A translation company needs a strict project management procedure to control the storage of source documents, translated files, and company's data bases, eliminate technical mistakes, support translation work, and educate translators. All these issues when solved and managed properly will promote translation quality and reduce the cost of translation.
Document storage
This kind of storage may be provided on one of the company's workstations or on a separate file server. A workstation used as the company's file depository is the cheapest but least efficient option. A workstation may sometimes be turned off when restarting is needed, it may be busy or crash due to software problems. This impedes file storage access for those in-house personnel whose computers still work when the file depository workstation crashes. Also, a virus caught in an e-mail may destroy the work station operation system together with the file depository. Having a file server for file storage purposes is a more expensive but safer and a far more reliable solution. A file server is a normal desk-top computer with very simple software used specifically for file storage purposes. It is less prone to software mistakes or crashes than a workstation, almost never turned off and provides continuous access to the file system for all in-house personnel.
Technical mistakes
Without a well-developed project management procedure, a translation company is prone to technical mistakes. Some of these might have no serious consequences, while others may cost you a client. Possible technical mistakes include sending the same job to different translators and sending the client the wrong file version or the wrong document.
Translation support and translator education
Free-lance translators should be strongly encouraged to work in close communication with the editors and other in-house personnel. Though term search is normally the translator's task, in-house personnel can facilitate this task by using additional information obtained from other documents associated with the same project. Moreover, some teamwork techniques unavailable to individual free-lancers can be effectively used in house (brainstorm, for example).
However, translator-to-editor communication and use of teamwork problem solving techniques in-house should be regulated to eliminate time wasted through excessive and fruitless discussions and correspondence.
Source
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