. When new content is translated, the CAT translation memory automatically recognizes identical or similar segments and suggests the appropriate translation.
This reuse of existing content increases consistency in terminology, improves the quality of translations, and at the same time saves time and costs. CAT translation memories therefore represent a central element of efficient translation processes – especially in professional environments.
Terminology management refers to the systematic recording, maintenance, and administration of subject-specific terms and their translations. The aim is to ensure the uniform and consistent use of terminology in all translations.
Effective terminology management prevents misunderstandings, increases translation quality, and supports efficiency through the use of clearly defined technical terms that are available to all translators and automated systems. It is an important component of professional language services, especially in specialized industries such as medicine and pharmaceuticals.
TM management refers to the administration and maintenance of CAT translation memories (TM), i.e., databases containing previously translated text segments that are used to ensure consistent and efficient translations.
Terminology management, on the other hand, focuses on the maintenance and standardization of subject-specific terms and their correct use in translations.
While TM management primarily controls the reuse of complete sentences and paragraphs, terminology management ensures linguistic consistency at term level. Both are essential components of a professional translation process.
Errors and discrepancies often arise when different types of text, such as website texts, product texts, and instructions for use, are stored in the same CAT translation memory. Inconsistencies can also occur when different wording is used for different products or when changes are later made to texts without adapting the existing content.
AI helps to analyze and evaluate data efficiently and cost-effectively. In principle, you can also manage your TM without AI help – but experience has shown that the costs are often more difficult to quantify and therefore manual cleaning is not requested as often.
Yes, we only use AI models hosted in EU data centers. Thus, the data is not shared or used to improve AI models.
