Poll: Do you make/keep annual reports for yourself of project numbers and types, new clients, etc.? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you make/keep annual reports for yourself of project numbers and types, new clients, etc.?".
View the poll results »
| | | | | Yes (sort of) | Nov 3, 2016 |
At the end of the year, I always add up the total number of words translated (no CAT tools!) from my main source languages (EN, ES, FR and IT) and sometimes by subject.
[Edited at 2016-11-03 09:51 GMT]
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I keep my assignment logs in Excel spreadsheets (each year I open a new workbook). At the end of the year I look at the language combinations, type of work, number of words for each, number of different clients (including new ones), where they come from, how much they pay, how they pay me, etc. I compare this information with previous years.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:22
Spanish to English
+ ...
I've never been good at admin/organising and don't enjoy it. It's bad enough having to do tax returns every quarter and at the end of the year...
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Jack Doughty 
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:22
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
I don't keep the sort of detailed statistical reports described. but my annual letter to my accountant about my tax returns includes an account (more than the accountant actually needs) of what sort of work I did in the year in question and how things are developing. I have all these letters since 1980, giving me a record of what I have done since then.
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I'd have thought you could hold that kind of information in your head.
It's not like each of us is running IBM.
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 22:22
Member (2006)
German to English
The only think I keep a record of is company, amount, paid / not paid, anything else is fiction to me.
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 22:22
Member (2006)
German to English
| Yes, not only that | Nov 3, 2016 |
Chris S wrote:
I'd have thought you could hold that kind of information in your head.
It's not like each of us is running IBM.
What is the point of it, as you cannot rely on the next year being the same - same as when you do the business plan for the bank, it is all presumed and assumed and cannot be guaranteed
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Michael Harris wrote:
What is the point of it, as you cannot rely on the next year being the same - same as when you do the business plan for the bank, it is all presumed and assumed and cannot be guaranteed
Don't get me started on business plans...
Good job I'm busy today!
| | | | Ana Vozone
Local time: 21:22
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
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| No, but I wish I had | Nov 3, 2016 |
made such lists... they would be very useful now, specially when new clients ask for proof / details about work done on specific subjects.
I do have a notebook with several columns where I write (jot) down details about the jobs, but it is really basic and is only meant to remind me of what needs to be billed to clients...
On this notebook, I also write words / expressions that I find interesting, suggestions for translating certain unusual terms, etc... All this is qui... See more made such lists... they would be very useful now, specially when new clients ask for proof / details about work done on specific subjects.
I do have a notebook with several columns where I write (jot) down details about the jobs, but it is really basic and is only meant to remind me of what needs to be billed to clients...
On this notebook, I also write words / expressions that I find interesting, suggestions for translating certain unusual terms, etc... All this is quite disorganized, unfortunately. ▲ Collapse
| | | | inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 22:22
French to German
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What would be the point of this waste of time?
| | | | Kamlesh Dhavale
India
Local time: 01:52
Member (2013)
English to Marathi
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SITE LOCALIZER | Am I the odd one out? | Nov 3, 2016 |
I maintain an Open Office database that includes client names, emails, country, currency, type of work (translation, proofing, editing, subtitling etc), volume of work and rate for each assignment. Been doing that since October 2013. I like doing it and running various reports.
Most of the responses I read are quite the opposite. What gives?
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| To some extent | Nov 3, 2016 |
Something like this:
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I keep my assignment logs in Excel spreadsheets (each year I open a new workbook). At the end of the year I look at the language combinations, type of work, number of words for each, number of different clients (including new ones), where they come from, how much they pay, how they pay me, etc. I compare this information with previous years.
In my annual spreadsheet the columns are assignment date, deadline, client's name, PO, wordcount, language pair, domain, rate, price, invoice due date, income in USD minus fees, payment method. Keeping such logs, I haven't made a deep analysis or visual reports by now as I don't really need them. I can always easily select the cells related to a certain month to see how much I earn, for example. Another great use of it: it helps me to control payments' timelines.
On another sheet of this file I have the list of all my clients I ever had with their PM, language pairs and types of job they gave me, and their contacts. It is really helpful when I need to provide references when bidding for a job.
[Редактировалось 2016-11-03 16:56 GMT]
| | | | SachiM
Canada
Local time: 13:22
Japanese to English
| Just the letters per hour stats | Nov 3, 2016 |
I keep an Excel record while I work of how many letters I translated in how long. This helps me estimate how much time I have left on the project. Past data also helps me to estimate how much time I would need for an offered project to decide whether I can accept it. Doing this since the beginning has helped me to see that I've been getting more work and getting faster each year!
I don't analyze by type or numbers of projects, though, just number of letters and the time it took (the... See more I keep an Excel record while I work of how many letters I translated in how long. This helps me estimate how much time I have left on the project. Past data also helps me to estimate how much time I would need for an offered project to decide whether I can accept it. Doing this since the beginning has helped me to see that I've been getting more work and getting faster each year!
I don't analyze by type or numbers of projects, though, just number of letters and the time it took (the language I translate from is quoted by the letter, not word). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 17:22
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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I have all the statistics, accurate as of 2010, and estimated before that. I update them every month.
Kamlesh Dhavale wrote:
I maintain an Open Office database that includes client names, emails, country, currency, type of work (translation, proofing, editing, subtitling etc), volume of work and rate for each assignment. Been doing that since October 2013. I like doing it and running various reports.
Most of the responses I read are quite the opposite. What gives?
Statistics and the like are a very personal thing. You either like them, and dedicate some time to keep the up-to-date, or you hate them and think they are a waste of time. So, the replies indicate to which group you belong. I find them very useful, and I think they are a great measure of my progress (or decay), and many clients appreciate it when you are well organized and have practically any information they require, including such numbers.
[Edited at 2016-11-03 21:10 GMT]
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