Translation Workflow

In the year when ten new accession countries have joined the European Union, the institutions are jointly reviewing effective multilingual document management strategies and workflow. The integration of a range of translation software and tools is also under discussion, not least because a new Call for Tenders for the supply of a translation memory tool for all EU institutions is in process.

What problems relating to data management, integration of translation technology and workflow have been identified by one of the world’s largest suppliers of multilingual translation? What solutions have been suggested and finally selected, and what was the rationale behind such decisions? How successfully have such solutions been implemented within and across the EU institutions? And what new challenges are anticipated by those managing workflow in the EU?

This paper will address these questions by presenting original findings from a recent six-week research placement during which the author was based in the English Unit of the Directorate General for Translation of the European Commission, with additional access to translation tools specialists, members of the committee on translation workflow, translators from both pre- and post-accession member states, Heads of Units and indeed other institutions, including the Parliament, Court of Auditors and Translation Centre, both in Luxembourg and Brussels. Research took the form of tailored interviews, work shadowing, performing translation tasks using in-house tools and observing training in translation tools. Issues relating to translation workflow and data management were thus investigated across different languages and institutions, resulting in a comprehensive, up-to-date and comparative overview of effective translation management strategies within an expanding multilingual non-profit organisation.

Research findings will be of interest to a wide audience including translators, managers, trainers and academic researchers. The effect of latest developments in translation software and user aspects of translation software will be examined via a practical problem-solving approach.