Questions concerning differing word counts and invoicing Thread poster: Helen Westén
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Ok, so I'm about to send out my first invoice!
However, I'm a bit confused. The PM sent me a purchase order including a CATCount result, with the word count and amount due. However, after having made several changes, even in 100% matches, the word count differs a lot. Should I base my invoice on the CATCount I performed after translating the files or should I go with the PM's? The thing is, in my CATCount the word cou... See more Ok, so I'm about to send out my first invoice!
However, I'm a bit confused. The PM sent me a purchase order including a CATCount result, with the word count and amount due. However, after having made several changes, even in 100% matches, the word count differs a lot. Should I base my invoice on the CATCount I performed after translating the files or should I go with the PM's? The thing is, in my CATCount the word count is 3 times as high as the PM's. I did have to make quite a few changes, like spelling, spacing etc. But since the No Match count rose from under 700 to almost 9,000 and 100% matches decreased from 12,000 to 900, I'm afraid I've done something wrong?! Shouldn't minor changes to 100% matches turn the segments into fuzzy matches or does it make them No Matches? Can the Trados analysis be 100% trusted? I'm just afraid to send out an incorrect invoice!
Also, how specific should an invoice be? Do you list the different degrees of matches on the invoice or do you just refer to the project number/name?
Any input would be greatly appreciated! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | And how many words did you translate? | Feb 18, 2011 |
SweHelen wrote:
But since the No Match count rose from under 700 to almost 9,000 and 100% matches decreased from 12,000 to 900, I'm afraid I've done something wrong?!
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Also, how specific should an invoice be? Do you list the different degrees of matches on the invoice or do you just refer to the project number/name?
Any input would be greatly appreciated!
It should be fairly easy for you to determine where the error is, depending on how much effort and time you invested translating.
I am assuming the PM sent you a TM that you used to translate. You say No matches "multiplied" by more than 9 times. Did you translate 9000 words from scratch?
And you say that 100% matches decreased 11 times, actually resulting in 11 times more fuzzy matches. Did you have to make changes to almost 11,000 fuzzy matches?
Judging by your word count I suppose it took you at least 2 to 3 days to finish the job. If that was not the case, there must be something wrong with your word count. I would, however, ask politely for a confirmation of the word count. The PM should have no problem reproducing the word count because he/she has the original document and the original TM.
On the invoice, I would no itemize the degrees of matches, that is on the PO.
[Edited at 2011-02-18 00:54 GMT]
One more thing, perform the word count before translating. It makes no sense to count words after the TM has been updated.
[Edited at 2011-02-18 00:57 GMT] Actually, I missed that when I read the message. Now that I read that you performed a word count after translating, the whole thing makes no sense. In any case, everything should be 100% match.
[Edited at 2011-02-18 01:01 GMT]
| | | | | What are you doing exactly? | Feb 18, 2011 |
From your posting I assume you are using Trados.
The PM run the analysis on a TM he/she provided to you, right?
Did you run an analysis of the source files right after you received them along with the TM?
Did that match what the PO said?
Now, you are talking about running the analysis AFTER you translated the file?
This does not make much sense, so please clarify, what you did.
Did you run the analysis on the bilingual file using the updated TM? In that... See more From your posting I assume you are using Trados.
The PM run the analysis on a TM he/she provided to you, right?
Did you run an analysis of the source files right after you received them along with the TM?
Did that match what the PO said?
Now, you are talking about running the analysis AFTER you translated the file?
This does not make much sense, so please clarify, what you did.
Did you run the analysis on the bilingual file using the updated TM? In that case, you should have found pretty much everything 100% match.
Or did you run the analysis on the bilingual file using the original (not updated) TM? In that case you should have found the same results as before translation, unless something significant changed, such as you processed the original Word file in Tageditor and you are analyzing the ttx file and compare the results to the analysis originally ran on the doc file.
Or did you run the analysis on the clean TARGET file?
Katalin ▲ Collapse
| | | | Åsa Campbell 
Australia
Local time: 20:07
Member
English to Swedish
| Analysis is done on the source file | Feb 18, 2011 |
The analysisi in Trados is always done on the source file and hence will not change.
It is a good idea to run the analysis on the file(s) sent before you start translate to check that it matches the purchase order. If there are discreptences it could be because you have different settings in Workbench and you should then always ask the agency for the settings they used and adjust yours accordingly.
If you indeed belive the word count in the purchase order is incorrect y... See more The analysisi in Trados is always done on the source file and hence will not change.
It is a good idea to run the analysis on the file(s) sent before you start translate to check that it matches the purchase order. If there are discreptences it could be because you have different settings in Workbench and you should then always ask the agency for the settings they used and adjust yours accordingly.
If you indeed belive the word count in the purchase order is incorrect you will have to raise this with the agency before you send your invoice and if they agree they will have to raise a new purchase order with the correct word count/price. I do not think any agency will pay an invoice with a price that differs from the purchase order.
Hope this helps,
Asa ▲ Collapse
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Helen Westén
Sweden
Local time: 12:37
English to Swedish
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for all your input! I realize I made a mistake and did not analyze the files upon receipt and instead went through with the process after the translation was finished. My mistake! Thank you for taking the time to answer my (stupid I now realize) question!
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