Localization Project Management | Top 5 Managerial Mistakes
Managing your localization project is indeed a challenging job, and it requires extensive field knowledge with a good understanding of localization processes. Being a project manager, you have to take care of the budgets, localization workflows, team communication, quality assurance, and so much more. You must go about your localization project proactively to achieve maximum results and avoid other mistakes.
To deliver the best localization results to your clients, you must have good organizational skills and a clear understanding of the target audience. You should start with the right planning, and develop a robust localization strategy for smoother project execution. Moreover, you should bring in a professional localization management system to manage your localization in a more systematic manner. You must also beware of the managerial mistakes mentioned in this article for a successful localization project accomplishment.
Mistakes You Should Avoid as A Localization Project Manager
Most of the time your localization project doesn’t go well because of the issues at the managerial level. Here are some common mistakes made by project managers that can cause major harm to the project.
Planning Everything Alone
Most project managers like to manage things on their own without taking any second opinion. This can lead to a lot of trouble. Project management is a team work and all team members should be involved in the planning and strategy development phase. So, you must consult with your localization team on all matters to increase the success rate of your localization project. There are many companies that failed internationally because of bad management.
You can get help from the experiences and knowledge of other team members and use it on planning and executing your project efficiently. When you listen to your teammates, it motivates them to own the project and give their best throughout the execution of the project. Language service providers can also swipe ideas with their remote employees, online communities, and other stakeholders of your company.
Ignoring The Gaps in Communication
Lack of communication always results in misunderstandings that can lead to major problems throughout your project execution. For instance, if you have not provided the translator with proper instruction and brand glossaries, they would not be able to deliver the desirable translations. It is not also the capabilities of the team and how talented they are, if there are gaps in communication things will get messed up eventually.
So, being the project manager, you must promote seamless communication between your team members. Especially, if you are working with both in-house and remote teams, make sure you have established the proper system to enable real-time communication. You can use a localization management system instead of using traditional localization management methods. It would enhance clarity and promote collaboration between your internal and external project teams.
Not Having Required Resources
Make a list of all the required resources and equipment that you would need down the line. Not having sufficient resources would cause issues throughout your localization project. For instance, for translation management, you would need style guides and glossaries to keep your translations relevant and consistent. If you don’t provide your translators with all the required resources, it will surely have a negative impact on their performance. Similarly, developing the target audience persona is also important to conduct your project activities in a way that would meet your localization goals. These are the resources that you must develop and create prior to the execution of your localization project.
Lack of Feedback
Things don’t always go as you may think. It is possible that the strategy that you have started with is not deriving the required results. So, you must always be open to all types of feedback from your clients, customers, and even team members. It would give you a better understanding of where you have gone wrong and what needs to be fixed. Getting timely feedback and review on the project would give you a clear vision of the current situation and you are also less likely to make any mistakes. It would also let you evaluate the project’s speed, productivity, cost, and overall quality of outcomes.
Lack of Innovation
Most project managers resist change and innovation, which could be a reason why they are unable to meet the project needs effectively on time. You better invest in the best translation management software that you know for agile and smooth project management. A professional localization management system would reduce your workload by automating the workflow and allow you to finish your localization tasks within deadlines. Not just that, it would enhance your team’s productivity and performance by reducing the overall workload.
Moreover, TMS technology is the future of the translation industry. Advanced translation platforms offer MT features and help you create an effective localization plan backed by data. With these tools, you will get regular data reports about your project’s progress. This way, you can easily track the progress of your localization project and direct it to the right path.
Summing Up!
When you have the right tools and a good understanding of localization projects, you will be able to make a robust strategy. Being a professional localization manager, you are responsible for carrying out your localization project efficiently. You better not make the mistakes listed in this article. It would only waste your time, effort, and resources. There are many reliable language service providers out there that could help you manage your localization task. So, you don’t always need to put all the load on your in-house team.
With a solid foundation in technology, backed by a BIT degree, Lucas Noah has carved a niche for himself in the world of content creation and digital storytelling. Currently lending his expertise to Creative Outrank LLC and Oceana Express LLC, Lucas has become a... Read more