| Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4] > | Poll: What do you use to schedule your work? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What do you use to schedule your work?".
This poll was originally submitted by Rita Utt. View the poll results »
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I can’t keep it all in my head: I can have anything up to 5 or 6 jobs scheduled for a single week or 1 job lasting for months, so I have a simple spreadsheet template for every month containing: date of assignment, my reference number, client name, project reference, language combination, translation or edition, number of words or hours, deadline, invoice number and a column for observations, namely if there are any special requirements. I also print out the PO or the email and keep each in a ... See more I can’t keep it all in my head: I can have anything up to 5 or 6 jobs scheduled for a single week or 1 job lasting for months, so I have a simple spreadsheet template for every month containing: date of assignment, my reference number, client name, project reference, language combination, translation or edition, number of words or hours, deadline, invoice number and a column for observations, namely if there are any special requirements. I also print out the PO or the email and keep each in a clear plastic folder in the correct date order on my desk. So far, it has worked fine… ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Outlook Calendar | Apr 5, 2022 |
I have color-coded categories in Outlook and add slots in Outlook Calendar to allocate time to projects. I am curious to see what solutions you find most useful.
| | | | Ventnai 
Spain
Local time: 15:50
German to English
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| Other: Trados | Apr 5, 2022 |
I have all deadlines configured in Trados, so I know what order to do everything in. If I have a very large number of jobs and it gets complicated to calculate how long I need to complete everything, I'll write them down on paper, in Word or in Excel. If I have proofreading or a project I can't do in Trados, I'll set a reminder in Outlook.
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I use Toggl Plan (not a software, it's actually online) and it works very well for me. I used to keep a spreadsheet, but it got very complicated at one point. Toggl Plan makes it all much clearer – at least for me.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:50
Spanish to English
+ ...
A wing and a prayer, maybe. I tend to deal with jobs as they come in, and in order of deadline urgency. I might occasionally write down on a scrap of paper the names of the clients whose documents are pending when the list gets to more than four or five.
However, right now, I only have two jobs on - one revision of an academic text for a university, which I've already given the once over, and will probably finish this afternoon. The other is a translation which has already been paid for, ... See more A wing and a prayer, maybe. I tend to deal with jobs as they come in, and in order of deadline urgency. I might occasionally write down on a scrap of paper the names of the clients whose documents are pending when the list gets to more than four or five.
However, right now, I only have two jobs on - one revision of an academic text for a university, which I've already given the once over, and will probably finish this afternoon. The other is a translation which has already been paid for, and I should be able to finish it by tomorrow or Thursday, depending on any interruptions that might arise. I'm afraid that's about as organised as I get in terms of "scheduling"... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ana Vozone
Local time: 14:50
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
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| A very simple printed calendar | Apr 5, 2022 |
on my desk.
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Sławomira Kaczmarek wrote:
I have color-coded categories in Outlook and add slots in Outlook Calendar to allocate time to projects. I am curious to see what solutions you find most useful.
I use Google Calendar... 
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Daniel Fernandes
Brazil
Local time: 10:50
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
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| Google Tasks (Google Tarefas) | Apr 5, 2022 |
As I use Google Gmail, Google Tasks is very convenient for me.
I use it on both laptop and smartphone
Cheers.
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An A4 sheet with columns headed: Date | VAT no. | Details | Send | Rate/Currency | Source Words | With VAT | Hours
Pen and pencil for filling in and crossing off after delivery and invoicing.
I made the template years ago. This sheet is my tool for invoicing, but the way I use it has evolved, so some of the columns are not always used for what the heading suggests... However, it works. It ain't broke, so don't fix it!
I fill in the incoming date and ... See more An A4 sheet with columns headed: Date | VAT no. | Details | Send | Rate/Currency | Source Words | With VAT | Hours
Pen and pencil for filling in and crossing off after delivery and invoicing.
I made the template years ago. This sheet is my tool for invoicing, but the way I use it has evolved, so some of the columns are not always used for what the heading suggests... However, it works. It ain't broke, so don't fix it!
I fill in the incoming date and the deadline (= Send, which is shorter) as soon as the job is confirmed.
Details means client name, their reference and a keyword or file name to tell me what the job is about - that is the biggest column. Comments like ASAP in red, or anything else I need to know is also entered there.
Then I use the other columns as needed - 'With VAT ' is frequently used to note total words beside the billable 'weighted words' in the source words column.
I send monthly invoices with several jobs to many clients, and calculate the VAT for the total. Clients in Norway and the UK are not charged VAT.
I note the VAT number for new clients, but otherwise I use that column for my own invoice number and a tick when the invoice is mailed to the client. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 15:50
French to English
I have a spreadsheet where I log all my jobs, it's both a to-do list and a "done" list.
That gives me the big picture.
Then I also scribble my targets for the day (or for the week if I'm on a single big project) on a piece of rough paper. That usually sits on top of my notebooks just next to the computer, so I can easily see how far I've got without having to pull up the spreadsheet.
| | | | James Plastow
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:50
Member (2020)
Japanese to English
I have a big whiteboard next to my desk. Then I use coloured dry-wipe magnetic labels, one for each job. Its a nice way to do it for me.
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| Both paper planner and digital planner | Apr 5, 2022 |
I use both a paper planner, which is faster to use and I love writing on paper, and a digital planner (Good notes app), which is convenient when I go away and don't want to carry lots of stuff with me. I also use the calendar app on my phone, because I can set alerts and reminders very easily there, and at the end of the month I can easily keep track of all the projects and tasks I have worked on.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 15:50
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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I use a Word file with dates that I regularly add to the bottom and remove from the top. When I get a job, I create a folder on my desktop for that job which includes the name of the client, a PO number, and the deadline date. I copy that folder's name into my Word file, and add some more information about the job, e.g. the size of the job, the exact time of the deadline, and how long I expect it to take. If a job's files are not yet available, I add "waiting" to the end of the folder name an... See more I use a Word file with dates that I regularly add to the bottom and remove from the top. When I get a job, I create a folder on my desktop for that job which includes the name of the client, a PO number, and the deadline date. I copy that folder's name into my Word file, and add some more information about the job, e.g. the size of the job, the exact time of the deadline, and how long I expect it to take. If a job's files are not yet available, I add "waiting" to the end of the folder name and put it in italics in the Word file. Then it's just a matter of checking the Word file now and then to make sure I still have enough time for each job before its deadline. When a job is done, I move the job's folder from the desktop to an archive folder and delete it from the Word file. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sebastian Witte
Germany
Local time: 15:50
Member (2004)
English to German
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| Todoist, Google Calendar, Essential PIM Pro | Apr 5, 2022 |
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