Create a workflow specifically for the creation of rate cards
Tip
Rate cards assign rates to every workflow step that a given user is assigned to across all unique projects with their unique workflows.
Therefore by creating a workflow that contains every workflow step, project managers will only have to create rate cards for one dummy user against this all-encompassing workflow, instead of creating rate cards for multiple dummy users, each one representing a unique project with a unique workflow.
Important
Prerequisite: Ensure all workflow steps your organization will use have been defined.
Important
Do not perform this step if you intend on using XTM to generate purchase orders as well as estimates
Add all possible workflow steps that will be used to the workflow being created. Use the procedure below to create the workflow:
Creating and editing workflows
To create a new workflow definition:
Go to Configuration-> Settings-> Workflow.
In the Workflow definitions tab click the Add button.
To Edit an existing workflow definition:
Go to Configuration-> Settings-> Workflow.
Find the workflow and double-click on its name or click the icon and select edit.
Continue by modifying the fields as follows:
In the Create workflow definition popup:
Set the mandatory Name parameter for your new workflow definition.
Note
By default, XTM will automatically generate a name for the workflow based on the steps you choose.
Optionally, in the Description parameter, provide the workflow description.
Activate or Deactivate the workflow using the active check box.
Define the first workflow step from the drop-down, by selecting the Workflow Step.
Note
You can define your own workflow steps. Check Workflow steps and Workflow steps parameters for more information.
Fill in the remaining options using this workflow field reference as a guide to choosing the fields to fill out.
Add the next workflow step by clicking on the button just above the workflow step dropdown.
A drop-down now appears between the two steps allowing the selection of a transition type (E.g does the previous step need to be completed before the current step starts, can both steps run in parallel, etc.).
Note
The transition types are described here.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the workflow is complete.
Note
To remove a workflow step click on the button just above the workflow step dropdown.
Click the Save button when done.
Workflow field reference
Approve TM:
By checking the box here, segments are saved into the TM once the individual segment is completed.
As an example, checking this option is ideal for approving each segment/string once it's been reviewed or corrected.
Note
There is also an Approve TM workflow step. In this case, all segments in the previous steps are not approved for the TM until this step is completed. In other words, it executes after a step is completed as opposed to when a string/segment is translated/reviewed/corrected.
Percentage of whole workflow duration:
How much of the entire project workflow time in percent should be automatically calculated for each of the steps
Calculate costs based on manual time:
Allows the ability for a project manager to enter the number of hours worked for this step both for estimation purposes prior to project start and for invoicing purposes.
Note
To have this option appear then enable it using the instructions here.
Chargeable:
This can be useful if the customer has pre-purchased a certain level of service. If this level of service is exceeded, then the step may become chargeable.
The Cost settings tab allows you to switch this feature on and off and decide if it should be accessible for linguists or only project managers. You can also select the default cost type used
Note
To have this option appear then enable it using the instructions here.
LQA:
LQA allows errors to be categorized into one of the many predefined error types XTM provides.
Along with being able to enter comments, this allows for better traceability and continuous improvement initiatives.
Selecting the option here allows an LQA check immediately after each segment is translated/reviewed/corrected. Typically this option is enabled with a review step.
To configure LQA codes follow thisprocedure.
Tip
There is also an LQA workflow step available. A workflow step starts after a previous workflow step (i.e all segments have been processed) has finished. Whereas enabling LQA here allows for LQA checks to be performed immediately after a segment has been processed.
Notify project watchers when finished:
When checked, an e-mail is sent to all Project Watchers when a workflow step is completed.
Project Watchers are configured for each customer in the details section.
Calculate edit distance:
Important
This option is specific to minimizing invoiced costs for Machine Translation corrections during Correction type workflow steps.
This allows XTM to only measure the number of words or characters changed when correcting Machine Translated text, thus lowering the amount that linguists can invoice for MT translated text.
Without this option, all of the words in a Machine Translated segment are counted for any correction performed.
Set XTM status to green/done:
Auto-finish step on its due date:
Regardless of the status of the last step, this option when checked closes the project on its due date.
The due date is set in a Projects general section.
This option can trigger based on one of the following conditions:
The due date as it was originally entered.
Only when the due date is modified after a project has started.
Note
To have this option appear, goto the workflow options section and check the box beside the Auto-finish step on its due date option.
Once this is enabled then an option will appear to configure the triggering mechanism.
All segments must be completed to finish the task:
The default method for a workflow step to be deemed complete is by having the linguist/PM manually click a finish button in XTM Workbench at any point during a workflow step.
If this setting is checked, then the finish button is only available once all segments/strings are completed for the assigned task.
Warning
if ICE and/or leveraged matches are automatically locked then set them to complete in the project settings. Alternately allow linguists to unlock settings.