WHEN we talk about TMS, the first thing that comes to our mind is how it can help boost efficiency through automation.  However, is this our only expectation from a good TMS? A TMS is a platform our vendors have to deal with on a daily basis, it is also the window for our clients to know about project progress when they need to. TMS as the platform that ties these two parties with us should be able to facilitate cooperation, appropriate information sharing, and communication. XTRF as an online management tool designed specifically for translation related projects effectively connects the PM, vender, and clients together.

  1. PM Portal:

The PM portal of the XTRF is the most powerful one. It improves PM’s working efficiency in at least four ways:

  • It allows PM’s access to as much information as he/she can, and store them for him/her under categories.
  • It sends emails to the right person automatically with all details included. Manually mistakes like emails sent to the wrong person and missing information will be avoided.
  • Scheduling becomes easier with XTRF. It incorporates the Gantt chart to helps PM keep track of everything going on. On top of that, PM can get a notification when something goes wrong so that he/she can fix it as soon as possible.
  • Jobs are assigned to the appropriate person. With all the information entered by vendors, XTRF automatically gives PM a list of suitable vendors, so that you don’t have to look them up on your own list. It also automatically assigns the files to the right person, which is again, use to be done through email or cloud drives.
  1. Client portal
  • requesting quote becomes much easier. Clients used to request quotes through email, or with more advanced technologies, on the LSP’s website. But the former one is inefficient, as sometimes the clients don’t know what details need to be included to get a quote, which may result in many follow up email negotiations. And the latter one is not transparent: you enter the things required or uploaded the file, and it goes into a black box and comes out with your quote. XTRF client portal allows clients to get the quote as soon as possible, with details can be explained later easily, as it came out with PM’s adjustment, rather than just a built-in algorithm. You can even provide the PM an analysis file yourself so that you get more control of the breakdowns of your file.
  • The client can get to know the project process easily. Rather than contacting the account manager and get a vague status report, they will see the progress directly. This builds trust between us and the client.
  1. Vendor portal
  • Vendor information like vacation time, minimum offer, rates, availability, etc. are documented in XTRF. The system avoids sending vendors assignments when they are on vacation or sending them projects that don’t meet their rates. Many vendors find receiving irrelevant project emails from PMs annoying, and XTRF improves the vendor-PM relationship by eliminating unnecessary emails.
  • Receiving and delivering files are easier with XTRF. You can say goodbye to your file classification on your computer, and don’t worry about losing them, because all of them are saved in the cloud.

XTRF ties the three major participants of a translation project together, which makes it much easier for three of them to keep track of the project. At the same time, it keeps a comfortable distance of privacy between the three.