Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for translation and interpretation services.
A checklist built from how translation and interpretation services work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Quotes by word count and language pair
- Job and file tracking
- Linguist database and assignment
- Interpreting bookings
- Glossaries and client style notes
- Linguist payments
- Client invoicing and purchase orders
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the agency owner
- For project managers
- For interpreting coordinators
- For finance staff
- For freelance linguists
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Jobs by client, language pair and stage
- Work due this week by linguist
- Margin on each job and client
- Interpreting hours by interpreter and client
- Client invoices outstanding by age
- Linguist payments approved and pending
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Cloud file storage
- Video call platforms
- Calendar
- Accounting software export
- Translation memory tools
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Is this a translation tool or an agency system?
- Can it work out word counts?
- How does it handle a job passing through several linguists?
- Can interpreters be booked for remote sessions?
- Do freelancers get their own login?
- Can clients be billed in their own currency?
- Can our freelancer list be brought in?
- Who owns the job files and client records?
- What would it cost for an agency like ours?
- Do we need it with only a few jobs a week?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Jobs are tracked in several places
- Linguist availability is guesswork
- Quotes and invoices use different word counts
- Freelancer invoices are checked line by line
- Interpreting hours arrive late
Prefer to talk it through? See the translation and interpretation services page.