| Страници во темата: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you keep a record of all your projects (field, words, client, etc.)? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Muriel Vasconcellos (X) 
Соединети Американски Држави
Local time: 12:36
шпански на англиски
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| It's part of my billing system | Jun 25, 2013 |
I keep an annual Excel spreadsheet with all that information. I use it for billing, keeping track of late payments, and reporting my income. I keep previous years on file, and fairly often I go back to them for one reason or another.
Several of my main clients also also keep this information available for consultation. One of them has a list of projects dating all the way back to 1992, when I started freelancing (this time around--I also freelanced earlier). They show the project nu... See more I keep an annual Excel spreadsheet with all that information. I use it for billing, keeping track of late payments, and reporting my income. I keep previous years on file, and fairly often I go back to them for one reason or another.
Several of my main clients also also keep this information available for consultation. One of them has a list of projects dating all the way back to 1992, when I started freelancing (this time around--I also freelanced earlier). They show the project number, title of the document, number of words, dates the work was requested and delivered, invoicing records, and payments issued, ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Very handy for invoicing/bookkeeping | Jun 25, 2013 |
Pretty much as Muriel says.
I log in every project as it comes in (in a notebook...) noting client, title of document, number of words, date in, date due, date out, invoice number, amount (with and without VAT), date paid, time spent on project.... This notebook is on my desk to the right of my computer, so it's easily updated and I can see at a glance what I have in-house. I think it's required by Dutch law to keep some such record. I just like having it in writing....
| | | | Ty Kendall
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 20:36
еврејски на англиски
...but I'm sure the US and UK governments do
Thanks Edward Snowden!
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Samantha Payn
Обединето Кралство
Local time: 20:36
Член (2008)
руски на англиски
+ ...
| I voted no, but ... | Jun 25, 2013 |
I took the question to mean projects looked at from the content point of view.
Obviously my billing system includes much of that information, but not "field".
| | | | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 21:36
шпански на англиски
+ ...
"Keeping a record" sounds too much like hard work to me. I don't usually bother compiling this sort of information - my modus operandi usually consists of just not bothering to delete anything when I'm finished with it.
Basically, in the My Folders folder on my PC, there is a folder called WORK. Inside it, there is a folder for each client, colleague or collaborator. Inside each of these is a folder for each year, each of which contains a folder for each month, which contains the ch... See more "Keeping a record" sounds too much like hard work to me. I don't usually bother compiling this sort of information - my modus operandi usually consists of just not bothering to delete anything when I'm finished with it.
Basically, in the My Folders folder on my PC, there is a folder called WORK. Inside it, there is a folder for each client, colleague or collaborator. Inside each of these is a folder for each year, each of which contains a folder for each month, which contains the chronologically dated files received/translated/delivered. I usually keep a monthly note (or list) of the work done. When I get to the end of the year, I start a new folder. This way, if I ever need to go back to stuff I've done previously it shouldn't be too hard.
My curiosity aroused by the poll, I checked the properties of my Work folder, which I now know is 5,42 GB in size and contains 12913 files, in 3160 folders. Information which I find about as useful as it would be if I kept a more detailed record of my projects ( i.e. not very). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Chun Un
Макао
Член (2007)
англиски на кинески
+ ...
| Precisely... | Jun 25, 2013 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
...but I'm sure the US and UK governments do
Thanks Edward Snowden!
Best of luck to Snowden!
BTW, all my records are stored online...
[Edited at 2013-06-25 13:32 GMT]
| | | | Allison Wright (X)
Португалија
Local time: 20:36
Notebook at my side for reference purposes during the day - .
Excel spreadsheet with information which the tax department needs. I used to keep a very detailed spreadsheet; now it has been whittled down to the bare essentials.
Invoices provide the most complete record of an individual job.
My brain also does a pretty good job of noting things, too.
"Field" not necessary, much in the same way as I do not need a label which says "Coffee" on my coffee jar.
More... See more Notebook at my side for reference purposes during the day - .
Excel spreadsheet with information which the tax department needs. I used to keep a very detailed spreadsheet; now it has been whittled down to the bare essentials.
Invoices provide the most complete record of an individual job.
My brain also does a pretty good job of noting things, too.
"Field" not necessary, much in the same way as I do not need a label which says "Coffee" on my coffee jar.
More helpful to me are labels which say "ABC company - XYZ thing_2" ▲ Collapse
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Anna Wiman
Шведска
Local time: 21:36
германски на шведски
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| Record needed for invoicing | Jun 25, 2013 |
I agree with Muriel; I also keep an Excel document with all the relevant information that Susan mentioned to create invoices and I keep all other information the tax agency needs written down. Not keeping your books in order is a criminal offence in Sweden.
[Edited at 2013-06-25 11:23 GMT]
| | | | | Alright, guv'nor | Jun 25, 2013 |
I'll come quietly. 
Anna Wiman wrote:
Not keeping your books in order is a criminal offence in Sweden.
[Edited at 2013-06-25 11:23 GMT]
If this were the case over here, I'd be a regular jailbird! 
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I have an invoice folder and another with the synthesis of the invoices; so it is ready for taxes.
I have also a major folder by client; one subfolder contains administrative data like NDA etc;
there are as many subfolders as projects for this client, and in each one 2 folders: input file(s) and delivery, in this latter I keep the exact zip of the delivery.
The quotes and their answers are kept separately
Intermediary info from the mail exchanges is ... See more I have an invoice folder and another with the synthesis of the invoices; so it is ready for taxes.
I have also a major folder by client; one subfolder contains administrative data like NDA etc;
there are as many subfolders as projects for this client, and in each one 2 folders: input file(s) and delivery, in this latter I keep the exact zip of the delivery.
The quotes and their answers are kept separately
Intermediary info from the mail exchanges is not easy to manage:)
[Edited at 2013-06-25 12:48 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-06-25 12:50 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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For some 20 years or so I had a separate office with enough space, so I kept everything (really everything from copies of emails or letters to the files: in floppy disks!!!) in boxes or folders by client or by project, but then my children left the nest and I thought it was best to move the office back home. Consequently, I had to throw away a lot of stuff by lack of space. Now I am reduced to the last 10 years. I must say that when I look at those boxes I am reminded with a warm feeling in my h... See more For some 20 years or so I had a separate office with enough space, so I kept everything (really everything from copies of emails or letters to the files: in floppy disks!!!) in boxes or folders by client or by project, but then my children left the nest and I thought it was best to move the office back home. Consequently, I had to throw away a lot of stuff by lack of space. Now I am reduced to the last 10 years. I must say that when I look at those boxes I am reminded with a warm feeling in my heart of all the work and time I have put into it… ▲ Collapse
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| Little Red Book | Jun 25, 2013 |
It's all down there somewhere, in a series of "old skool" Silvine exercise books. Whether I can find it again, or whether I want to, is a different matter. But my new darling, the "Technical Glossary of Power and World Domination" continues to grow in Trados, with very satisfactory results.
Steve K.
| | | | Thayenga
Германија
Local time: 21:36
Член (2009)
англиски на германски
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| Normally yes | Jun 25, 2013 |
Keeping all projects and affiliated TMs is routine for me, especially since it did happen that a client came back with the request to have the former translation "edited", also adding new words or sentences.
Keeping all invoices and receipts of payment is required by law here.
Even when a client requests that all records be returned to him or her, the invoice stays with me.
Pleasing the client, yes...going to jail or risking a fine, definitely not.![]() ... See more Keeping all projects and affiliated TMs is routine for me, especially since it did happen that a client came back with the request to have the former translation "edited", also adding new words or sentences.
Keeping all invoices and receipts of payment is required by law here.
Even when a client requests that all records be returned to him or her, the invoice stays with me.
Pleasing the client, yes...going to jail or risking a fine, definitely not. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Шпанија
Local time: 20:36
Член (2007)
англиски
+ ...
| Yes, but not of unfruitful (so far) contacts | Jun 25, 2013 |
My actual work data goes in two spreadsheets, one for client data and the other for job data. They're used to populate the invoice. They ought to be designed better, but they'll do for now.
But I don't have anything recorded for the contacts that don't result in immediate jobs, and that's a problem. For example, if I quote for a job here on ProZ.com, I then have no record apart from the email I send, or the quote that's stored on the system (if they asked for quotes through ProZ.co... See more My actual work data goes in two spreadsheets, one for client data and the other for job data. They're used to populate the invoice. They ought to be designed better, but they'll do for now.
But I don't have anything recorded for the contacts that don't result in immediate jobs, and that's a problem. For example, if I quote for a job here on ProZ.com, I then have no record apart from the email I send, or the quote that's stored on the system (if they asked for quotes through ProZ.com). The same thing applies to contacts from everywhere else. Sometimes I can find the emails easily enough, although it can be difficult knowing exactly what I was quoting for, as that information has often been lost, but at other times, if their email adress has changed radically, I may not be able to link the two at all. With my 57-year-old memory, this is now becoming something of an embarrassment if they contact me again. What rates and terms did I quote last time?
But it just seems too much work to undertake for a "maybe". What do others do about such contacts? ▲ Collapse
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