Choosing to translate your content with Smartling Language Services means your account and workflows are set up and assigned to resources automatically — no action required!

However, choosing a third-party translation agency requires some setting up in your account.

This article covers steps to adding a Translation Agency to your account. If you want information on how to add freelance translators (outside an Agency), read Inviting New Users.

Step 1: Contact your translation agency

Agree upon the following:

1. The Project Manager(s) that will be responsible for your account
2. What workflows will be used for translation
3. Any workflow configurations required, such as assignment and claiming
4. Their translation rates
5. Their Fuzzy Match Profile
6. SLAs and turnaround times

Step 2: Contact your Customer Success Manager

Provide them with the following:

1. The name of the Agency
2. The email address(es) of your Agency Project Manager(s)
3. The Smartling projects the Agency will work on
4. The Fuzzy Match Profile you and your agency have agreed upon

Your CSM will configure the Agency to your account, with the agreed Fuzzy Match Profile.

Step 3: Set up rates

Once the CSM has configured the Agency to your account, you must add their rate cards for translation costs.

Step 4: Give the agency workflow assignments

If the Agency works on new workflows, you must first create the workflows before adding workflow assignments.

When the workflow that the Agency will work on is created in your account, ensure the workflow steps are configured as required (assignment, claiming, revision, etc.).

Once the workflow has been created and configured, add workflow assignments for the agency using the Workflow Assignments page:

1. Go to Team > Workflow Assignments.
2. Select the workflow(s) the agency will work on using the checkboxes.
3. Click the Actions dropdown and select Edit Workflow Assignments.
4. Switch to the Agencies tab, then click a cell to assign the agency to the relevant locale pairs and workflow steps.
5. Click Next, review your changes, and click Save Changes.

For detailed instructions, see Manage Workflow Assignments: Account Owners & Project Managers.

Step 5: Contact the agency and confirm setup

Confirm with the Agency that they have been configured to your account, with rates and workflow assignments. It is then the Agency's responsibility to manage workflow assignments for their linguists and directly assign their linguists to content.

Your Agency will automatically have access to all of your Linguistic Assets from within Smartling.

You may want to consider granting them additional permissions on your account.

Video tutorials

Check out our video tutorials for:

1. Agency Owners
2. Translation Resource Managers
3. Translators and Editors
4. Reviewers