Overview

XTRF Platform is a powerful tool to automate your projects. It gives you full information management of the files and notifications from your partners: clients and vendors. Automatic document management accelerates your project, and the project manager can streamline the information flow through the vendor's activities. As a result, you need to spend much less time coordinating the communication between all the people participating in the projects, and the translation process requires less effort even while translating documents into many languages. Within the XTRF Platform, you can create complex projects where clients can specify their requirements and vendors can work most efficiently. 

This article describes how to provide basic information for your project and include all data in a functional specification. It is a step-by-step guide to preparing a project where the file is supposed to be translated into two languages. More complex solutions might require you to repeat the steps from certain sections.

I. Enter the project's basic information

To start creating a project, you need to provide some basic information: the name of your project, what kind of activities the project should include, and who is going to manage it at your company. To do this, perform the following steps:  

1. Sign in to the XTRF Home Portal.

2. Click the button on the top menu bar and select Project from the drop-down menu.
   Alternatively, go to the Projects module and click the Add Project button in the top right-hand corner.
   You will be directed to the Add Project page.
   Note: If Smart projects are disabled on your Home Portal, you won’t see this page and will be directed to the classic Add Project page.
   

   

3. Provide a concise name for the new project.

4. Select the client. If the selected client has no contact person defined, you will be asked to add one.

5. (Optional) Select the group you want this project to be linked to. To learn more about project groups, see the Project Groups article.

6. Select the classic project service. To learn more about services, see the Create and manage services article.

7. Click the Add Project button. You will be directed to the Main Data tab of the Add Project page. Some fields are already filled with the information you provided while creating the project. However, you may change them or add more details (see the Add Project page expand below).

8. Click the Save button. You will be directed to the Add Quote Language Combination page.

Add Project page

 Click to expand

1. (Optional) In the Client section, you can select another client or add a new one:

   1. If you click the Select Client button, a Select Client Price Profile pop-up window appears. Use the filters on the left to narrow down the search. Click on the price profile of the desired client to change the client in the quote.

   2. If you click the Add Client button, you will be directed to the Add Client page. To learn how to add clients, see the Client module - Add Client article.

2. For clients with several price profiles, select the correct Client Price Profile from the drop-down list.

3. (Optional) Provide the Client PO Number - the purchase order number or another reference number on the client side.

4. In the Contact Person section, you can decide who will receive the files after the work is finished:

   1. Select the main contact person from the drop-down list.

   2. (Optional) Click the Add Contact Person button to open the Add Contact Person pop-up window. Provide the contact person details and click the Add button.

   3. (Optional) Click the More link to expand two additional sections:
      

      

      1. The Send Back to person by default is the Contact Person chosen above.
         If you select a different person from the Send Back to drop-down list, the Contact Person selected above won’t receive the project’s notifications and the ready files unless you make changes in the notification template or add a new e-mail recipient manually. To learn how to edit the template, see the Templates - Notifications article.

      2. From the Additional Contacts drop-down list, you can select another contact person who will receive the project’s notifications and the ready files.

5. (Optional) Click the Select Project Template button to import the details from the selected template. To learn more about project templates, see the Projects module - Templates tab article.

6. From the Project Manager drop-down menu, select a user from your company’s side responsible for this project. By default, the system automatically selects the currently signed-in user.

7. In the Workflow section, check or change this project’s workflow. By default, you see the workflow defined in the selected service settings, but you can change it according to your needs. To learn more about workflows, see the Projects and Quotes - Workflow Definitions (Classic) article.

8. Select the project’s Specialization. To learn more about specializations, see the Configure system values - Specializations article.

9. (Optional) Change the Start Date and Time. By default, the start date is the same as the Added on date.

10. (Optional) Set the Deadline.
    To learn more about default date and time settings, see the Projects and Quotes - Settings - Scheduling tab.

11. (Optional) If the project is created for a live interpretation, select the Additional Fields checkbox. New fields appear below.
    

    

    1. In the Place of Event field, provide the details on where the interpretation will occur.

    2. In the Date and Time of Event field, provide the details about the timing of the interpretation.

12. (Optional) In the Categories section, select the project’s category from the drop-down list. To learn more about categories, see the Configure system values - Categories article.

13. (Optional) In the Instructions tab, you can provide notes and special instructions for the project. Some of them are visible to all responsible parties (Notes), while others will be revealed only to certain groups:

    • to you and your client (Special Instructions from Client)

    • to you and your vendors (Special Instructions for Vendor)

    • to your company's users (Internal Special Instructions and Payment Note for Client).
      

      

    • To add or edit the notes, click the icon. A pop-up editor window appears.
      

      

    • Provide or change the notes.

    • Click the Save button.

    • (Optional) Check the Show Note on Dashboard box to mark the project with the icon in the Dashboard > Classic Dashboard > Open Projects display. To learn more about dashboards, see the Dashboard module article.

14. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page. You will be directed to the Add Quote Language Combination page.

II. Add a language combination

One of the most important things while setting up a project is to define the languages of your source and target files. On the Add Project Language Combination page, you can add language pairs to the project. To learn more about available languages, see the Configure system values - Languages article.

1. In the Mode section:

   1. Use the radio buttons to decide on the type of language combination you want to add.

      • One to many - select this option if you want to add new language combinations where one source language is translated to many target languages.

      • Many to one - select this option if you want to add new language combinations where many source languages are translated into one target language.

2. For One to many:

   1. Select the source language from the Source Language drop-down list.

   2. In the Target Languages section, double-click on a language(s) in the Available Items list or select a language and click the Add button to add it to the Selected Items list. 

3. For Many to one:

   1. In the Source Language section: double-click on a language(s) in the Available Items list or select a language and click the Add button to add it to the Selected Items list. 

   2. Select the target language from the Target Language drop-down menu.

4. Click the Add button. You will be directed to the Add Task page.

You have just defined the source and target languages as the language combination in the newly created project.

III. Create a Task

Each project contains one or more tasks associated with language combinations. You need to create a task for each language combination because, at the lower level, each task includes jobs assigned to the proper vendors. Each vendor performs a certain job, such as translation or editing, for a given language. It also means that you manage the project from the task level, where every single task is a set of services purchased by your client.

On the Add Task page, you can create specific tasks for the selected language combination. At first, you are directed to the Instructions tab.

To create a task for the project, perform the following steps:

1. Check the information in the Main Data and Instructions tab.
   

   

    

2. Select the task’s Relation to Language:

   • Language combination-related - e.g., for translations.

   • Source language-related only - e.g., for file preparation.

   • Target language-related only - e.g., for proofreading.

   • Language-independent - e.g., for DTP.
     Depending on the selection, the next field will be a Language Combination, Source Language, or Target Language drop-down list, where you can select the correct language or combination.
     If you select other options than Language combination-related, saving this task will create a new language combination in the Project menu on the left.

3. (Optional) For on-premise XTRF: check the Auto-create Task Directories box to create corresponding task directories on your server.

4. Click the Save button. A new task appears in the Project menu.
   

   

5. To add tasks for other language combinations, click the icon in the selected task line or click the Add Task button below the left-hand menu. You may also copy this task to other language combinations. To learn how to do this, go to the VIII. Copy a task section of this article.

IV. Upload source files

When you have created the tasks for your project, you need to attach proper files to them. You can upload the same files for all language combinations or only for some of them. Also, you can upload single files in different formats or zip your files into one and attach this package to your task. To upload the source file(s) for a given task in your project, perform the following steps:

1. In the Project menu, select the task to which you want to upload files and click the icon to edit the task.
   

   

2. Go to the Workflow Graph tab.

3. In the Task Input box, Click the Add button. The Upload File pop-up window appears. Here you can:

   1. In the Upload File tab, add a file from your local machine.
      

      

       

      1. Click the Add Files button.

      2. Locate and select the necessary files. They will be added to the list in the Upload file pop-up.
         💡 You can also drag and drop files into the dashed area around the Add files… button.
         Note: You can upload files up to 1 GB.

      3. If you upload files in the .zip format, check the Unzip box to decompress archives automatically and display the included files separately.

      4. Select the file Category:

         • Work file - the file that will undergo the process defined in the task, e.g., the source text that will be translated.

         • TM (Translation Memory) file - a file that stores previously translated segments (e.g., phrases and sentences).

         • Terminology file - a file that contains a glossary of specified terminology to be used in the translation.

         • Reference file - a file that contains additional commentaries about the work file.

         • Log file - a file from a CAT tool that contains the results of the analysis of the work file with the translation memory.

      5. (Optional) Select the Directory where the files will be uploaded.

      6. Select to which Bundle this file belongs or leave the Select Automatically option. To learn more, see the Classic projects - Bundles expand.

      7. Click the Save button.
         For more upload options, check the Upload resources/source text expand below.

4. The Upload File pop-up window closes. You can see the uploaded files in the Task Input box.

Upload resources/source text

V. Select vendors

By selecting vendors, you assign them to appropriate jobs. For example, a translator from or to the German language should be assigned to a German translation, an editor with a medical specialization - to a medical article, etc. Every task consists of one or several jobs, and if you have several language combinations in the projects, you’ll have to assign vendors to every job in each of those combinations.

Assigning a vendor to a job is a mandatory step in the process of creating a project in the Home Portal. In the following scenario, you will assign a vendor manually, which means that you have already contacted your vendor, and they have agreed to do the offered job.

To assign a vendor to a job in your project, perform the following steps:

1. In the Project menu, select the task and click the icon to edit the task.
   

   

    

2. Go to the Workflow Graph tab.

3. Click the Select Vendor button in the job box. The Job pop-up window appears.
   

   

    

   💡 Start typing the desired vendor’s name, and if this vendor matches the task criteria (job type, language combination, specialization), their name will appear on the Job pop-up.
   

   

    

4. Click the Select Vendor button. The Select Vendor pop-up window appears with Job Type, Source Language, Target Language, and Specialization filters preselected according to the job details. You can change the default view according to your needs or switch to the Vendor Workload view. To learn more about views, see the Smart views article.
   

   

    

   1. Use the filters on the top to narrow down the list.

   2. Check the Recalculate Rates after Selection to change the payables according to the selected vendor’s rates. To change the default setting of this checkbox, go to the Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes > Settings > Finance tab.

   3. Double-click on the selected vendor or click on the vendor and then click the Select Vendor button.

      This pop-up shows the vendor’s different price profiles. To display the vendor’s rates, in the Calculation Unit filter, select the calculation unit set in vendors' price profiles. To learn more about price profiles, see the Vendor profile - Competencies and rates tab article.

5. The selected vendor details appear in the Job pop-up.
   

   

    

6. (Optional) Set the Deadline.

7. Click the Save button. The pop-up window closes. Now the job has a vendor assigned, and its status is set to Accepted.

8. Click the Save button and proceed with other jobs in the workflow.

VI. Add payables

When you have created the project and assigned vendors to all jobs, you need to take care of the project's financial statements. First, you need to prepare separate charges paid to the vendors for the job. In the XTRF Platform, such a charge is called a Payable. For every job, you need to prepare a payable that includes charges, discounts, and surcharges. To add a payable for a job in the project, perform the following steps:

1. Go to the Jobs tab in the left-hand side menu.

2. Click on the desired job.

3. Go to the Payables tab on the right.
   

   

    

4. Click the Add Payable button. To learn how to add payables, see the Add a payable and https://xtm-cloud.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/XKB/pages/3252394994/Use+CAT+analyses+to+define+payables+and+receivables#Add-a-CAT-payable-(Classic) guides.

The newly created payable appears in the Payables table. Hover over it to display the Payables Display Panel below.

VII. Add receivables

The last step before you start the workflow is adding a receivable to a project. You will use receivables to charge the client for each task and, if required, include or remove discounts or surcharges. In the Receivable tab, you can override the minimum charge defined in the client's price profile and use the task's lower total value instead. Note that the financial details provided in the receivable will be transferred into the invoice document when it comes to closing a project. To add a receivable for your client, perform the following steps:

1. Go to the Task tab in the left-hand side menu.

2. Click on the desired task.

3. Go to the Receivables tab on the right.
   

   

4. Click the Add Receivable button. To learn how to add receivables, see the Add a receivable and https://xtm-cloud.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/XKB/pages/3252394994/Use+CAT+analyses+to+define+payables+and+receivables#Add-a-CAT-receivable-(Classic) guides.

The newly created receivable appears in the Receivables table. Hover over it to display the Receivable Display Panel below.

VIII. Copy a task

For each language combination, you need to create a task. When you have created one task, you can copy it instead of creating the next one and manually re-entering all information. While copying the task, you can:

• specify which information you want to duplicate in the new task, including payables and receivables 

• make a copy of the input files uploaded in the original task

• set up a different workflow of the vendors' activities. 

To copy the existing task and set up the options appropriately, perform the following steps:

1. In the Project or Task menu on the left, click the Copy Task button. You will be directed to the Copy Task page.
   

   

2. From the Task drop-down list, select the task you want to copy.

3. In the Languages section, select to which language pair you want to copy the task.

4. Uncheck the boxes with the details you don’t want to copy to the new task.

5. In the Payable Rates and Receivable Rates sections, select what to do with rates:

   • Automatically recalculate according to the vendor’s or client’s price profile.

   • Copy the rates from the selected task.

6. If you want to change the Start Date and Time and Deadline, switch to Set and provide new dates.

7. If you want to change the task Workflow, switch to Set and select a new workflow from the drop-down list.

8. Click the Copy Task button. The newly created task appears in the Project menu.
   

   

    

IX.  Start the Workflow

When you have planned the work for the project by creating all tasks and assigning the vendors, you can start the jobs. This is a one-click action in the Workflow Graph tab. To start the workflow for your task in the project, perform the following steps:

1. In the Project menu, select the task and click the icon to edit the task.

2. Go to the Workflow Graph tab.

3. In the diagram presenting your translation process, check if the job status is set to Accepted. The Accepted status means that the vendor has accepted the offered job and enables you to start your project workflow for the related task.
   Note: If you have more than one job in the workflow, to start the process, a vendor should be assigned at least to the first job, and the job status should be set to Accepted.
   

   

4. Click the Start Workflow button under the TASK INPUT card. The status of the first job will change to Started.