Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Saira Farman
Every organization attempts to achieve its goals in an efficient way. And the same is the case for translation services. They aim to enhance their customer service so that they can satisfy the needs of the consumers. However, this goal is not as easy as one might think it to be. The entire business operations and organization functions have to be molded in a way so that all the departments are in sync with each other so that ultimately a greater customer satisfaction could be achieved. But in order to achieve that the organizational structure should improve the localization management platform that the company is utilizing. The organizational structure allows translation firms to segment and departmentalize the translation procedures. The reason why some translation firms are able to achieve more in a short span of time, as compared to others, is the fact that they invest a lot of resources into adopting the best translation management system. These systems constitute six major tenets:
- Work Specialization
- Departmentalization
- Chain of command
- Span of control
- Centralization and decentralization
Table of Contents
Work Specialization
One of the most important factors in translation firms is to reach daily goals and targets. Every output has to be completed at a certain time frame and date. This can only be done if every role and responsibility is given to the employee who is the specialist of that particular task.
For instance, the workers must be specialized in job tasks like researching target audience, translating technical content, translating non-technical content, reviewing and revisions, editing, quality assurance, customer care, customer feedback, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, evaluation reporting, etc.
The above-mentioned tasks are examples of work specialization. So the aim over here is to appoint the task to a worker pertaining to his individual skill level. In translation services, the tasks are very technical, hence, the workers required have to be technical as well.
You cannot appoint such tasks to workers with lower skill levels and expect good results. For, instance, legal translations can only be performed by those translators with a background in legal studies.
Departmentalization
Once translation firms have appointed the tasks to the specialized workers, the next step would be to group all these workers and create a specific department for them. Some of the best translation management systems in the world allow well-organized departments to work in coordination with each other to minimize errors. This aspect is known as Departmentalization.
So if we take the example of an efficient translation agency, it tries to implement the best localization platform. These systems help the efficient functioning of the different departments. These departments may include the sales department, after-sales, marketing, account management, quality assurance, operations, etc.
Chain of Command
An organization cannot function properly without a proper chain of commands. However, with the advent of time, changes in the organizational structure enabled the chain of commands to become more efficient. The localization management platform cannot be utilized properly until and unless there is a proper structure to buttress its operation.
You can implement the best translation management system out there, but if the organization is not able to support the proper functioning of that system, then it’s of no use. The process of a chain of commands is not what it used to be decades ago. Right now, firms are endeavoring to make it more approachable and less rigid.
Decentralization is what enables innovation and efficient functioning of management systems. But still there need to be an element of authority in every workplace. This authority is what motivates people to get the job done and to get it done in the way it is expected from them.
Span of Control
In an organization, if the number of employees is greater than the capacity of the manager who is responsible for them, then the organization cannot function efficiently. Many translation firms negated the traditional and old narrative of a manager not being recommended to supervise more than 7 subordinates.
Now the functioning has become more efficient. The number of departments is set as per the needs and goals of the organization. Moreover, in order to make the process easier, the inculcation of translation management systems helps to coordinate the human translators with the managers.
Centralization and Decentralization
The difference between centralization and decentralization is actually the difference between a successful translation agency and an unsuccessful one. But the important thing to realize is that a firm has to decide for its self which path it wants to pursue.
A centralized organizational structure will enable rigid authoritarian rules in which the upper management will decide the daily operations and the vision and goals of the firm. On the contrary, if the organization is decentralized, then even the lower-level employees can chip in their contributions into how the company should be operated.
Nonetheless, a translation agency that is implementing a translation management system can function well in both a centralized and decentralized organizational structure. So it all depends upon what the management decides.
Conclusion
In this article, we tried to discuss how organizational structure improves the translation management system. Conclusively, the point under discussion was that the management has the power to decide its future. If translation firms want to upgrade their operations and implement an advanced translation management system, then they need to adjust their organizational structure accordingly.
Apart from that, if you are interested to know about Professional legal translation service then visit our Business category.
