Poll: Do you keep a record of daily production when working on a large job? 投稿者: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you keep a record of daily production when working on a large job?".
This poll was originally submitted by Muriel Vasconcellos
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you keep a record of daily production when working on a large job?".
This poll was originally submitted by Muriel Vasconcellos
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot 
スペイン
Local time: 03:15
スペイン語 から 英語
+ ...
| Production quota, more like | Jan 4, 2006 |
I negotiate deadlines on the basis of an expected quota.
A "record" is rather after-the-fact. I wouldn't think of holding up a client because I had an appointment or had to teach classes through no fault of his. Probably the only thing I would excuse myself for would be a crash (falling under "acts of God"? ).
| | | | Elías Sauza
メキシコ
Local time: 19:15
2002に入会
英語 から スペイン語
+ ...
I set a daily objective when working on large jobs and try to do a bit more to complete them ahead of time. This is the only way I can cope with different clients' work.
Elías
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...but I think it could be a very good working method.
I'm going to adopt this method this year!! good aim for the new year:-)
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| An approximate evaluation | Jan 4, 2006 |
It may be called a "daily quota", but in fact it goes vice versa for me: first I evaluate how much words per day average I'm able to do on this or that large job (difficulty, etc.), then I take into account weekends, busy days and so on, and only after that I either accept the proposed deadline or propose my own term of delivery. If the job is really large, I usually add up several extra days just to be sure I'll be on time. You never know... If everything goes smoothly, the client gets it's job... See more It may be called a "daily quota", but in fact it goes vice versa for me: first I evaluate how much words per day average I'm able to do on this or that large job (difficulty, etc.), then I take into account weekends, busy days and so on, and only after that I either accept the proposed deadline or propose my own term of delivery. If the job is really large, I usually add up several extra days just to be sure I'll be on time. You never know... If everything goes smoothly, the client gets it's job even before the deadline which is usually appreciated
[Edited at 2006-01-04 15:26] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sandra C.
フランス
Local time: 03:15
英語 から フランス語
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... in my head! I keep track of the daily output needed to complete the job on time. If I can't meet it one day, I make up for it the next day.
It works! So far, I've never missed a deadline.
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For large projects with numerous documents I usually have an excel spreadsheet with the number of words for each document and expected finish date. And I mark the files in green bold face as I finish them. If it's only one document, I may divide it into more manageable pieces or, if that is not an option for whatever reason, I keep record of daily output in my head. The same as Sandra, I've never missed a deadline so far
| | | | | Thanks for your input! | Jan 5, 2006 |
Thanks to everyone for their input. I asked this question because last year I delivered late for the first time in my career. It was 120,000 words long, and the due date was three months off, so I accepted jobs in between and simply ended up with too much to do in too short a time at the end. I used to keep an intricate system of daily goals and actual accomplishments, but that got to be too cumbersome. I'm looking for something that's simple and easy to maintain.
Ma. Fernanda Blesa wrote:
For large projects with numerous documents I usually have an excel spreadsheet with the number of words for each document and expected finish date. And I mark the files in green bold face as I finish them.
That sounds like a great idea! I hope you don't mind if I copy it.
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| my old system for long projects | Jan 5, 2006 |
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I'm looking for something that's simple and easy to maintain.
Back in the olden days, when all projects arrived on hardcopy, I used a simple system to make sure I was on track for large projects: at appropriate intervals in the stack of pages I had to translate, I inserted a slip of colored paper after the last page I had to translate for each day... then I kept on translating each day until I met (or exceeded) my daily quota.
Now that everything arrives in electronic files, I run a trados analysis each day, to keep track how much I translated and how much is left to do.
[Modificato alle 2006-01-05 02:06]
[Modificato alle 2006-01-05 02:07]
| | | | | How do you know how much to charge if you don't know how much you translate each day? | Jan 5, 2006 |
I think there are two main reasons to keep accurate metrics of how much we translate:
1) for large projects, in order to see whether we are on track for the deadline, and
2) always, in order to know how much we work, and, therefore, the (monetary) value of our time.
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I am used to projects with highly aggressive deadlines, sigh. Keeping track of my daily production is crucial, it happened several times that I had to outsource parts of the job to colleagues. This shouldn't be a last minute thing.
| | | | Robin Salmon (X)
オーストラリア
Local time: 11:15
ドイツ語 から 英語
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| For me, it is esential | Jan 5, 2006 |
As I'm sure everyone else does, I divide the number of words by the number of days I'll have available and if it comes to more than my daily maximum, I do not take the job.
If I take it, I make a big effort to do the amount of words I have set myself for each day.
By the way, I also keep a daily record sheet of job types, words translated and money earned. I got that idea from abook on running your own business and it is a great motivator (kick up the ---, in Australia... See more As I'm sure everyone else does, I divide the number of words by the number of days I'll have available and if it comes to more than my daily maximum, I do not take the job.
If I take it, I make a big effort to do the amount of words I have set myself for each day.
By the way, I also keep a daily record sheet of job types, words translated and money earned. I got that idea from abook on running your own business and it is a great motivator (kick up the ---, in Australian English)!
Robin ▲ Collapse
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Robin Salmon (X)
オーストラリア
Local time: 11:15
ドイツ語 から 英語
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| As esential as a spel cheker, in fact | Jan 5, 2006 |
Sorry!
Robin
| | | | Fred Neild (X)
英語 から スペイン語
+ ...
| Set a shorter deadline | Jan 5, 2006 |
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
Thanks to everyone for their input. I asked this question because last year I delivered late for the first time in my career. It was 120,000 words long, and the due date was three months off, so I accepted jobs in between and simply ended up with too much to do in too short a time at the end.
Hi Muriel,
I will tell what I consider has been one of the greatest advices that someone has given to me:
If your deadline is three months, finish in two (this is the idea). I rarely finish before, but this usually makes me finish on time.
The funny thing is that this person used to work for one of the current big four auditing firms, nothing to do with translations. However, they are used to tight deadlines and long projects.
Elías has already suggested something like it.
Best
Fred
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