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Finding it challenging to manage multiple project deadlines? Well, challenge accepted
Using a translation management system (TMS) gives you a variety of tools which enable you to monitor the progress of your projects and ensure that you don’t let your project due dates pass you by.
We’re going to look at some of the translation management hurdles that you may encounter and show you how you can stay on top of deadlines with Memsource, making sure all translators and projects are on track, resulting in happy clients.
Challenge #1: Looming Deadlines
Let’s face it - sometimes clients can have unrealistic expectations. They may demand a huge project within a couple of days, or expect a fast turn-around time on a very complicated request. To manage expectations and set a manageable timeframe, Memsource allows you to set your project deadlines automatically with Due Date Schemes.
Using this feature you can establish various rules, including a quota of words that translators are able to translate hourly/daily, office hours, and non-business days. This information can be used to automatically calculate the due date (and cost) of projects and jobs created through Automated Project Creation or Automation Widgets. What’s more, with the Client Portal feature, which works together with the Automation Widget, your customers can see an overview of their current projects and easily submit new projects. This keeps everyone on the same page, and all parties have a clear understanding of when translations should be expected.
Deadlines may not only be an issue on the buyer side but also on the translator’s side. To ensure translators and suppliers are on track to meet their delivery dates, you can use the Memsource project dashboard. It includes a progress bar where you can monitor the status of your projects in real-time. You can view the overall progress (overview of job statuses and issues across all workflow steps) or individual progress (overview of job statuses and issues in individual workflow steps and language combinations).
The progress bar is color-coded and allows you to quickly assess which projects are falling behind or are already past their due date. Green is good and on track, yellow is nearing the deadline, and if you are seeing red - your project is past due and needs your attention.
Challenge #2: Too many clicks
Have you ever counted the number of clicks it takes for you to set up a new project? What about the time it takes you to download and upload projects? Translation management systems like Memsource let you automate many tedious tasks that would usually slow down your workflow.
If you work on similar projects for the same buyer using the same translators, you don’t have to add each translator for each workflow step everytime you receive a new project. You only have to create a project template. This will dramatically reduce the number of clicks it takes to start a new assignment.
For further automation, you can use integrations to allow you to quickly and effortlessly receive and send content without downloading and uploading the data. Memsource has an extensive range of connectors available so you can connect your content management system (CMS) or online repository and start new translation projects automatically without a hitch.
Challenge #3: Lost in Transition
Translations go through a series of steps before reaching their final form. These workflow steps can include translation, revision, and client review; in Memsource you can set up to 15 different workflow steps. To ensure a smooth, uninterrupted workflow the linguists need to be informed when they can begin working on their part of the project.
To do this manually, you would have to notify each linguist. Once the translator has completed their step, they would have to let the Project Manager (PM) know. The PM then needs to tell the proofreader that the project is ready for revision. This process continues for every workflow step. In this manual process, the PM would have to ready and waiting 24/7 to receive and send multiple confirmation emails. If the email is not sent or seen straight away, it risks slowing your project’s momentum and can result in serious lag time between workflow steps.
In Memsource, when a workflow step is completed, the next person in line can be automatically notified. Whether the workflow step has been completed during working hours or at three o’clock on Christmas morning, you can rest easy knowing that the right person has been notified and everything can stay on track without you having to lift a finger.
Challenge #4: Delayed Updates
If you are checking on the progress of your translation projects, it’s essential to be working with the most up-to-date version. If a linguist has made a last minute change or an update has been made to your term base, you need to know that these changes are reflected in the most current version. Because Memsource is a cloud-based CAT tool, all data is centralized and is automatically updated. There is essentially only one version of the job and any changes to the document happen in real-time. You don’t need to waste your time checking a text that is not current and up-to-date.
You also need to stay up-to-date with your team. If your translator has questions about context or your proofreader has a question about terminology, you need to be able to respond in a timely manner. Rather than sending emails back and forth, cut out the middleman by communicating directly in the platform. With Memsource, you can write comments and have conversations in real-time with your translators and proofreaders. You can respond to questions, request more context, and resolve discrepancies immediately, keeping your project well oiled and running smoothly towards the due date.
Project management challenges can easily be overcome with the right tools. Keep your team happy and your clients satisfied, and let Memsource be your sidekick in defeating your deadlines and eliminating the obstacles that prevent you from meeting your targets.
See how Memsource can help ease the pressure of on-time delivery by requesting a personalized demo or signing up for a free trial today.
