Process Designer


Overview

Process Designer enables you to customize the process used in a specific Smart project or quote. You can use the Process Designer to create a unique step sequence or temporarily change the steps' characteristics.

Changes you make to a process in the Process Designer won't affect the selected process template.

To access the Process Designer, go to the Process card of a Smart project or quote and click the Edit Process button.

The Process Designer consists of the Main Data card, Process card, and side panel (Steps to be Used in Process panel or job configuration panel).

To confirm changes to the process, click the Apply Changes button in the page's right-hand top corner.


Main Data card

In the Main Data card, you can change the process type: Regular Process or Integrated with memoQ.

For Integrated with memoQ processes, select the memoQ instance.


Process card

In the Process card, you can:

  • Add a step to the process. To do so, drag and drop the selected step from the Steps to be Used in Process side panel to the highlighted slot in the Process card.
    Note: Place all the necessary steps in one consistent line to create a smooth process.

  • Remove a step. To do so, select it in the Process card and click the Delete button that appears in the top right-hand corner.

Only steps with an Open status can be deleted.

  • Change the steps' order. To do so, delete the step you want to move and then drag and drop it again to the correct place.


Steps to be Used in Process side panel

This panel appears on the right when no step is selected on the Process card.

In the Steps to be Used in Process side panel, you can:

  • Select a step to add it to the process. This panel contains active step types available in the Home Portal grouped in the following sections:

    • CAT Tool (for Integrated with memoQ process type only) - steps linked with specific memoQ steps.

    • Manual File Delivery (language-dependent steps, such as Translation and independent, such as File Preparation, DTP, etc.) - steps performed by a vendor on the Vendor Portal (vendors get a list of files shared with the job and are asked to upload result files). Language-independent steps can also be performed by Home Portal users outside the Vendor Portal.

    • Manual File Verification (Editing, Proofreading, etc.) - verification steps performed by a vendor on the Vendor Portal. Vendors get a list of files shared with the job and are asked to verify each uploaded file and set their verification status to Verified or Needs Correction. Vendors can also upload additional files.

    • Script (scripted steps) - automatic steps defined by a user-provided script. The script can react to specific events in the project and perform operations on the job or communicate with remote services.

  • Add new steps or edit the available ones. To do so, click the Configure Steps button at the bottom of the side panel. You will be directed to the Process Steps (Smart) section of the Configuration menu > Projects and Quotes.


Job configuration side panel

This panel appears on the right when you select a step on the Process card.

Here you can:

  • Set up the job auto-starting strategy in the Automatically Start Job when section:

     

    • Don't start - jobs in the selected step will not get auto-started. A manual start is required.

    • Any preceding Job is Ready (default setting) - jobs in the selected step will get auto-started when any preceding job for the same language combination gets the Ready status.

    • All preceding Jobs are Ready - this setting has two scenarios:

      • For steps that consist of a single job - the selected step will be started only after all jobs in the preceding steps are either Ready or Canceled.

      • For steps that consist of several jobs - the job in the step will be started after the preceding job for the same language combination gets the Ready or Canceled status.

  • Set up the default vendor selecting strategy in the Default Vendor section:

     

    • None (default setting) - no default resource is assigned to the step.

    • Current Project Manager - assigns the current Project Manager to the step (the user needs to be linked with a vendor);

    • Current Project Coordinator - assigns the current Project Coordinator to the step (the user needs to be linked with a vendor);

    • Specific Vendor - assigns a selected vendor to the step. Click the Select Vendor button or the name of the previously selected vendor. The Select Vendor pop-up window appears. Click on the desired vendor and then the Select Vendor button at the bottom of the pop-up.

    • Send Job Offers according to rule - sends job offers for the step. To activate this strategy, select a rule from the drop-down list. If you want the step to get auto-started, check the Vendor is selected from Job Offers box in the Automatically Start Job when section.

  • Set up the file flow. You can separately select which files will be provided by the PM or client and which will be delivered from the previous step. For the first step in the process, you can only select file categories for the PM or Client source. For your convenience, the most often used file categories are pre-selected.

    • In the Work Files for Vendor section, select the categories of files that will be provided as work files.

       

    • In the Reference Files for Vendor section, select the categories of files that will be provided as reference files.

       

    • In the Files to be Delivered by Vendor section, select the categories of files that will be sent to the next step in the process.

       

    • (For memoQ-integrated steps) In the memoQ Integration section, select whether you want to Try to deliver files to the next memoQ step when Job is finished and Automatically download Translated Documents to XTRF when Job is finished.

       

      Note: When you add a step to the process, it is automatically included in the file flow. This step will receive initial reference files and work files from the previous step and deliver files to the next one (if applicable).

  • Set up the minimum job duration for the step in the Scheduling section. The Use default duration from Automatic Job Dates option is selected by default (to learn more about this option, see the Projects and Quotes - Automatic Job Dates article). You may switch to Define specific Minimum Job Duration option and provide a custom duration.

     

  • Allow the vendor to evaluate the previous step in the Evaluation section.
    Note: This section is not available for the first step in the process and scripted steps.

     

  • Check the step details in the Step Information section. Hover over the icon to get more information about the step and job type.