Running a translation project efficiently is not easy. There are many aspects that Project Managers need to take into account to ensure that clients are satisfied and that they choose their translation agency over and over again. Each project should be well understood right from the beginning in order to anticipate potential risks or problems that could lead to unnecessary delays in the turnaround time.

What aspects should Project Managers take into consideration?

Successful translation projects are result not only of the ability and expertise of language professionals but also of a variety of factors that Project Managers need to handle.

In order to manage clients effectively, translation agencies need to pay attention to certain aspects that contribute to a positive relationship with clients.

Know your client

Why does your client need that document translated?

Has he hired a translation agency or professional translator before? If he has, was he satisfied with the results?

Before starting working on a translation, Project Managers need to do a careful research of their client’s requests as this will allow them to think of all the necessary professionals that will be involved in the project (translators, proofreader, DTP specialists, etc). Quote should never be sent before seeing the files that will be translated or knowing full details of the project.

Project Managers should educate their clients.  Sometimes they have unreal expectations for their translation:  they might want it delivered sooner than what is possible, ask for a translation to be delivered with identical format without having the source documents, etc . Project Managers should also request the final text that needs to be translated. If clients provide edited versions once the translation has been assigned, this will cause unnecessary delays and changes in the original price.

The client’s expectations need to be documented and confirmed in writing, and everybody involved in the project should be well aware of them. Project Managers need to monitor the translation project constantly and make sure that everybody is on the same page.

Clients also need to be informed about the translation process and how the workflow is managed. This is essential in order to guarantee the highest quality and an on-time delivery.

Managing the Client Review Process

Once the document is translated, your client might ask someone from his company to check it.

Define who will be resposible for this: What are their qualifications? Are they specialist in the subject matter or just someone who speaks the target language? A timeline should be set, otherwise you could get a review request several months after completing a project.   Last but not least, your client should clearly track changes, ideally in Word or in PDF.

What May Compromise an Effective Client Management?

Client management can be seriously compromised if any or some of these situations occur:

• The information available is not enough: Either because the client is not clear about his expectations or because he doesn’t provide enough information about the project or because the Project Manager does not communicate fluently with the translator. The lack of information ends up affecting the way the project is managed.
• Changing scope and deadlines:  Adding or removing text from a document or delaying the turnaround time of a translation contributes to compromising the client management.
• Third parties: From editors to designers, third parties participating directly or indirectly in the translation project may cause unexpected delays in the turnaround time of the translated document.
• Lack of leadership from the client or the Project Manager.
• Lack of motivation or negative attitude from the Project Manager.

Managing clients effectively is not impossible. Translation agencies should make sure their Project Managers have the right skills and training so that they can complete a project on time, on budget, and with high quality results.