Project Management

Project Control Tools

To ensure that our high quality standards are achieved on every project, Lingo Systems employs three classes of project control tools:

• Project management - Project management uses two main tools. (1) The Lingo DB (a proprietary application) is a centralized database that provides project and resource details for every project undertaken. It also integrates linguistic resources, client information, and project details within one application. For every project, resource tracking (both internal and external labor efforts), budget tracking, and invoicing information (both accounts receivable and accounts payable details) are monitored. This assures team integrity for complex projects, while providing detailed data for historical reference. (2) For day-to-day project tracking, Microsoft Project is used to establish the project timeline, coordinate resources, and monitor project progress.

• Configuration management - Configuration management at Lingo Systems is managed through two mechanisms, depending upon client requirements. (1) We follow a comprehensive configuration management protocol for file handling on our data network. All file transfers from one functional group to another adhere to this process, which includes standardized directory naming and file transfer protocols. Each step of the process is redundant, assuring that files are not lost by a misstep. Network backup protocols further protect the files. (2) For certain complex projects, third-party configuration management tools may also be used. Typically, this only applies to software projects where Lingo Systems is responsible for executing application builds. For these projects, PVCS or other configuration management tools are used for tracking each software build component as required.

• Defect tracking - As with configuration management, Lingo Systems offers several formats for defect tracking to meet our clients' requirements and specifications. If no preferred methodology is indicated, we use either an Excel template or a database tool developed in Access to track every defect for each component. Both tools are proprietary to Lingo Systems.