Book excerpt: Over the past three decades, translation has evolved from a profession practiced largely by individuals to a cottage industry model and finally to a formally recognized industrial sector that is project-based, heavily outsourced and that encompasses a wide range of services in addition to translation. As projects have grown in size, scope and complexity, and as project teams have become increasingly distributed across geographies, time zones, languages and cultures, formalized project management has emerged as both a business requirement and a critical success factor for language service providers. In recognition of these developments, this volume examines the application of project management concepts, tools and techniques to translation and localization projects. The contributors are seasoned practitioners and scholars who offer insights into the central role of project management in the language industry today and discuss best-practice approaches to the adaptation of generic project management knowledge, skills, tools and techniques for translation and localization projects.