Project managers (PMs) represent a large segment of individuals working in the translation and localization industry. Common Sense Advisory estimates that the number of project managers working at language service providers (LSPs) reached nearly 82,000 in 2012. The day-to-day tasks of PMs in 2013 are vastly different from what they were even just 10 years ago.

Technology advances have redefined the tools and, as a result, the project process has evolved with inventions such as desktop publishing tools, the internet, FTP, translation memory, machine translation, translation management systems (TMSes), and the cloud.

To capture the role of a translation PMs in 2013, Common Sense Advisory conducted a survey of several hundred PMs from 182 LSPs in 52 countries. The results of the survey are detailed in two reports and subsequent briefs.

The reports and briefs provide several key findings, analysis, and takeaways, including:

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents routinely act as the main contact point for existing clients, and close to a third (32%) always do so for prospects.
• Close to a quarter of respondents (23%) frequently or always are in charge of upselling existing accounts.
• Three-quarters of respondents (75%) calculate pricing for quotes.
• Only 14% of respondents always negotiate special rates with vendors, and 19% do so frequently.
• Half of the respondents (50%) frequently or always process basic file types in translation memory tools.
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents report that they are generalists, handling either any kind of project or more than three specialty areas.
• Seventy-one percent of respondents regularly work more than 40 hours a week. Sixty percent of them work up to 10 hours more, while 11% chronically accrue overtime – their weeks range from 50 to more than 80 hours.

The firm also provided several checklists, definitions, and takeaways for LSP executive teams, including:

• Typical project manager responsibilities and workload issues, as well as the role of project management specialties
• Typology of project managers, a method to evaluate a company’s project management needs, and solutions to make the project managers’ job more manageable
• Five-step analysis to assess an LSP’s PM requirements
• Detailed data by title for 44 tasks project managers were asked to evaluate
• Detailed job satisfaction results based on a variety of criteria
• An approach to eliminate sources of dissatisfaction and increase satisfaction
• A method to recognize and prevent employee burnout

See: Common Sense Advisory

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