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Focus on Translation Project Management

Translation project management involves organizing, analyzing, planning and securing the right resources to successfully complete and deliver a translation project.

Focus on Project Management is an event organized by ELIA, which, due to COVID, was organized very differently this year: a training program of 3 hours of audiovisual content per day, twice a week, during an intense month.

Milena, Operations Manager, Candela, PM Supervisor, and Cruz, Vendor Liaison, represented Latamways during this unique event for the second time in a row. Events like these are a great source of information for the latest tools, trends and best practices, all key resources to meet the needs of our customers and help them achieve their goals efficiently while maintaining the human quality that characterizes our team.

Training = Evolution

The program includes presentations by experts on technology, community management, file engineering, remote work, virtual team management and productivity.

By participating in these conferences, we get to know other people in our industry, hear about the latest trends, and engage in high-level debates about the translation industry with peers from around the globe.

At Latamways, we believe in continuous learning and training to ignite curiosity and inspire action. These actions result in improvements that impact staff productivity, project management and the overall quality of the service we provide.

This focused training on project management gives our team the possibility to polish their skills for better results by implementing innovative, more efficient and more productive processes.

Because we value our clients’ trust and because we understand that we are a strategic partner for them, Latamways invests heavily in training of our entire team to boost performance and therefore positively impact the quality of the service we offer.

Translation Editing & Proofreading

In this post, we will address translation, editing and proofreading, and its importance in Latamways’ standard workflows.

There can be as many workflows as necessary and the choice of one over another will depend on many factors. At Latamways, we like to work closely with our clients and suggest the ideal process for each project so that we not only meet their language needs but also their expectations.

The editing and proofreading steps in a translation project are key to ensuring high quality work. Apart from being part of our translation workflows, we also offer editing and proofreading as a separate service for those in need after they had a bad experience with another company.

What Is Editing & Proofreading?

Once a document has been translated, our linguists start the editing step. The main objective of this task is to compare the original document with the translated version to find distortions, omissions, typos, grammar mistakes, terminology inconsistencies, among others. We ensure that our work not only complies with our customer’s instructions but that the quality is good.

Once this step is completed, a different linguist or subject matter expert performs the proofreading step.  We work with the translated document only and the focus is on fluency of the text.  Format is also checked during this step as well as any special requirements indicated by the client.

The Importance of Editing & Proofreading

The editing and proofreading process is important to ensure that the translation is accurate and that it flows naturally in the target language.

Regardless of the preference of our clients who often want “translation only”, we always proofread translations.  This is a way to ensure that the service we provide is high quality and that the customer is always happy with our work.

At Latamways, the editing & proofreading steps are part of our standard processes to guarantee the expected quality of our service.

Powered by top talent and technology, we are a flexible, reliable and valued strategic partner that you can rely on for your entire project.

Latamways and the Effects of the Pandemic

Undoubtedly, this pandemic will influence different aspects of our lives. I’m sure we’ll analyze the changes brought by the pandemic at some point. But today, as Operations Manager at Latamways, I want to reflect on these five months of the pandemic.

Rethinking the changes we had to make to navigate this global crisis is key to ongoing assessment. Many times, we act based on clear intentions and following a plan. Others, we make decisions as we go to provide fast and effective solutions to last-minute customer requests.

During these five months, some of the decisions we made will need further assessment to decide whether they will be permanent or not. Three fundamental pillars in our company, communication, organization and leadership suffered the most significant changes.

The “New Normal” in a Virtual Environment

Latamways used to operate 100% on-site and remote work was exceptional.
We were used to in-person spontaneous meetings, solving issues on the spot, and planned meetings to modify or create new processes.

Now, communication has become structured, programmed and timed.

Depending on the area, meetings are weekly or monthly, they need to follow an agenda and have clear goals as well as action items.

The language industry is used to technology, applications and remote work environments, but managing successful interoperability communications is a major challenge that needs planning.

From On-site to Virtual

Successful communications call for reorganization.
It is of essence that the message goes through, that instructions and objectives are clear, and that there is a specific action plan.

In face of the new reality, we created a remote work manual with the necessary procedures for workflow not to be affected.

We had to be flexible and restructure some of the areas in our company, especially Human Resources. We expanded the scope of the Vendor Liaison position so that it works better with the Vendor Manager, resulting in greater interaction and a designated point of contact for the other departments in the company which whom they communicate.

This “controlled communication” that is applied across the company allows us to identify areas for improvement and act accordingly.

Latamways After the Pandemic

Even though we continue to operate following the objectives and processes in place, trusting our employees was vital to supporting them into the transition of virtual working.
In a face-to-face environment it is always easier for leaders to detect situations that happen in situ that would need addressing, fixing or rethinking.

In the virtual world, we have to rely on different control tools such as reports, management system statistics and emails, among others.

We rely more on the talent and judgment of our team based on processes and experience. This has allowed them to show their full potential and has made it clear to us that our customers continue to choose us for the level of service that we offer.

How has the “new normal” impacted your company or work life? What kind of changes did you need to make? It’s time to stop and think so that “we don’t let a good crisis go to waste“.

The Role of Machine Translation in Communications

Google’s translation service, as well as other free machine translation services, is a very useful tool for many. However, for business purposes, it should not be your go-to resource since its quality output is unreliable. Machine translation is an area of linguistics that works with software to translate different texts.

Companies that translate their multilingual content using a professional machine translation service with post-editing and localization will always stay ahead of the competition because they understand the importance of the message and its recipient. Machine translation technology is probably one of the most important communication developments of the 21st century. Latamways is the leader in machine translation post-editing (MTPE) services in Latin America offering different levels of MTPE that serve our clients’ requirements and type of content.

Quality translations have always been important which forces companies to continuously improve and evolve. Automatic translations allow for an increase in volumes while observing client needs. For example, in the wake of globalization, companies whose websites were originally created only in English realized that, in order to grow, they needed to provide their customers with the same website in their target language.

The Impact of Machine Translation in a Company

Quality translation (designed for a specific audience) helps connect businesses with their consumers more efficiently. With the aid of machine translation, we can work with larger volumes of content without jeopardizing quality.

Latamways offers quality and confidentiality in their translation and post-editing process. Helping our customers improve their communications – and therefore protect their brand- is something that we do on a daily basis.

If your company’s goal is to grow, you must invest in professional translation services. And machine translation can be an excellent ally in this process.

Contact us now to learn how we can help you grow your business.

What Can a Socially Distant Business Model Look Like?

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing has been the primary strategy to protect the world’s healthy population. In an effort to continue to function and keep operations alive, our office of 22 staff transitioned to working remotely, which was an occasional “benefit” for just some of our employees before the pandemic.  In the language service industry, research indicates that 68% of businesses work remotely since the benefits seem to be plenty for both the employee and the employer.  Among the benefits we find higher productivity, time and money saver, women prefer to be home with their kids, higher retention rates, the possibility to recruit qualified talent regardless of location, and no fixed costs.  

The language industry is used to managing both customer and vendor relationships remotely, but what about the rest of the key players? A socially distant business model will require significant changes in operations and management strategies, improvements in human resources and communications to manage a virtual team as well as an investment in technology (cyber security, better servers, systems, among others).

The pandemic is already producing a change in behavior and it is likely, research suggests, that some of these behaviors will remain in place even after the pandemic.  Even though not every company can operate remotely, it is very likely that all of those industries that can adopt this model, will.

These are times to stop and think, reinvent ourselves, especially for those companies that are being hit hard during times of quarantine.  Consider new ways to deliver your product or service, partner with others, stay connected to your customers, work on your online presence, talk to people to get ideas, invest time in the future of your business to show up ready when we go back to the “new normal”.

Food for Thought

How can you adjust your business model or operations in an environment of social distancing? Where do you look for ideas on how to operate your business virtually? What roles should technology and social media play?

Focus on Project Management

Milena Rossi, Operations Manager

The moment I read the program for ELIA’s Focus on Project Management, I was filled with expectation. Apart from being my first ELIA Conference, it was my first conference exclusively on Project Management. As the person responsible for Operations at Latamways, I saw it as a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn everything about it.

The venue was Hamburg, Germany. Though very cold in December, the city was totally worth it. Quiet, tidy, clean, and glamorous, the city was well prepared to receive Christmas with lights, candles, Christmas markets, and Christmas trees everywhere!

The event started with a pre-conference day on technology where we were able to take away important tips on how to handle different types of files and make the PM process more efficient.

An incredible welcome coffee reception awaited us to start the first conference day, with all sort of sweet and salty snacks, even fruit for those that could resist temptation. Anu Carnegie-Brown opened the day with her presentation “Understanding the bigger picture” where she analyzed the context and the new trends of this fast-pacing and ever-evolving industry. She depicted the role of everyone involved in a translation company, how to measure their performance, and the interrelations and “conflicts” inevitably present in all areas. The concept of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is not new but Anu reminded us how these can be effectively measured, how they can be used to monitor the pace of every department in the company and reconfirmed the need to set clear KPIs or even change the ones already in place for steady growth.

After understanding the bigger picture, Françoise Bajon presented “Project Management Core Competencies”. This presentation provided a clearer profile of the Project Manager role where soft skills are key to have a positive impact on performance. In this complex, multitasking and high-stress environment, PMs were encouraged to look at everything from different angles, to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses and to manage others by leading on the basis of trust and team work.

Another key aspect of Operations that was not left behind was Vendor Management. Annette Lee explained the interrelation between production and vendor management and the core competencies of the latter. Everything in this process was covered, from resource engagement channels to strategies for better relationships. She brought up the importance of resource selection and retention to maintain quality and to facilitate and expedite the project management process. She also stressed the importance of continuous vendor manager training and evaluation by means of performance and quality tests in order to keep the wheel turning. It’s all about information, and information is power.

The second day gave us the chance to put theory into practice, share opinions, listen to the insights form our colleagues and understand how other companies are doing their job. This practice is highly enriching because it puts everything in perspective to analyze what is missing in a company, what needs to change or what is being done right.

Vivienne Dübert and her speech on the power of the mind was the cherry on the cake. It was so motivating! Could there be something more enlightening than hearing that we have the power to develop a growth mindset and that this is the foundation of our success? That if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change? That mistakes and failures are important to grow? Whether we agree or not with some of these concepts, this closure was undoubtedly food for thought. Whether we choose to change our mindset or not (because we have the power to decide), I am sure no one was untouched by Vivienne’s keynote speech.

The long travel from Argentina to Germany was worth every mile. This event was the confirmation that, at Latamways, we are doing things right. This event provided us with ideas to implement, advice on how to change the processes that are not 100% effective, and a great experience overall. I can guarantee we will meet again at a future ELIA PM Focus.

2nd. Translation Industry Conference in Latin America

For over two decades, Argentina has established a leadership position in the language services industry, providing valuable resources, experience and technology to companies worldwide. In 2018, the Knowledge Economy in Argentina was responsible for 6.4 billion dollars of revenue and creating 1.2 million jobs. Based on the volume of business seen in the region, the Translated in Argentina trade association hosted the second Translation Industry Conference in Latin America on September 14-15, 2019, in Cordoba, Argentina.  Learning, networking, empowering and mentoring were just a few of the goals for this event. The main objective, however, was to discuss various points of view and analyze some the latest innovations and trends in the language services industry.

The opportunities to connect and network with 280 attendees from around the world were many, not only during the interactive sessions but also during the breaks and welcome reception. Company owners, project and account managers, translators, students and government officials from Argentina, plus places as far off as Spain, the UK, Sweden, the US, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil met at #CLINT2019, an event unique in scale and prestige for the region.

The two-day event kicked off with a presentation on happiness and how it impacts our daily lives and wellbeing at work. This definitely set the tone of the event and had all participants smiling. The program on the first day included presentations on translation for international institutions, indigenous languages, machine translation post-editing, digital transformation, the knowledge-intensive business services, women in the workplace, as well as industry trends. The second day had three different tracks and focused on tools, interpreting, project management, sales, productivity, subtitling, inclusive language, sign language, specializations and much more!

In the spirit of inclusion and accessibility, simultaneous interpretation was possible thanks to ulang, one of the conference sponsors. And talking about technology and innovation, this was offered with no booth, no headsets, just your own mobile phone! Remote interpretation has come a long way, and participants confirmed that this solution is here to stay.

As Chair of #CLINT 2019, my top 10 takeaways are:

1. Change continues to happen at a rapid pace within the industry, therefore being agile and adaptable are hugely important.
2. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable: It is in times of disruption that the most brilliant opportunities arise.
3. Be curious rather than afraid.
4. Technology is here to stay, embrace it, educate yourself and find a balance between human and machine. Technology should empower and not overpower us.
5. Women in the workplace directly impact the growth of the global economy: Help bridge the pay gap by promoting opportunities for women, mentoring, sponsoring, promoting cultural shifts in work environments.
6. Find your tribe: Surround yourself by the right people to succeed, find people that excite you, motivate you, challenge you.
7. In order to be future-ready, continue to build your knowledge base (be informed), expand your network (be visible) and be prepared for change (add value).
8. The industry will continue to grow but it will move from “cottage industry” to one that is technology led.
9. Your thoughts will impact your life: Take control to have the results that you want to see.
10. Always do what gives you joy. If you find yourself doing something that you don’t like, do something to change that.

We have seen an increased interest in the region from international companies.  Without a doubt, that interest and participation will help take #CLINT2021 to the next level as we collectively contribute to the advancement of the translation industry.

What a Year for Latamways!

By strengthening our relationship with our top clients and remaining true to our strategic goals, Latamways experienced another strong year.

During 2018, we were able to successfully develop a strategic plan for growth, implement a sales and marketing plan, train PMs in account management, reduce errors and grow in services, infrastructure and resources.

We worked hard on creating more efficient processes, expanding our database of tested resources, and implementing technology in our daily operations which will positively impact the volume of business we can do for our customers.

Machine translation and post-editing is a service that we started implementing with some of our clients with great results, especially with documentation: manuals, product descriptions, e-commerce platform content, online reviews, online training, agreements, internal communications, and user-generated content.

Because the skill set of a good post-editor is different to that of the regular editor, our recruitment process in place includes a one-on-one interview to detect soft skills, followed by testing and training via our proprietary online platform.

If you want to know more about us, please visit our website or contact us via email. We are here to help.

To a great 2019!

Cecilia Maldonado
Latamways | Business Development