| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Switching from LSP to freelance work Thread poster: Momox2017
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Hi everbody,
Thanks a lot for your input. What I'm unclear about is whether we should hire an in-house translations manager or not.
Nina Esser wrote:
Just to say that I agree with John. I just got the impression that the decision of hiring a dedicated PM has already been made. If not, I would not recommend hiring someone...
Currently, everybody from all departments is sending uncoordinated requests to the LSP, which are not checked. This causes massive problems. If we have an experienced dedicated translation manager, the source files could be prepared properly and the process streamlined, thereby increasing quality and also saving internal time and cost (right now, because the source files are not prepared properly, we have to go through several rounds of translation and re-translation and in-house editing). What do you think? When I say small, I mean about 300 people, so there are a lot of poorly prepared requests from basically everybody without any understanding of what a translator might need (the departments are simply lacking the time to prepare translations), but the expectation that everthing runs smoothly.
Secondly, if we do stick to the LSP option, would you still recommend to get our own CAT tool? I suppose it will be necessary in the long run to keep control of our content. Even now I am wondering if we are losing control: we often edit the translations in-house, but not in a CAT tool - so none of the changes are reflected in the TM. This worries me, but I am guessing it should somehow be possible to align the content eventually.
[Edited at 2017-05-02 05:44 GMT]
[Edited at 2017-05-02 05:45 GMT]
| | | | Nina Esser
Germany
Local time: 04:53
English to German
| Depends on volume | May 2, 2017 |
Whether or not an in-house PM makes sense depends on the number of projects you have IMO. Will s/he be busy all day, even in the long run? I imagine that at the beginning, s/he will be busy getting to know the requirements of each department, defining processes, etc., but once everything runs smoothly (hopefully), will there still be enough to do every day? If not, I would provide training to one of the LSP's PMs, if they agree. Perhaps they could work on your premises for a few weeks to get to ... See more Whether or not an in-house PM makes sense depends on the number of projects you have IMO. Will s/he be busy all day, even in the long run? I imagine that at the beginning, s/he will be busy getting to know the requirements of each department, defining processes, etc., but once everything runs smoothly (hopefully), will there still be enough to do every day? If not, I would provide training to one of the LSP's PMs, if they agree. Perhaps they could work on your premises for a few weeks to get to know your processes and talk to people in person.
As regards the CAT tool, can you not send the final version of a text back to the LSP for them to amend their TM accordingly? You will need in-house resources to do the alignment and if you then don't share the aligned content with the LSP, quality won't improve.
I think it would be best to talk to your LSP, explain all the issues you have described here and try to find a solution with them before you hire anybody. I would think that any LSP serious about your collaboration will be happy to help.
[Edited at 2017-05-02 14:14 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Stick with your LSP | May 2, 2017 |
I'm with the posters who say the rate of €0.25 is not particularly excessive for the work involved. You might save €0.05 to €0.10 off the cost of raw translation by switching to freelancers, but once you add in the cost of checking, editing, project management, DTP, etc. you'll be right back to square one.
My advice: LSPs spend a lot of time and money every year trying to drum up new business. They are extremely loath to lose existing business and will do almost anything to ke... See more I'm with the posters who say the rate of €0.25 is not particularly excessive for the work involved. You might save €0.05 to €0.10 off the cost of raw translation by switching to freelancers, but once you add in the cost of checking, editing, project management, DTP, etc. you'll be right back to square one.
My advice: LSPs spend a lot of time and money every year trying to drum up new business. They are extremely loath to lose existing business and will do almost anything to keep you as a client.
So approach them first. Not in a combative spirit of "Make us happy or you'll lose us," of course. But state what you're unhappy with and ask for honest, practical suggestions on how to make things better. They might be able to tell you how other clients have handled similar situations or point you to where to get help. If you decide to get a CAT tool, they can advise you on the best one to get. And so on, and so forth. Give them a call and let us know how it turns out. ▲ Collapse
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