27 problems translation agencies bring us, each with the cause, what it costs and what we build to fix it.
A translation agency quote waits on file conversion, word counts and rate lookups while clients shop around. We build intake, analysis and quote drafts.
Translation agencies lose hours turning scanned PDFs and locked files into something a CAT tool can read. We build OCR, clean-up checks and a file prep queue.
Translation agency PMs email freelancers one at a time to find someone free for a job. We build matching by pair and specialism, offers and one-click accept.
Translation agencies vet freelancers through emailed CVs, tests and NDAs kept in folders. We build an application flow, test review and a live vendor record.
Translation agencies match freelancer invoices to jobs by hand across currencies and rates. We build PO-based self-billing, checks and payment runs.
Delivered translation jobs sit unbilled because per-word charges, minimums and POs are pieced together by hand. We build invoicing from jobs straight into Xero.
Client glossaries live in emails and spreadsheets, so translators miss approved terms. We build one termbase per client, term approval and QA checks.
Translation agency TMs end up split across freelancers' local files and old projects. We build central TM collection, clean-up and updates after every job.
Agencies deliver files with number, tag and consistency errors when QA is rushed. We build automatic QA per client, an issue queue and a delivery gate.
Certified translation orders for certificates and diplomas bring payments, statements and posting. We build ordering, payment and certificate generation.
Translation agencies find late freelancer deliveries too late, across time zones. We build deadline tracking in each translator's local time and early warnings.
Interpreting bookings at a language agency run on calls, spreadsheets and paper timesheets. We build online booking, offers, timesheets and billing.
Agencies decide case by case which jobs suit MT and post-editing, and pricing drifts. We build content checks, test runs, edit tracking and pricing rules.
Translation agencies juggle client files across email, WeTransfer links and shared drives. We build a client portal for orders, files, versions and delivery.
Clients send whole website exports whenever pages change, and agencies re-handle the lot. We build CMS connectors that send only new and changed content.
Translated text runs longer than the source and breaks InDesign layouts, so DTP becomes a rescue job. We build length checks, previews and a DTP queue.
Revisers correct the same errors job after job because feedback never reaches translators. We build revision capture, error categories and translator feedback.
Splitting a big urgent translation across translators brings clashing terms and styles. We build shared TMs, live term sync and a consistency pass.
Subtitling at a translation agency means transcripts, timing and many file formats handled by hand. We build a subtitling pipeline with checks.
When a client complains about a translation, agencies struggle to trace who did what. We build a job history, version comparison and a corrective actions log.
Agencies email confidential files to freelancers who keep them on personal laptops. We build browser-based access, job-limited permissions and deletion records.
Agencies price per word but rarely see margin per job, client or language pair. We build job costing from your TMS, freelancer POs and PM time.
Public sector framework contracts need monthly language, volume and turnaround reports. We build automatic management information from your job data.
Back translation projects juggle forward, back and reconciled versions in spreadsheets. We build a workflow that keeps each version and comment in step.
On multilingual jobs, translators ask the same source questions separately and the client answers by email. We build a shared query log for all languages.
Clients send a new source version halfway through a job and PMs rework it by hand. We build version comparison, change quotes and updates to live tasks.
Client in-country reviewers take weeks and mix real errors with preference. We build a review portal, change categories and a deadline with reminders.