The Top 8 Tasks Translation Agencies Should Automate Right Now

Many translation agencies ask the same question: “What are the top tasks an agency should automate to save time and stop losing clients?” The answer is simple: agencies waste the most hours on manual invoicing, project tracking, vendor management, client communication, and repetitive admin work. These tasks don’t just drain team leads; they also cause late deliveries, errors, and unhappy clients.

In 2025, automation is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between an agency that scales profitably and one that keeps firefighting. By automating the 7 most common time-wasting tasks, language service providers (LSPs) can cut delays, improve accuracy, and retain high-value clients.

This guide explains exactly which tasks to automate, why they matter, and how tools like Awtomated help agencies run smarter operations.

Why is automation so important for businesses?

Think of a business like a busy classroom.
If the teacher had to write everyone’s homework by hand, check every notebook one by one, and run to each student to answer the same question, she would get very tired and make mistakes.

That’s what happens to businesses when they do everything manually.

Automation is like having a smart helper.

• It saves time by doing the boring, repetitive work.
  
• It reduces errors because the helper never forgets or gets tired.
  
• It makes client communication easier, so no one feels left out or ignored.
  
• It helps businesses grow faster because people can focus on major tasks instead of small chores.

This is why many companies, from small shops to big agencies, use automation tools. They want to spend less time on busy work and more time on serving clients, building trust, and scaling their business.

Which Tasks Should My Business Focus on Automating?

Running a business is not easy. Every day, there are so many small jobs that eat up your time. You think you are working hard, but often you are just repeating the same task again and again. This is where automation comes in.

Automation means letting software do the boring jobs so you and your team can focus on real work. In fact, a McKinsey report shows that 60% of jobs have at least 30% tasks that can be automated. For agencies like translation companies (LSPs), this number is even higher.

So the big question is: which tasks should my business focus on automating first?
Let’s go step by step.

1. Invoicing and Payment Follow-Ups

Money matters. But creating invoices manually and chasing payments is a huge time sink.

Example: An LSP owner told me they spend 10 hours each week just fixing invoice errors. Wrong client names, wrong amounts, missed tax lines. Every mistake delays payment by weeks.

Why automate?

• Automated invoicing tools create error-free bills in seconds.
• They can link directly with client POs, so no mismatch.
• Auto-reminders can chase late payments politely without you sending 10 emails.

Businesses that use e-invoicing get paid 3 times faster than those sending manual invoices.

With tools like Awtomated, you can even send vendor POs, client invoices, and reminders in one system, with zero chaos.

2. Project Tracking

Every project has deadlines, files, updates, and people involved. Tracking all of this on Excel or email is a nightmare.

Example: One translation team managed 50 projects in Excel. Files got lost, updates got missed, and they nearly lost a big pharma client because one deadline slipped.

Why automate?

• You get a dashboard that shows project status live.
• Clients can check progress without chasing you.
• Team leads don’t waste time updating 10 different sheets.

Tip: Use automation to set alerts. If a project is close to the deadline, the system pings the PM and the vendor instantly. No more “Oops, I forgot.”

3. Vendor Management

Agencies depend on vendors. But finding the right freelancer, checking rates, sending POs, and tracking availability, this eats up days every month.

Example: An agency working with 200 freelancers spent more time on vendor emails than client work.

Why automate?

• The vendor database is updated in one place.
  
• Smart matching: the system picks the right vendor for the job based on language, rate, and past performance.
  
• POs go out automatically once the client confirms the project.

According to CSA Research, LSPs waste 25–30% of project time on vendor communication. Automation cuts this by half.

4. Client Communication

Poor communication = lost clients. Simple.

Clients hate waiting for updates. They also hate long email chains where nobody knows the latest file version.

Example: One LSP lost a Fortune 500 client because the client got three different translations of the same file. Each came from a different email thread. Chaos.

Why automate?

• All client communication happens in one platform.
• Clients can log in and see updates instantly.
• Automated notifications keep them informed (project started, file ready, invoice sent).

Tip: Centralise everything. One place, one timeline, zero confusion.

5. File Handling

Translation projects involve hundreds of files. Naming them manually, storing them in folders, and sharing them by email is risky.

Why automate?

• Automated file handling systems rename files properly.
• Versions are tracked so nobody overwrites work.
• Clients and vendors access files from one portal.

A marketing agency lost a client campaign because the wrong version of a product manual was delivered. With automated version control, this mistake never happens.

6. Reporting and Analytics

Most businesses don’t know where their time goes. Without data, you can’t improve.

Why automate?

• Revenue reports, cost per project, vendor performance, and client activity are generated automatically.
  
• No need to spend hours making charts in Excel.
  
• You get insights to cut waste and grow smarter.

Companies that track performance with automation grow 2x faster than those that rely on manual reporting.

7. Repetitive Admin Work

This is the hidden monster. Approvals, reminders, data entry, updating CRMs, all of this eats time but adds no value.

Why automate?

• Approval workflows can run automatically.
• Calendar reminders are sent without manual effort.
• CRM entries sync directly from client emails.

Example: A team lead said they save 5 hours per week just because client data now flows from email to CRM without manual copy-paste.

8. Feedback Collection and NPS Surveys

Most agencies lose clients quietly because they never ask for feedback. In fact, 80% of unhappy clients don’t complain; they just switch vendors.

Manual follow-ups don’t work, PMs forget, clients ignore long emails, and insights get lost in inboxes.

With automation, every project delivery can trigger a short survey or NPS score request, stored in one dashboard. This helps you spot unhappy clients early, track vendor performance, and even collect testimonials.

One LSP discovered through automated surveys that clients weren’t upset about quality, but about unclear updates. Fixing communication boosted retention within weeks.

So, Which Tasks First?

Not every business can automate everything at once. Start where you lose the most time.

1. If cash flow is your biggest pain → automate invoicing.
   
2. If deadlines slip often → automate project tracking.
   
3. If clients complain about updates → automate communication.
   

Then move on to vendor management, file handling, reports, and admin tasks.

How Awtomated Helps

Most tools solve one problem. Awtomated solves many.

• It combines invoicing, vendor management, client communication, and project tracking in one platform.
  
• It removes the “spreadsheet + email chaos” that makes agencies lose money and clients.
  
• Agencies using Awtomated report saving 30–40% of project management time.

When you cut manual work, your team lead finally has time for what matters: clients, quality, and growth.

Closing Thought

Automation is not about replacing humans. It’s about removing the boring parts so humans can do the smart parts.

If you don’t automate, you stay stuck. Clients will go to agencies that respond faster, deliver smoothly, and communicate better.So ask yourself today: how much time is your team wasting on manual work?
And then ask the real question: can you afford to keep losing clients because of it?