Forum: CAT Tools Technical Help
Topic: Efficiency of using CAT tools in comparison to using none
Poster: Alistair Gainey
Post title: Earnings
[quote]Christel Zipfel wrote:
This is the only thing that matters: earnings, after all, not productivity! [/quote]
Even if you're paid at your full rate for every segment, from a purely financial point of view there is little point in being quicker with a CAT tool if you don’t take advantage of that by taking on more work. For example, let’s compare two translators, A and B, who both charge the same rate. A doesn’t use a CAT tool and translates 2000 words a day. On average, she gets enough work to keep her busy for 4 days a week. So she does 8000 words a week. B, on the other hand, does use a CAT tool, and translates 25% quicker than A. So she does 2500 words a day. But B isn’t as good at marketing as A. On average, she only gets enough work to keep her busy for 3 days a week. So she only does 7500 words a week. Of course, B should be earning more than A, because her faster speed should allow her to take on more jobs. But she isn’t.
Topic: Efficiency of using CAT tools in comparison to using none
Poster: Alistair Gainey
Post title: Earnings
[quote]Christel Zipfel wrote:
This is the only thing that matters: earnings, after all, not productivity! [/quote]
Even if you're paid at your full rate for every segment, from a purely financial point of view there is little point in being quicker with a CAT tool if you don’t take advantage of that by taking on more work. For example, let’s compare two translators, A and B, who both charge the same rate. A doesn’t use a CAT tool and translates 2000 words a day. On average, she gets enough work to keep her busy for 4 days a week. So she does 8000 words a week. B, on the other hand, does use a CAT tool, and translates 25% quicker than A. So she does 2500 words a day. But B isn’t as good at marketing as A. On average, she only gets enough work to keep her busy for 3 days a week. So she only does 7500 words a week. Of course, B should be earning more than A, because her faster speed should allow her to take on more jobs. But she isn’t.
