Projetex translation management system

Projetex is the first translation management system for translation agencies.[1] It was developed and released in 2004 by Advanced International Translations. Now it is working solution employed by 800+ translation agencies in 62 countries.[2]

Contents

The necessity of using TMS

For a long time translation project management was considered to be a part of general Project management discipline. But the process of globalization and creation of cross-cultural environment significantly improved the popularity of language services. Translation business became one of the core functions to organize cross-national communication. Language services and their organization acquired specific features, especially because of their great popularity. Nowadays every translation company needs strict project management procedure to:

  1. track jobs received from the clients and performed in-house or subcontracted;
  2. control storage of source documents, translated files, and company's data bases;
  3. eliminate technical mistakes;
  4. support translation work;
  5. educate translators [3]

According to these functions every project manager in translation agency meets a wide range of problems and situations, which needs to be solved. The most common of them are:

This range of problems and should-be-solved tasks is not exhaustive. In addition, there are many tactical and strategic factors, which provide a great impact on translation work, such as time, human resources, technology etc. Translation management systems appeared to provide the main function – to optimize translation project management, to get the content streamlined and to simplify the process. The first specialized translation management software, developed to optimize project management in translation agencies, was Projetex.[1]

History of first TMS development

The first specialized translation management software – Projetex by AIT – was developed in 2004, when its first Version 2005 was released. Translation agencies around the world had desperate attempts to adjust commonly used MS Project and Intuit QuickBooks to their specific needs. To solve this problem, Advanced International Translations decided to create specialized project management software for translation industry.[6]

The first version of Projetex was developed on base of Translation Office 3000 - another - AIT’s translation software. Translation Office 3000, Version 2.0 was released in 2000, and during next 4 years proved to be very important translation management tool for freelance translators and translation agencies.

Projetex was created as solution, which is much more complex and have a lot of additional features:

In general, Projetex provides two-leveled support for translation agencies:

  1. maximum optimization of the primary processes of translation activities (automatic file management, comprehensive and customized accounting, automated file storage, project structuring, itemized filters, automatic expert performance evaluation, minimization of human error;
  2. maximum optimization of the secondary processes of translation activities’ (accounting, selection of staff, expert evaluation, easy administering, marketing records log, complete documenting).[8]

Projetex versions and features

Up to date there are 4 Projetex versions released:

All Projetex versions were created to simplify tasks of corporate and freelance workflow management in translation agencies. Projetex content is designed to enhance work process of the following executives of translation agencies:

In spite of common purpose, every version has its specific features and was developed according to the clients’ needs.[6]

Projetex versions’ features[note 1][6][9][10]
Departments Projetex 2005 Projetex 2006 Projetex Version 7 Projetex Version 8
System Administrators
  • Firebird SQL Relational Database;
  • Easy maintenance: database backups, database updates and database upgrades;
  • Manageable access to every area of database;
  • Easy customization
  • Server Administrator fully supports Windows Vista;
  • New system of counting number of copies running in the network concurrently;
  • Folder for Database Backup may be customized
  • Active Server connections can be displayed in Projetex 7.0 Server Administrator;
  • List of online users can be viewed from Projetex 7.0 Server and in Projetex 7.0 Workstation;
  • Faster database server: Data exchange rate between Server and Workstation has been improved
  • Better compatibility with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows Firewall;
  • Most of corporate setting in Projetex Server Administrator can be configured without shutting down a database;
  • Database can be backed up as ZIP archive to save drive space;
  • Automated backup engine with flexible settings;
  • Support of Virtual Machine Software
General Management
  • Project Profiles are based on Client Jobs Totals, Corporate Jobs Totals and Freelance Jobs Totals – indicator of particular project profitability
  • New global variables added: name of the logged-in user and his position;
  • Additional output formats for all Projetex 2006 documents (Invoices, Payments, POs, etc.) — Microsoft Word (.DOC) and Adobe Acrobat (.PDF)
  • Customizable corporate workflow documents (job assignments, purchase orders, invoices, quotes);
  • Improved file manager;
  • Built-in AnyCount 6.0 text count engine. Numbers in AnyCount notes are now aligned into distinct columns;
  • General Prices for Freelancers: Accessible as reference source for acceptable prices for translation agency's projects
  • 50% increase in speed for databases with large amounts of data working over LAN and 15 times increase in speed – over Internet (FastFire ® Connectivity);
  • Connection through Internet does not require VPN connection;
  • Improved file manager. Revision Control function is implemented;
  • Custom fields for Invoices, JAs and POs are available;
  • Improved users and access management;
  • Improved calendar. It is possible to type date, month and year data in calendars manually;
  • Improved interface
Sales Representatives
  • Profiles of Clients are clearly visible at any moment in time
  • Marketing Tracking notes can contain more information;
  • Customization of Postal Address Format is available
  • Consistency in pricing is maintained through General Prices — Prices relationship;
  • Recording of both prices and quotes;
  • Marketing Notes and Marketing Tracker are available;
  • Custom Fields: ability to add custom fields to Client Profile
  • Local Custom Filter is available for Marketing tracker
Project Managers
  • Profiles of Freelancers and Corporate Experts are clearly visible at any moment in time;
  • Indicator of particular project profitability
  • Improved management of custom reports;
  • Vivid icons of Clients, Experts, and Projects in all Schedules;
  • Convenient jump feature in all Projetex windows from currently selected item;
  • Progress bar for building Schedules for long periods of time;
  • Indicator for jobs beyond the scope of the schedule;
  • Custom Filter for filtering the set of projects and jobs
  • Project and job records can be filtered by various conditions;
  • Quick expert assignment;
  • Custom fields in Jobs and Quotes for even more database customization;
  • Project file management options: automatically creation and maintenance consistent and logical folder structure;
  • Built-in FTP client available directly on Files tab for quick access to Clients and Experts FTP folders
  • Large tables can be split to pages with defined number of rows shown at one time;
  • Discount and taxes are remembered from each client and freelancer;
  • Local Custom Filter is added to schedules;
  • Templates are kept in the central storage;
  • Improved calendar
Human Resources Managers
  • Easy to use: low time & low costs of extra training for Team Members
  • Added Adjustments value (like Expenses in TO3000 V7) in Invoices and POs to correct Total Amount Due
  • Ability to create and continuously enhance shared database of freelance experts;
  • Unlimited number of custom fields for freelance experts database, with various types: Number, Checkbox, String, Text, Date, Time, etc.;
  • Application Tracker and Application Notes enable a user to track progress of particular applicant
  • Job volume is re-counted automatically if volume unit has been changed;
  • New corporate and freelancer jobs can be automatically marked as approved;
  • Projetex Import Utility supports import of clients and freelancers from XML files
Corporate Experts
  • Files and folders are organized in single central place, consistency of their organization is maintained automatically
  • Improved CatCount engine;
  • Upgraded built-in word count instrument AnyCount 5.0
  • Completed jobs management;
  • Time management: Easily see how much time is left for particular job;
  • Done, Due today and Overdue job status: Clearly see which jobs are done, due today and overdue;
  • Work files management: Quickly navigate in the folders of job assignments
  • Integrated file explorer with multiple functions;
  • All files are stored on both server and local computer and exchanged through new file explorer;
  • Built-in Enterprise edition of wordcount engine AnyCount 7.0
Accountants
  • Accounting is possible using multiple currencies, which translate into selected company's Base Currency;
  • All documents (quotes, invoices, POs) can be saved as RTF files using special RTF templates
  • Corporate Expenses and Operating Profit figures are calculated and displayed;
  • Payment Terms for freelancers upgraded;
  • Multiple payment methods are supported
  • Automatic numbering of workflow documents;
  • Flexible system of linking payments with invoices;
  • Account-based management of Projects and Client;
  • Mass action: Quick generation of multiple Invoices, Purchase Orders and Payments;
  • Phantom payment notes can be added
  • New default Custom Reports;
  • Calculate Totals button is replaced by automated summary line always shown at the bottom of the table;
  • Improved Export option

Advanced International Translations conducted the testing of Projetex. As a result AIT team founded that Projetex can provide savings up to 48% in both time and resources. AIT provides Projetex users with free lifetime technical support within 12 or 24 hours via regular emails or via chat system using unique Live Support technology.[8]

See also

Advanced International Translations

Notes

  1. ^ This table shows new features in every Projetex version. Main features are the same in all versions. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b Shake Hands With Microsoft Silver Says the Leading Translations Experts, Translation News
  2. ^ www.projetex.com
  3. ^ a b Project Management – Translation Company, A.Vasyankin
  4. ^ Managing Translation for Global Applications, Don DePalma
  5. ^ Importance of Translation Management
  6. ^ a b c Project Management Software for Translation Agencies
  7. ^ What Is The Difference Between Projetex and The Translation Office 3000?
  8. ^ a b Projetex. A Translation Project Management Tool. Translation Journal, 2010
  9. ^ a b Projetex Project Management Server Full Descriprion
  10. ^ Features of Projetex: Project Managemet Software for Translation Agencies

External links