The current situation

A typical day in a localization/translation center/company involves:

1. Managing N projects per day
2. Creating N invoices per day
3. Dealing with N CV’s received per day
4. Generating N purchase orders to suppliers per day

Typically, back office systems consist of a suite of databases (very often MS Access, even in large organizations) that are usually not integrated, complemented with MS Excel spreadsheets (somehow connected to databases to maintain all financial calculations), MS Project (giving an idea of who is doing what for which deadline), and various Word documents, full of macros, for communicating with suppliers and clients. On top of this there is an MS Outlook email system, all which finishes up in a separate invoicing/financial system.

1. Databases - there may be up to seven databases covering Clients, Suppliers, Projects, Proposals, Translation Tools, Price Lists and Financial Documents (Invoices, Credit Notes, Debit Notes and Receipts). These databases may more or less communicate with one another. Lack of consistency and overlaps usually generates considerable expenditure of engineering and management time, not only in maintaining and administrating the databases, but also in new developments for the daily work load.
2. Spreadsheets - some reports, particularly financial calculations, are difficult to handle in databases and sometimes import/export macros are developed to paste data from databases to spreadsheets, do the calculations and then re-import the results back into the databases. For instance, Purchase Orders are often made in spreadsheets, mainly because of the fuzzy calculations, and after that they are connected in an ad hoc way with the projects themselves.
3. MS Project - used primarily to maintain a schedule of Projects, Suppliers, delay control, and possibly importing data from databases and spreadsheets.
4. Word documents - macros for sending QA documents to suppliers and clients, faxes and other documentation (CVs, etc) used in back offices.
5. MS Outlook - used as an email program unconnected with other applications; documents when needed are attached manually, because it is usually too time consuming and expensive to develop these connections in-house.

As a result

Even if the localization business is usually stressful, the lack of integrated management solutions generates piles on more stress:

• There is usually no time/resources for new developments (not the company’s core business),
• Time spent on administrative tasks is stress-making and costly, demanding new resources,
• Unnecessarily high percentage of errors due to multiple data sources,
• It is often impossible to give information to clients, suppliers and management when required, and last but not the least,
• Nobody is happy with such an inefficient, messy system.

There is therefore an obvious need for an integrated management system that avoids these pitfalls, But any new solution means looking carefully at requirements at different levels:

Management requirements on the client side

There are different types of software developer structures in the localization industry, and their related management models are either based on strategic decisions or result from random growth.

There seem to be two basic models:

The centralized approach

The developer has A single localization center that is responsible for managing the internationalization and localization of the software, with a number of production sites.

Any pre- and post-processing work is managed by the in-house localization center, and shipped to localization vendors for localization into multiple languages. Localization vendors distribute the work to satellite in-country offices and return the finished product to the localization center, possibly with final or intermediate in-country reviews, organized by the software developer’s own localization center.

The distributed approach

Some software development companies leave localization responsibility to their branches in the countries where the localized software will be sold. This approach gives the in-country offices much more decision-making power in terms of the final localized product, and each of the offices makes its own decision about which vendor should be used. They negotiate the price of localization directly with the vendor for the language combination in question.

Mixed approaches

There is naturally a broad range of variants of the above two models, each tailored to a different client-vendor environment. But for this article, we shall build on the two basic models.

Management requirements on the vendor side

Localization vendors have complex management requirements depending on whether they are MLVs (Multilingual vendors) with macro-management requirements, or SLVs (Single language vendors) with micro-management requirements.

MLVs

The fairly straightforward MLV macro-management structure consists of:

1. obtaining orders from clients
2. preparing quotes
3. obtaining quotes from SLVs
4. allocating multilingual localization projects to carefully selected SLVs
5. preparing and updating purchase orders for SLVs
6. keeping track of work in progress
7. liaising between clients and SLVs
8. carrying out QA and final work on projects delivered back to them by SLVs
9. invoicing clients

SLVs

SLVs are responsible for localizing into the language prevalent in the country from which they work. They manage various projects from different MLVs As well as for direct clients, and they typically allocate work to in-house staff and freelancers. The SLV micromanagement structure therefore involves:

1. obtaining orders from clients
2. preparing quotes
3. obtaining quotes from freelancers
4. allocating jobs requiring a variety of skills to carefully selected individuals
5. preparing and updating purchase orders for freelancers
6. keeping track of work in progress
7. liaising between clients and SLVs
8. carrying out QA and final work on jobs returned by in-house staff and freelancers
9. invoicing MLVs and direct clients

A software product that fulfills the organizational requirements of the four above-mentioned types of application, both in client and vendor environments, needs to be highly flexible and adaptable.

Mixed MLV+SLV environments

There are of course localization vendors who are located in one or more countries and offer a number of language combinations without trying to provide exhaustive multilingual solutions. These may be appropriate suppliers for smaller type software developers - let’s call them “MSLVs”). For the purpose of this article we shall only examine MLV and SLV environments.

Management solutions

One solution that addresses all management requirements (and their variants) described above is LTC Organiser, a product developed by the Language Technology Centre in London, UK. It presents a fully integrated management solution, consisting of a client management module, a supplier management module, a quotation module, an efficient project management environment, a scheduler, a tool management module, a basic finance module for invoice and purchase order management, a reporting tool to generate statistics from any combination of data in the database, directory management to support version management, security and multi currency management.

In addition, instead of working with email and ftp, web plug-ins were built which allow controlled, fast and secure access to the database.

The two obvious groups of users of a management system who need browser-driven access are clients and vendors. The system enables them to ensure secure client and vendor registration, login and update, as well as file upload and download facilities, and also to send comments. Vendors also need to be able to view tasks, submit progress reports, submit availability information, and send comments. Clients need to be able to submit a service request and view project progress.

The advantage of such web plug-ins lies in the security achieved when transferring information, the possibility of directly feeding the management system, and advanced features such as controlling the amount of information supplied in a step-by-step procedure. For instance, if a client requests a quote informally by email, they may forget to mention deadlines or language combination. A web form takes them from page to page, progressively requesting ALL necessary information. This information is then automatically saved in a quotation module which automatically selects a price list allocated to that client as default. If the client has defined the workload, this information is carried over to the project management level automatically upon acceptance of the quote. The workload information is reused to generate invoices and purchase orders and displayed in reports. There can be no errors due to incorrectly duplicating entries.

The product integrates all management requirements mentioned above, both on the client and the vendor side, no matter which management approach is preferred or used.

This brief overview of management requirements shows that the steps required in the client and vendor localization management process are basically the same, although they may vary considerably in complexity. This means that a single management tool can solve all issues found in any localization environment.

In other words, a single off-the shelf product can satisfy all the needs of all parties involved in the internationalization/localization process chain. It provides fully integrated modules, avoids the risk of multiple manual data entry, and saves considerable cost and time. We shall now describe potential applications in different management environments.

The centralized client environment

The localization center in company X needs a networkable local management environment which enables the localization center to manage:

• all products to be internationalized/localized
• localization vendors (MLVs, multiple SLVs or freelancers or various combinations depending on the size of the company)
• projects in their various stages, including efficient project scheduling and tracking
• basic finance management, in terms of the cost of an internationalized / localized product to the company, including, if necessary the management costs arising within the localization center
• basic finance management in terms of payments due to external vendors
• reporting requirements.

The client web-form enables development departments and satellite development sites to upload files/products for internationalization/localization to the localization center, including precise specifications of services required. This information is stored in the central LTC Organiser database and can be viewed via the quotation module. If the localization center operates as a profit center, it can send a cost estimate to the development site concerned.

As soon as the project goes live, a project structure is generated automatically in the project management (PM) environment. The project manager(s) then allocate all necessary resources to the project by selecting them from a supplier module which manages any kind of supplier, including employees. The supplier module is fully integrated with the PM environment and supports informed decision making by offering detailed information, search and sort criteria for every individual/subcontractor. Change management is facilitated via the scheduler, which allows schedules to be adjusted and times changed using drag and drop facilities in a graphical environment. Although a sophisticated web flow module is not available, the scheduler clearly shows dependencies between tasks, and any changes in interdependent tasks can be made quickly and efficiently.

This approach was selected because sophisticated workflow tools create their own problems, and this was to be avoided - for pragmatic reasons.

Once the resources are allocated, vendors can download their files via the vendor web-form. A file management facility ensures that files are fetched from and delivered to designated directories. Purchase orders are generated automatically, using the workload and fee information stored in the system. If the localization center is run as a profit center, invoices are generated automatically, taking advantage of the default client price list or any price list that has been manually selected, or any other manual adjustments that may be necessary in a particular case, together with the workload information supplied by the client and/or defined by the manager in charge at the localization center, and any agreed deadlines.

The distributed client environment

In this management environment, each sales office in each country requires a separate database with at least the following capabilities:

1. A networkable local management environment for the sales office to manage
   • The products to be localized
   • localization vendors (SLVs or freelancers or a combination)
   • projects in their various stages, including efficient project scheduling and tracking
   • basic finance management in terms of cost of internationalized / localized product to the company, including, if necessary, the management costs arising within the sales office
   • basic finance management in terms of payments due to external vendors
   • reporting requirements.

The client web-form enables development departments and development sites to upload files/products for internationalization/localization to the sales office, and the vendor web-form can be used for secure and fast file upload and download and exchange of relevant information between the sales office and their SLVs and/or freelancers.

MLV macro-management solutions

MLVs require a fairly simple management solution, since detailed management requirements do not feature at this level:

1. A networkable local management environment to manage
   • products developed by large developers
   • SLVs
   • Project start and delivery dates
   • basic finance management, automatic invoice creation
   • basic finance management: automatic purchase order generation for SLVs
   • reporting requirements.

If the MLV operates from more than one site, they might wish to share the same database to give all relevant managers access to the above mentioned information shareable across sites. In this case they would use the LTC Organiser web database rather than the LAN solution.

MLVs also benefit from the client and vendor web forms to enable clients/vendors to upload files/products for internationalization/localization from/to the MLV, to submit quotation requests, to view project progress information (clients) or to view current and future tasks and submit a progress report (vendors).

SLV micro-management solutions

Solutions for SLVs or SLV-like vendor companies need to be able to handle very complex micro-management requirements, including:

• products to be localized
• localization vendors (a mix of subcontractors and freelancers)
• projects in their various stages, including efficient project scheduling and tracking
• basic finance management in terms of cost of internationalized / localized product to the company, including, if necessary, the management costs arising within the SLV
• basic finance management in terms of payments due to external vendors
• change management
• reporting requirements.

SLVs would also benefit from web plug-ins on the client and supplier side to enable them to upload/download files/products for internationalization/localization from/to the clients and vendors and for the exchange of relevant information between each party involved in the process.

We have seen that many of the processes involved in internationalization/localization require similar management strategies with many common features. This means that one tool, fine-tunable to specific environments, can solve most of the time-consuming and costly issues in a highly practical and affordable manner.

Although LTC Organiser does not claim to offer the all-encompassing solution for enterprise wide communications, you can certainly manage authors as well as plug in content management and finance management systems or translation memories. The system automates the most time-consuming tasks, while users can decide what other processes can be effectively plugged in for higher productivity. And a modular structure allows any organization from the smallest SLV to the largest MLV or localization center to benefit from its various features.

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Adriane Rinsche is employed full-time at The Language Technology Centre Ltd as Managing Director. She has overall responsibility for the company, financial planning, organisational tasks, choice of tools, and workflow control. Dr. Rinsche has more than 10 years experience in the translation, localization and language engineering industries and has a Ph D in Computational Linguistics from Bonn University, Germany. She founded LTC in 1992, and has worked as a language engineering consultant for multinational companies, European institutions and internaional organisations. She was appointed evaluator and project reviewer for several Calls for Proposals of DG XIII of the European Commission.

LTC Organiser has been developed and is marketed by the Language Technology Centre Ltd, 5-7 Kingston Hill, Kingston, Surrey KT2 7PW, United Kingdom. More information is available via the LTC website under www.langtech.co.uk, by email: info@langtech.co.uk, or by telephone on +44 20 8549 6267.