What is the best way to work with a package received by the client when we have different steps and different participants to the project?

Question

Hi everyone, One of our client changed his method and now sends us packages. Since we work with various participants, we are not sure how we can work to be as efficient as possible. I am not used to working with packages. When we receive the project (WorldServer Project with only file-based TMs), we want to be able to add our own TM and then send the file to our translator. When the translator is done, we have to send the file to the reviser and then when the reviser is done, we need to do a quality check internally. For our client's delivery, we need to deliver a Return package. 
 We are several project managers and we should be able to open the files on any computers internally (and not only on the computer that first opened the project). 
 We are used to work with file and thus to extract the file from the Packages we receive and to deliver only the sdlxliff file but now that we have to deliver return packages, everything changes. 
 Do you have any ideas on how to proceed (in the most efficient way) ? Thank you very much, Marine

Jesús Prieto · Answer

You can do this in 2 ways depicted below (some of the steps are common): 
 
1.- The PM opens the package by double-clicking. 
2a.- If there are not many people working in-house, this PM can select a project path in your own LAN. This way anybody will be able to access the project (it's a SDLPROJ file). Take into account that here are some drawbacks when several people access the same Multiterm database or open the same Studio project. 
2b.- Alternatively, this PM creates a project in his/her own PC (not accesible to anyone). 
3.- This PM adds your TM (you might consider the free plugin Apply Studio Project Template from the AppStore). 
4a.- Let everybody open and work on the project. 
4b.- Alternatively, the PM creates as many packages as needed and send them to the translators, reviewers, etc. 
5.- When everything is done, the PM creates the return package and sends it to your client. 
 
Believe me: the best way is working with packages. . For example I always ask for a return package, don't accept XLIFFs. Maybe it's a new thing for you, but the're very good advantages: 
 
- One reason is that the package contains all the assets needed to work with the documents. Otherwise, you have to add them manually, which is proned to forgetness… 
 
- Another reason, is that anybody can deliver a XLIFF file which is not final believing it is, I've been a witness of it, and never again! Think of this: It's just a matter of not saving the file in Studio an you un into problems. It happens as well in Word, Excel, so you've got to have an extra check step… On the other hand, working with packages in Studio is a different matter: first you have to save all the unsaved files, otherwise you can't create the package (a nice feature of Studio which prevents sending finished but unsaved XLIFFs).

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What is the best way to work with a package received by the client when we have different steps and different participants to the project?