Translation project management

Translation project management software for the work and the business behind it

Agencies and language teams usually juggle a TMS for the work, a business management system for vendors and costs, and spreadsheets to connect the two. LanguageOps keeps quotes, projects, linguists, purchase orders, invoices and reporting beside the editor, memory, AI and QA.

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  • Projects, people and costs together
  • Unlimited production collaborators
  • Reseller and white-label on Agency
LanguageOps account dashboard showing active projects, words per target language, costs, purchase orders outstanding, projects by stage and stage timing
The project manager's problem

The work is in one tool. Everything about the work is somewhere else.

A translation project manager spends much of the day copying information between systems: word counts into a quote, assignments into emails, deadlines into a tracker, linguist rates into a PO, finished jobs into a spreadsheet for invoicing. Each copy is a chance for an error and a reason the numbers do not match.

  • Projects and progress in one view

    See every project by stage, from file processing through translation, QA and human review to completion, with segment-level progress behind each one.

  • Linguists and assignments

    Assign files or ranges to translators, reviewers and proofreaders, invite unlimited production collaborators, and keep each linguist’s work and POs on record.

  • Invoices from the real job

    Quote from the file analysis, raise POs for linguists, and invoice the client from the same commercial lines, so the numbers match from quote to payment.

Managing a translation project

From request to paid supplier

  1. Scope

    Analyse the request

    Upload files and get word counts and memory matches per language, so scope and cost are based on the actual content.

  2. Plan

    Build the team

    Choose the workflow stages, split large files, and assign linguists from your own network or the LanguageOps marketplace.

  3. Track

    Watch it move

    Follow projects by stage and language, answer questions in segment comments, and see where time is being spent with stage timing.

  4. Close

    Deliver, invoice and settle

    Run QA and deliver the files, invoice the client, receive supplier invoices against approved POs, and sync the lot to Xero.

Project and business management features

What agencies and localisation teams manage in LanguageOps

All of this sits beside the translation tools, so project data and production data are the same data.

  • Quotes and rate rules

    Price profiles and rate rules per client, language pair and service, with versioned quotes built from the actual file analysis.

  • Client invoicing

    Issue invoices, proformas and credit notes as PDFs from project commercial lines, record payments and allocate them against invoices.

  • Supplier invoices

    Linguists and vendors submit invoices against the payables you have approved, through their own provider portal, so nothing is billed twice.

  • Statements and ageing

    Current client and supplier statements, ageing and payment-run review, kept separate by currency for multi-currency businesses.

  • Xero integration

    Sync invoices, bills and payments to Xero, keeping your accounting system as the ledger of record.

  • Account dashboard

    Active projects, words in period, projects by stage, words and cost per target language and department, and average time to completion.

  • Purchase orders

    Create PO records for provider work, export them as PDFs, and track which are outstanding and which are paid.

  • Client and vendor records

    Client accounts, contacts and terms; provider profiles with qualifications and documents; per-linguist POs, open work, words, and paid and outstanding balances.

  • Marketplace

    Find and hire vetted linguists by language pair and specialism, or publish your own profile if you are a provider.

  • Workflow and notifications

    Translation, review and proofreading stages with automated routing, plus in-app and email notifications for assignments, comments and status changes.

  • Client and provider portals

    Clients submit requests, follow progress, receive deliveries and see their invoices. Providers see their POs and submit invoices. Branded client portals are available on Enterprise.

  • Reseller and white-label

    Agency plans can resell LanguageOps to their own clients, with white-label sub-accounts on Enterprise.

  • API and MCP

    Create projects and move files from your own systems, or let AI agents drive routine project steps.

One subscription

Project management, TMS and CAT editor on every plan

Team plans start at £1,000/month for 20 management seats and 1M words, with unlimited production collaborators. Agency plans add reseller options and a dedicated account manager.

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What translation project management covers

Every translation project, whether it runs inside an agency or an in-house localisation team, goes through the same stages:

  1. Intake and scoping: receive files and instructions, confirm languages, deadlines and quality level, and analyse word counts and memory matches.
  2. Quoting and approval: price the work from the analysis and agree scope with the client or internal requester.
  3. Preparation: convert or engineer difficult files, attach translation memory, termbase and style guide, and set up the workflow.
  4. Resourcing: choose translators, reviewers and proofreaders by language pair, specialism and availability, and issue assignments.
  5. Production: translation, review and proofreading, with questions answered in context.
  6. Quality assurance: automated QA and linguistic quality checks before delivery.
  7. Delivery: return files in their original format, or push them back to the source system.
  8. Close-out: update memory and terminology, pay suppliers, invoice the client and record what the job cost.

Traditional setups split these stages across two or three products. Production happens in a TMS or CAT tool, and scoping, resourcing and close-out happen in a translation business management system or a spreadsheet. The more systems involved, the more time goes on re-keying data and reconciling numbers.

TMS, TBMS or both?

Need Typically handled by In LanguageOps
Files, formats and editor CAT tool / TMS Browser CAT editor, 80+ formats
Memory, terminology, AI, QA TMS Included on every plan
Workflow stages and assignments TMS Translation, review and proofreading stages
Linguist network and hiring TBMS / spreadsheets Linguist records and marketplace
Quotes and rate cards TBMS Price profiles, rate rules and versioned quotes
Purchase orders and supplier invoices TBMS POs, supplier invoice submission against approved payables
Client invoicing, credit notes, payments TBMS Invoices, proformas, credit notes, payment allocation, statements and ageing
Reporting by language, client area or linguist TBMS / BI tool Account dashboard
Client self-service TBMS portal Client portals on Enterprise
Accounting and statutory finance Accounting software Xero sync; Xero stays the ledger

If you run the business from a separate TBMS such as Plunet or XTRF, or from spreadsheets, LanguageOps can replace both that layer and the TMS and CAT licences underneath it: quote, produce, pay suppliers and invoice clients from one set of records. If you would rather keep your TBMS, LanguageOps can still sit underneath it as the production system.

What to look for in translation project management software

  • One source of truth for word counts: the analysis used to scope the job should be the same one used to pay the linguist.
  • Stage-level visibility: you should see what is stuck in translation or review without asking anyone.
  • Supplier records tied to real work: POs and linguist balances should come from assignments, not from a separate list.
  • Invoices that match the quote: client invoices should be raised from the same commercial lines that were quoted and delivered, and flow to your accounting system without re-keying.
  • Assets that improve over time: every approved job should strengthen memory and terminology for the next.
  • Unlimited collaborators: per-seat pricing for freelancers makes agencies ration access. LanguageOps charges for management seats, not production collaborators.
  • An exit route: TMX, TBX and XLIFF export, so your language assets are never locked in.

For agencies consolidating their stack, the TMS pricing comparison shows realistic annual costs for 1M and 5M-word workloads across LanguageOps and the major TMS vendors. If you would rather hand a project over entirely, see managed translation services.

Frequently asked questions

Translation project management, explained

What is translation project management?
Translation project management is the planning and coordination of a translation job from request to delivery: scoping and quoting, preparing files, choosing and assigning linguists, managing the workflow and deadlines, checking quality, delivering, and paying suppliers.
What does a translation project manager use software for?
To analyse files and word counts, assign work to translators and reviewers, track progress and deadlines, keep memories and terminology consistent, run quality checks, and record supplier costs and purchase orders, ideally without copying data between tools.
What is a translation business management system (TBMS)?
A TBMS manages the commercial side of a language business: clients, vendors, rates, quotes, purchase orders, invoices and reporting. Traditional TBMS products do not include a translation editor and integrate with a separate CAT tool or TMS. LanguageOps combines quoting, project, vendor, invoicing and cost management with the editor, AI and QA.
What is the difference between a TMS and a TBMS?
A TMS manages the translation work: files, workflow, memory, terminology and quality. A TBMS manages the business around it: customers, suppliers, pricing, purchase orders and finance. Many agencies run both and connect them. See our translation management system page for the TMS side.
Can I invoice clients from LanguageOps?
Yes. Invoices, proformas and credit notes are issued from the project’s commercial lines, so they match the quote and the work delivered. Payments are recorded and allocated against invoices, with statements and ageing by currency.
Does LanguageOps replace my accounting software?
No. It handles the operational side of invoicing, supplier bills and payments, and syncs them to Xero. Your accounting system stays the ledger of record for bank reconciliation, tax and statutory accounts.
Is it suitable for translation agencies?
Yes. LanguageOps was built by a working translator with experience on both the agency and client side. Agency plans include 50 management seats, 5M words and 125M AI tokens a month, API access, reseller options and a dedicated account manager.

See your agency's workflow in one system

Show us how a project moves through your business today. We will map it to projects, assignments, POs and reporting in LanguageOps.

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