Job routing for translation agencies
that matches a file to the right translator, automatically
A quoted job confirmed by a client still has to find the right translator by language pair and specialty, get scheduled against a deadline, and stay tracked through delivery, and most agencies do that matching by a PM's memory of who is free and good at what. We automate the matching and the deadline tracking, so a job's path from confirmation to delivery does not depend on one person's recall.
Why translation and localization agencies lose money today
Matching a confirmed job to the right translator usually depends on a project manager’s memory of who speaks which language pair, who specializes in legal or medical content, and who currently has room in their schedule. That memory works until the PM is out sick, the agency grows past a dozen regular translators, or two large jobs land in the same week and the mental model of who is free stops being reliable.
A second cost is deadline risk discovered too late. A job running behind schedule is often only noticed when the delivery date arrives, rather than days earlier when there was still time to add a second translator or negotiate a short extension with the client.
A third is status opacity. A client asking “how is my job going” forces a PM to manually check with the translator, when a job’s actual stage, in translation, in review, delivered, could be visible without that interruption if it were tracked consistently from the start.
What we build
A system that matches a confirmed job to a translator by language pair, specialty and current open workload, so assignment does not depend on one person’s memory of who is free and qualified. Deadline tracking flags a job that is falling behind schedule days before the delivery date, giving a PM time to act rather than discovering the problem at the deadline.
A status dashboard shows every active job, its assigned translator and its current stage, so a PM can answer a client’s status question in seconds. Handoffs between translation and review stages log automatically with a timestamp, closing the gap where a job’s actual progress is otherwise only known by asking someone directly.
What stays with humans
The actual translation, quality review and final translator assignment decision stay entirely with your team. The system surfaces who is available and qualified; a PM still makes the final call and handles any client-facing scheduling conversation.
Price and timeline
| Package | Price | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Agency runs it | from $1,800 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Full control, handover-ready | from $3,060 | 3 to 5 weeks |
Related
Pair this with the AI agent for translation agencies so a quoted job flows straight into this routing system, or Google Ads for translation agencies to see which acquisition channel actually produces jobs that get delivered on time. See the full package breakdown on the automation service page, or get a written plan with a fixed price for your agency.
FAQ
What does workflow automation for a translation agency cost?
A job routing and deadline tracking system starts at $1,800, live in 2 to 4 weeks, depending on how many translators and specialties need to be modeled.
How does it know which translator fits a job?
From a profile you build once per translator: language pairs, specialties and a rough capacity, checked against each job's requirements and the translator's current open workload, so a job does not land with someone already at capacity.
Does it replace our project managers?
No. It removes the manual lookup of who is free and qualified for a given job; a PM still makes the final call on assignment and handles any client-facing issue.
Can it track a job through multiple stages, like translation then review?
Yes, each stage logs a handoff with a timestamp, so a job's actual position, not just translated or not, is visible without asking anyone directly.
Does it integrate with our TMS or do we need to switch systems?
We build against your existing TMS where the API supports it, Smartcat or memoQ commonly, or a lighter tracking sheet if you are not on dedicated TMS software yet.