Poll: More agencies are using custom platforms to manage work and invoices. In your opinion, it... Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "More agencies are using custom platforms to manage work and invoices. In your opinion, it...".
View the poll results »
| | | | | Depends on the platform | Oct 14, 2021 |
Some of the portals are easy to navigate; others, not so much. I have dropped a couple of clients with portals that I thought were too complicated.
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Generally, I deeply dislike them as they are a real pain. On the one hand, when there is a glitch it’s impossible to discuss and reason with a machine and, on the other hand, Portuguese tax authorities don’t accept these automatically generated invoices and I have to redo them. Nothing beats a direct email communication with a PM or a client. Fortunately my regular clients don’t use them; I only had two very sporadic clients who worked with translation management platforms and I’ve long ... See more Generally, I deeply dislike them as they are a real pain. On the one hand, when there is a glitch it’s impossible to discuss and reason with a machine and, on the other hand, Portuguese tax authorities don’t accept these automatically generated invoices and I have to redo them. Nothing beats a direct email communication with a PM or a client. Fortunately my regular clients don’t use them; I only had two very sporadic clients who worked with translation management platforms and I’ve long asked them to remove me from their database (it took a long time but ultimately they did). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:22
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Change the question. | Oct 14, 2021 |
ProZ.com Staff wrote: This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "More agencies are using custom platforms to manage work and invoices. In your opinion, it...". View the poll results »
It should be "SOME agencies" etc. etc.
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| only complicates things | Oct 14, 2021 |
I don't understand what can be made easier for me. Platforms are ONLY overhead. Platforms ONLY benefit agencies that use it.
I didn't wait for client platforms to make my daily admin as easy as poss and overhead as low as poss.
Clicking the link to access it an log on to it is already lost, unpaid, non-productive time.
Entering my invoice number on a platform is time lost.
Receiving an e-mail that tells me I must connect to a platform to retrieve files is more time... See more I don't understand what can be made easier for me. Platforms are ONLY overhead. Platforms ONLY benefit agencies that use it.
I didn't wait for client platforms to make my daily admin as easy as poss and overhead as low as poss.
Clicking the link to access it an log on to it is already lost, unpaid, non-productive time.
Entering my invoice number on a platform is time lost.
Receiving an e-mail that tells me I must connect to a platform to retrieve files is more time-consuming than receiving an e-mail with the needful attached.
I want to know what is made easier FOR ME.
Philippe ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris 
Germany
Local time: 18:22
Member (2006)
German to English
| I tend to find | Oct 14, 2021 |
Philippe Etienne wrote:
I don't understand what can be made easier for me. Platforms are ONLY overhead. Platforms ONLY benefit agencies that use it.
I didn't wait for client platforms to make my daily admin as easy as poss and overhead as low as poss.
Clicking the link to access it an log on to it is already lost, unpaid, non-productive time.
Entering my invoice number on a platform is time lost.
Receiving an e-mail that tells me I must connect to a platform to retrieve files is more time-consuming than receiving an e-mail with the needful attached.
I want to know what is made easier FOR ME.
Philippe
that Plunet und Co are easy to use to accept and deliver jobs as well as invoice everything when the job is finished.
In my case, it does actually save me time
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Michael Harris wrote:
...that Plunet und Co are easy to use to accept and deliver jobs as well as invoice everything when the job is finished.
In my case, it does actually save me time
Sure, some are easy to use. Like an e-mail client. In fact, my overhead with the one Plunet platform I have to put up with is limited to entering an invoice number, retrieving source files, uploading translated files and dumping automated e-mails that tell me that I did what I just did. I may waste a fraction of an hour per month, and the trouble of using efficient platforms is indeed bearable, but I still don't see where they make things easier. I also hate delusive promises that boast "hey, we run a platform so you can focus on translation, not admin". My bottom.
And if I were to deal with a different platform for each client, I'd exploit my son to do that boring data entry for me and pay him a pittance. My daughter would likely recommend me to sod off.
What do platforms do that actually makes things easier? Keep your records for payment tracking and follow-up? I'm genuinely interested.
AFAIC, platform or no platform, I still have to create my own invoices, enter details in my own system, manage my own folder structure, track payments for all invoices and not only platform-hosted invoices, etc.
To me, platforms are there to save agencies labour and admin costs, not to save you time, however user-friendly they may be.
Philippe
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 18:22
French to English
I know several agencies that use them. However, the PMs do at least start by emailing me a friendly message with the source file attached. Most of the subsequent, routine emails are probably platform-generated, especially the PO and confirmation of reception, but if I write back with questions, it's definitely a human who answers me.
The bills the platform then generates are not exactly in the same format as mine, but I have no problems with them (unlike those translators who have to then... See more I know several agencies that use them. However, the PMs do at least start by emailing me a friendly message with the source file attached. Most of the subsequent, routine emails are probably platform-generated, especially the PO and confirmation of reception, but if I write back with questions, it's definitely a human who answers me.
The bills the platform then generates are not exactly in the same format as mine, but I have no problems with them (unlike those translators who have to then redo them). ▲ Collapse
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Inga Petkelyte
Portugal
Local time: 17:22
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
| I ask for a surcharge | Oct 14, 2021 |
In such cases, I ask for a surcharge to cover my additional time. Normally, new ones don't want me Old ones nicely send texts by mail.
Why I'm not fond of those platforms?
There's a list, in random order:
1) It takes much more steps to get and send the file;
2) the amount of passwords for each client platform - remember all of them? another sheet of paper on he desk? a separate file to be opened each time I... See more In such cases, I ask for a surcharge to cover my additional time. Normally, new ones don't want me Old ones nicely send texts by mail.
Why I'm not fond of those platforms?
There's a list, in random order:
1) It takes much more steps to get and send the file;
2) the amount of passwords for each client platform - remember all of them? another sheet of paper on he desk? a separate file to be opened each time I need to login? Na-ah.
3) It has happened that I would be translating on the platform and the platform crashes down. My work is gone. Several times like that. Or a part of the work is gone - needed to go through the entire doc again from the beginning and check what was saved and waht was missing.
4) Uploaded files but they were not received - another crash had happened in the meanwhile.
5) In general, it looks like if requesting not only to deliver to the door but also to come in, pass hrough several corridors and put the delivery ino a certain box on a certain shelf. Additional work = additional cost. ▲ Collapse
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