Taming the unexpected: How project managers can stay ahead with Smart Insights
5 mins read
Tales of the Unexpected was a British television series that aired predominantly throughout the 1980s. Each episode told its own short story, all with the same signature ingredients - dark undertones, chilling moments, and a twist you never quite saw coming.
I have an overly vivid recollection of this series from my childhood. It aired around 9:30 p.m. - the cusp of bedtime - which made it all the more tempting to avoid the attention of my parents and catch an episode. From the distinctive theme tune and mysterious dancer in the opening sequence to the spine-tingling finales, it certainly wasn’t ideal bedtime viewing for a child - and definitely not conducive to a good night’s sleep!
The role of a localization project manager – a tale of the unexpected
Having worked with many project managers (PM) in the localization industry, I often reflect on how their daily routines can feel like a modern-day Tales of the Unexpected. Like the show, their days are filled with unforeseen twists, rising tension, and last-minute scrambles to rewrite the ending before a deadline hits.
In our working lives, we're all guilty of using the cliché "No two days are ever the same”, but for PMs, it rings especially true.
As the glue that holds the translation process together, a PM must navigate countless factors that can influence when, how, and why they step in to take corrective action. Translation management systems have become highly sophisticated - even before Gen AI muddied the waters further - with tools to automate workflows, assign resources, and manage cost and quality.
Thanks to these advancements, project managers increasingly work by exception - intervening only when deliveries are at risk, or an issue arises. The real challenge lies in being able to anticipate problems - issue prevention - and, when that’s not possible, managing exceptions efficiently so they don’t escalate - risk mitigation.
Managing the unexpected with Smart Insights
Smart Insights is a new capability in Trados Copilot - a flexible LLM-powered virtual assistant - that delivers instant, contextual answers when they matter most. Rather than clicking through multiple screens or wondering if a specific report exists, users can simply ask Copilot questions like:
- “How many projects are due this week?”
- “Show me all overdue translation tasks under 500 words.”
- “How is delivery performance looking for a specific customer?”
Smart Insights responds with clear narrative summaries and intuitive visuals tailored to the data being presented - helping project managers stay one step ahead without the guesswork.
Just as the Tales of the Unexpected kept viewers on edge, PMs often operate on high alert – scanning for signs that something might go wrong. But unlike the show, where the twist was inevitable, Smart Insights empowers PMs to anticipate the unexpected and act before the surprise hits.
It’s about staying ahead of the unexpected - not scrambling to catch up with it - with a virtual assistant that delivers the right information at the right moment, no digging required.
You might be wondering how Smart Insights fits alongside the existing Trados custom reporting feature. While custom reports are ideal for creating detailed, repeatable dashboards, that can be shared across your organization, Smart Insights excels at answering on-the-fly, scenario-based queries - perfect for quick decisions or surfacing data without needing to configure anything in advance.
Watch Smart Insights in action:
Sounds interesting. How do I sign up?
Smart Insights is available now and included as standard for Trados Enterprise customers. It will also soon be available as an add-on for Team and Accelerate customers, with a free trial automatically added to existing accounts so you can experience the benefits firsthand.