Earlier this month I earned my Localization Project Management Certification (LPMC) in Dublin. It’s a relevant course, especially because of the importance of project management as a component of translation, optimisation and localization at Textcase. Following the intense two-day course, the city also hosted the Localization World conference. All in all, an inspiring week, brimming with new knowledge, new contacts and applicable ideas.
The course was organised by the Localization Institute. The classroom workshop component was preceded by a number of weeks of online self-study. My fellow students were project managers both on the buyer side and colleagues from other translation agencies. We completed a number of case-based group assignments that covered topics such as project planning, agile methods, risk management and quality assurance. We were also treated to extremely interesting presentations by industry leaders, including Vincent Gadani, Localization Manager at Microsoft and Tony O’Dowd, CEO of KantanMT.
Our team in Utrecht discussed a number of project management Best Practices, such as the Localization Maturity Model, Work Breakdown Structures and Risk Breakdown Structures. At our weekly Textcase meeting, which we refer to as a ‘huddle’, we share expertise and insights and set out plans to further improve our work.
Google: AdWords translation
During my stay in Dublin, I also visited the European Google head office to meet up with my former colleagues and exchange ideas. The people at Google were very impressed with Textcase’s Google Partner status (the only translation agency in The Netherlands to have been awarded this status) and our AdWords translation practices: unique in the globalising online marketing field!
Localization World
The most memorable session during the LocWorld conference was presented by Scott Abel, author of the book The Language of Content Strategy. I believe that his ideas about content creation and publishing really have the future.
Staying on top of the latest technological developments in the translation industry is key. We spoke at length with the people at MemSource, whose cloud-based software is used here at Textcase. But Smartling is also making exciting progressive strides. We always weigh the available options and select the very best in order to optimise our processes and ensure quality.