By Paul Rizo-Brewington
Project Management is a key component in any sort of workplace and something everyone has been a part of at some point in time in their lives. Most have been exposed as children, working on group projects at a science fair or for an international day where they have to do research on the cultures and traditions of a certain country. Whatever the case may be, everyone has been part of a project before. Another memory most remember vividly is how the project went and the distribution of grades at the end of the project. Most people have some story about a team member who was lagging and barely put in any effort for the project or was the person who someone else covered for but received the same grade as everyone else who actually worked hard.
One could lament to their teacher about a lagging team member but there’s no actual manner to hold them accountable and not much repercussion either. Project Management eliminates this factor in multiple ways. The first of which is by factor of time. Time is the most valuable asset anyone can have and having ample time equates to more success and quality of production. Managing the time, a project takes by having deadlines and goals is the line between having a recurring client and never getting service from them again. Time not only of the total project but each component of the project helps create a better flow for the journey to completion as well as keeps everyone on track.
Second, is a goal or specified outcome for the project. Each translation project comes with different challenges and nuances that a team of translators must be prepared for. However, in order to produce high quality content, the team needs to know what they’re aiming for or trying to accomplish. Moreover, they can create or mark their content in such a way that distinguishes them from competition and make them a standout amongst the market. Lastly, and probably the most important aspect of project management is figuring out the budget. Profit is the simple formula of money earned minus costs so having a budget is the best way to earn as much as possible. Also, when one has a budget, they are able to minimize costs over time and create precedents for similar projects.
When most people theorize and come up with a plan, they get excited and ready to set it in motion but usually fall short. The execution of a plan is one the first and biggest pitfalls of any business. People get afraid to execute and fear is the biggest killer of any dream. But, on the other side of fear is whatever most people desire. A project management plan can help sort out and misunderstandings or areas where most people get lost. It lays out a timeline and expectations for a project, so it’s a glimpse into the future and something one can prepare for if things don’t go according to plan. A final key piece to any project is documentation. Documentation kind of ties into previous mentioned points about writing down what needs to get accomplished but it’s a little more in depth. It not only lets the higher up at the agency know what’s going on but it can be given to the client for their records and is a tool used to hold people accountable for things. If there’s documentation for who did what job and the client isn’t satisfied with something, they know who exactly they have qualms with and the agency can put in action what needs to be done.
Likewise, project management is an incentive to actually do one’s work and not slack off. People don’t like being watched and feel under pressure when they are. However, sometimes pressure is good because without pressure we wouldn’t have diamonds. It enforces quality standards of projects and a dedication to outputting one’s best effort. One aspect of project management that may slip through the cracks at first glance is the ability to compare. As stated before, with project management one is able to lower output costs over time. But, one is also able to compare and contrast different variables that produce different quality of content and the prices associated with such. If one only possesses a singular perspective on things, they will continue to do it in that manner because that is all they know. However, if they possess a holistic view then they are able to see the situation from multiple sides and pick the best one for their situation. Everything is relative as Einstein once said.
