When selecting translation workflow management software, most are checking the features available. But such approach is not really productive. The competing translation project or business management solutions have 95% overlapping functionality, and if you ask sales representative if their software has the feature you need, most likely you’ll hear “yes”. But that “yes” many hide a lot…
How features work
You won’t by a car just because its engine is working and it has a nice promotion, will you? You most likely will try driving it before paying, or at least have a look inside and check the specifications. The same thing with software.
You need to touch and test the system before buying it for your translation business. Start with a list of features that are most important for your business needs, such as translation project management, finances and invoicing, sales tracking, business reports, vendor management etc.
Look at the interface of the system, try pressing buttons, understand its logic and discover if it user-friendly or not. Check how easy to setup the system and start working in it, and how many buttons you need to click in order to do what you want. Believe us, it matters. The user-friendliness and ease of use is not less important that the number of features. Also it is recommended that you let other team members with different roles (translation project manager, accountant, sales representative, CEO etc.) test it, each may need different features that you many not think of.
How they support you
Many may think that business and translation management solutions are just software that you may buy and use, but in reality it’s more about the service you get. And in the first months of implementation, the quality of that service is paramount, as you’ll have lots of questions regarding how specific features work and how to adapt the software for every real-life business process you have. And no matter how intuitive the interface and how well-written the technical documentation may be, you’ll still need a competent human consultant to help you. Someone should help you with finding the best way to use the tool, to train your team, and to solve your technical problems quickly.
The most advanced technology will useless if you have no idea how it works and no one explains it to you. That’s why apart from testing the system, you need to test the quality of support.
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