Optimizing translation operations with flexible workflow management
For The Translation Team, managing hundreds of translation projects for fast-paced, agile clients required a platform that could adapt to complex and evolving workflows. By implementing XTRF, the team automated routine tasks, improved project and vendor visibility, and created customized workflow templates to fit different client needs—enabling faster project completion, more accurate delivery, and reduced administrative overhead.
Case study
How The Translation Team moved from spreadsheets to streamlined, scalable workflows.
About The Translation Team
The Translation Team, LLC is a U.S.-based, certified women- and minority-owned language services provider founded in 2014 and headquartered in Chandler, Arizona. The company specialises in English–Spanish translation and localisation services tailored for the U.S. Hispanic market, helping organisations communicate with Latino audiences across industries.
The team delivers a range of linguistic solutions — including translation, editing, proofreading, subtitling and language consulting — with deep cultural and subject-matter expertise. They focus on producing culturally relevant, engaging Spanish content that resonates with Hispanic communities in sectors such as marketing & advertising, education, healthcare and IT.
Industry: Localization and translation
Founded: 2014
The challenge
In its early years, The Translation Team relied on email, cloud storage, and spreadsheets to manage projects.
“Yes, you guessed right. Spreadsheets were – and still are in some cases – our back office,” they admitted.
Every project request required entering extensive information across columns to avoid missing details. As the organization grew and clients demanded faster, high-quality delivery, the legacy system struggled to keep up. Manual processes for purchase orders, invoicing, and task tracking slowed workflows and made scaling difficult.
Why XTRF by XTM
Clients provided the push
The Translation Team is client-centered, designing all processes to deliver maximum value. The company works with fast-paced, agile businesses that send urgent translation requests nearly every day.
These demanding clients require both top quality and rapid turnaround. To meet these expectations, the organization needed a tool that could elevate productivity.
XTRF’s Smart Projects subsystem addressed this need. With triggered email notifications and automated workflows, project managers are able to focus on what matters most—supporting clients and translators. Time previously spent on manual communications and tracking has been drastically reduced.
Is invoicing that easy?
Spreadsheets had already been a challenge, but invoicing proved even more demanding. Handling several hundred projects was complex, especially when individual projects carried different invoicing requirements across multiple client organizations.
The manual generation and verification of purchase orders added further strain. At the end of each month, project managers spent over three hours checking vendor POs manually.
With the introduction of XTRF’s purchase order automation—which sent POs as soon as vendors accepted job offers—and automated invoice statements issued monthly, the vendor payment process was reduced to under 15 minutes.
This improvement freed up time that had previously been consumed by administrative tasks, allowing the team to focus on strengthening processes and client services. Invoicing, which had once taken nearly ten hours each month, was reduced to just a couple of hours.
What about cybersecurity compliance?
In today’s connected world, small businesses like The Translation Team are also potential targets for cybercrime, making data security a top priority. The organization actively sought solutions to protect the integrity and confidentiality of both client and vendor information.
XTRF, certified under ISO/IEC 27001:2013, provided a secure platform with implemented risk assessments, information security management systems, and robust security protocols throughout the organization. Its data servers were protected by ESET and regularly subjected to penetration testing to ensure the infrastructure remained secure and resilient against threats.
Custom workflows for all occasions
There was no one-size-fits-all approach for managing projects from multiple clients. Each client had specific requirements that needed to be addressed through customized project workflows.
XTRF enabled The Translation Team to create workflow templates that could be reused for new projects. Over time, the team compiled a comprehensive library of templates covering a wide range of client scenarios, significantly speeding up project setup and preparation. Previously, all of this work had been carried out manually on a project-by-project basis via email.
Transparent vendor relationships
In the past, purchase orders were issued at the end of each month, giving vendors an opportunity to verify totals before submitting their invoices.
With XTRF, purchase orders were sent automatically as soon as a vendor accepted a project offer. This change not only reduced manual administrative tasks but also improved transparency, providing vendors with a clear and detailed view of the total fee for each project.
The Textinnova Team, said:
“What is more, having a dedicated vendor portal as part of the formula is fantastic. It allows vendors to keep a record of the jobs they have worked on, keep track of payment status, see if there’s a job offer roaming around, or simply update their background information so it showcases their new skills, knowledge, and/or certifications.”
- Joshua Velásquez, Translation Project Manager, TTT
Ironing out the kinks
Projects at The Translation Team often had longer life cycles, as they required multiple iterations to accommodate clients’ agile workflows. Some projects involved up to four or five TEP cycles for a single assignment.
Within XTRF, projects were managed as tasks, each comprising several stages called jobs. Because XTRF operates on a waterfall-type project management system—progressing from start to finish before closing—a workaround was needed to prevent tasks from closing prematurely. Even after reaching the final job, tasks sometimes had to be reopened later the same day to include additional stages.
To address this, the team created additional job types corresponding to the number of TEP rounds. For example, a project with two rounds would include job types labeled R2 Translation, R2 Editing, R2 Proofreading, and so on. Templates were generated using the standard workflow, while these customized job types could be added on the fly as needed.
Although this solution occasionally created friction on busy days, it allowed the team to accommodate iterative processes and maintain control over complex, multi-round projects, with potential for further customization in the future.
Together we are stronger
Technology is never completely free of bugs, and a comprehensive platform like XTRF required regular maintenance and updates. The Translation Team found that response times were consistently satisfactory, and support channels remained open, ensuring that any issues were promptly addressed.
"One of the strongest points of XTRF is their JIRA help desk for error and bug reporting. In terms of community, they have a User Echo forum where you can post suggestions, features a wish list, and a place to share tips and tricks. Our experience has been fantastic with both platforms. We have learned from the experience of other users and reported minor bugs that were fixed in subsequent releases"
- Joshua Velásquez, Translation Project Manager, TTT
Collaboration across continents
Although Krakow and Huntington Beach, CA are separated by more than 10,000 kilometers, The Translation Team collaborated closely with XTRF’s Customer Success team. They guided the team through the basics of the translation project management system, customization opportunities, and troubleshooting.
The team initially started with XTRF Academy to familiarize themselves with the platform, aiming for a “self-implementation” approach, but soon realized that a dedicated team member was necessary to oversee the implementation. The process required more than just watching tutorial videos and adjusting settings; it involved ongoing communication with XTRF and careful customization to meet the needs of both the team and their clients.
Step-by-step training manuals and instructional videos were created for the project management team and vendors, covering the customized workflows and features. A soft launch took place in late December 2019, with the full system operational from January 1, 2020. Internal handbooks were also developed, one for project managers and one for vendors, to support training and future reference.
Full adoption on the vendor side was critical, and this was achieved through XTRF’s user-friendly interface combined with the tailored reference materials. The Translation Team reported high satisfaction with the support received from XTRF and looked forward to continuing their collaboration and further improving workflows.
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