Project administration and coordination

Another important task is identifying the duties of each team member. You will always have a clearly defined contact person who will be in charge of managing your project and solving your problems. For large projects, you will be assigned an experienced project manager who will co-ordinate all the people working on the project, from translators and reviewers to DTP managers and the IT specialists.

The project manager is responsible for preparing the project. The preparation stage ensures that all of the conditions have been met for the project to be completed smoothly. The following are some of the checks we perform:

• The software resources are reviewed, checking which versions are being used and ensuring they are the most suitable for the project (preliminary check phase.)
• The files are prepared. This might include converting or preparing text data in order to facilitate the translation workflow.
• The support materials are prepared (translation memories, alignment of additional texts if required, extraction and translation of terminology).
• A specific work timetable and delivery date are set for the project.

While the project is underway, the project manager is at the hub of communications regarding these and other aspects:

• Ensuring everyone involved in the project gets the information they need.
• Answering queries and solving the translators’ specific problems.
• Supervising compliance with deadlines and checking on each and every step of the project workflow and quality control, right up to delivery.

After delivery, the project manager is responsible for post-processing, which consists of the following tasks:

• Updating the translation memories and storing them correctly.
• Updating the client’s terminology and storing it correctly.
• Evaluating the project and incorporating any specific indications into our database.
• Managing the project documentation with a view to future orders from the same client.