Over the years, digitalization and other advances in technology have paved the way for a much smaller and more closely connected world. People from distant countries can now communicate more easily with each other, whether for personal, business or diplomatic purposes. The language barrier is one of the few remaining factors that hinder a perfectly seamless interaction. This, however, can easily be solved with the help of proper translation project management.
What Is Translation Project Management?
Translation has now become quite a common process that is vital in bridging the gap across different languages. There are hundreds of languages that exist in the world and most people can speak or understand an average of perhaps just two or three. But thanks to translators, we get to communicate with other people who speak a different language from the ones we know.
However, translation is not always a simple process. The skill of the translator is a huge factor but there are many other things involved in order to produce a successful translation. A typical translation project requires several people and needs to be broken down into separate components. There has to be someone that oversees all the processes and makes sure that everything is going smoothly. Moreover, this person must have a solid knowledge of the peculiarities of different types of translation projects. This is where translation project management comes in.
Tasks Involved in Effective Translation Project Management
The person who is in charge of a translation project is not really directly involved in the actual job of translating. But they play a crucial role in the overall process from start to finish.
Adhering to the Timeline
As the manager, their primary role is to ensure that the project goes smoothly and according to the timeline. This means they have to monitor each segment of the project and see to it that each deadline is met. This can be tricky especially since translation projects are global and must adhere to deadlines in different time zones.
Assembling a Translation Team
Translation project management also covers the task of putting together a team of competent translators, editors and proofreaders. In selecting these professionals, strict criteria must be followed. In addition to the language skills, the backgrounds and industry know-how of each person must also be considered.
Coordinating between Client and Translation Team
One of the important functions of the project manager is to be the point person between the client and the team. In case there are modifications needed, or if the client gives feedback that needs to be acted on, the manager will be the one to give the instructions to the team. This system can eliminate a lot of confusion, which usually arises when several different people are communicating with each other.
Verifying the Quality of the Output
Before submitting the translated output to the client, it is the manager’s duty to make sure that it meets the standards and specifications agreed upon. They need to verify with the editors and proofreaders that the quality is there. Although they are not language experts themselves, they will be accountable for the success or failure of the translation project.
Benefits of Professional Translation Project Management
We have just discussed the important roles of the manager of a translation project. However, there are still a lot of translation companies that choose not to have a specific manager for their projects. The most common reasoning behind this is that they believe their staff can handle all the tasks anyway and hiring a manager would be just an additional expense.
For a very small translation project, like a single-page document, then maybe one or two persons can handle it all. But in general, there are really a lot of benefits that you can gain if your translation project is handled by a professional manager.
Savings in Time and Money
Hiring a management service costs money. But in the long run, it will actually result in considerable savings not just financially but also in terms of time. With the help of a project manager, the translation will be finished faster and with no costly errors or delays.
High Quality Output
An experienced project manager knows the ins and outs of handling a translation project and will surely be able to give you excellent results. Furthermore, if they work with a competent team that is highly skilled and uses the most advanced translation software available, then you are guaranteed the best output.
Wider Global Reach
If you are in need of translation services, then you are likely hoping to expand your market by reaching out to global clients. This is certainly something that you can achieve through translation. Through this relatively simple process, you are making your services and products more accessible to potential customers from around the world. And with really good project management, there is nothing that could stop you from conquering the international market.
Choosing the Right Translation Service
In choosing a company to do any of your translation work, it is very important to pick one that uses an effective management system. This way, your project can be completed not only with a high quality translation but also perfectly within your time and budget constraints.
Here at Circle Translations, we always appoint a dedicated project manager for all the translation tasks that we accept. Our managers are very hands-on, from the start of the project until it is completed. They will ensure that all your translation and localization needs and requirements are met beyond your expectations.
If you are interested in getting the best translation service with top-notch translation project management, just get in touch with us so we can discuss how we can help you with your needs.
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