How language providers ensure they deliver top-quality services every time

In our recent blog posts, we’ve looked at how the price of translation is calculated and how investing in translation brings value to businesses looking to expand globally. We showed that when it’s done well, translation is a precious asset to a growing business.

However, translation is a complex task, and there’s no denying that it can take a considerable chunk of a company’s budget. As with all significant spending, getting value for money and ensuring a successful outcome are essential.

How do you know a language services provider (LSP) will deliver the quality you expect?

Measuring quality in translation services

Quality assurance is about creating the right conditions for the best outcomes. It’s a holistic approach that considers all the steps needed for success, from the very beginning to the very end of the process.

In translation, the ultimate measure of quality is the end result. Is the translation faithful to the original? Does it have the desired effect on the audience? Does it offer understanding, incite engagement or boost sales? Does it do what it was planned to do?

Results, however, are impossible to measure before the event and predicting that a translation will fulfil its objectives must be based on what can be assessed during the production process. How do you know your translation will have the desired result?

That’s where quality assurance steps in. There are mechanisms a language provider can implement that will help guarantee the translations it delivers are trustworthy and effective.

Working with translation providers that have quality processes in place is crucial and knowing what to look for from the outset is helpful. The most obvious initial indicator is an ISO certification.

What is an ISO standard?

ISO or the ‘International Organization for Standardization’, is the body that has, since 1946, brought together teams of experts globally to decide on ‘the best way of doing things’. It develops standards designed to promote excellence for all goods and services worldwide.

For translation, the relevant standards are in brief:

• ISO 9001 is the most widely acknowledged standard for quality management in all sectors. It helps all organisations set up, put into practice and uphold robust quality practices. It is based on the seven principles of quality management.
• ISO 17100 is specifically for translation services. It identifies the requirements an LSP must meet to deliver a translation service that satisfies the stated specifications. These specifications can come from the translation provider and their client, industry bodies or regulatory compliance.
• ISO 18587 determines the standards for achieving quality in machine translation post-editing. It covers the competencies of human post-editors and is only applicable to machine translation.

Other certifications exist for specific fields of expertise within the language industry – legal translation, interpreting services and healthcare interpreting for example – and further standards for general management practices (information security and environmental management) are also relevant to translation companies.

Achieving certification for any of these standards takes time, expertise and commitment. The scope of services in the language sector is broad which means that translation companies must be particularly diligent to reach the desired level of quality across all their activities.

Language services providers that have achieved ISO accreditation, therefore, demonstrate an active desire to provide their customers with a guarantee of reliable processes and best-in-class results.

How to spot quality practices at your translation provider

Whilst noting that your chosen translation provider has gained the relevant ISO certifications, there are further things to look out for that show you’re getting the quality service you deserve.

1. People

First-rate translations require first-rate translators. To produce natural, accurate and reliable translations, a translator must translate into their native language. This is the language they grew up speaking, are the most comfortable using and know inside out. They should also have an in-depth understanding of the language they’re translating from.

But just knowing their languages isn’t enough. Most translators will have studied language at the university level and many also have further qualifications in translation itself. Being bilingual is, of course, the essential foundation for becoming a translator but understanding how translation works is vital. Most professional translators will also specialise in certain fields – subject areas where they have expertise and experience.

When a language company delivers on quality, all the people that work there should be well-trained and competent. A buyer of language services should sense from the first contact that the LSP understands their needs and can provide a solution.

• Tools

Technology now plays a big part in helping translators deliver more consistent and better-quality translations with faster turnaround times. Translation management systems (TMS), CAT tools and terminology managers are just some of the software that contribute significantly to translation output. Top language providers invest substantially in these to increase the value they offer their customers.

Data security measures should be top of the agenda for the translation provider and all sensitive information handled with care. Businesses often share confidential data for translation and sending this over email is potentially unsafe. A professional language services company should receive and send files via an encrypted connection, with translators working on the documents within the LSP’s system rather than downloading them to personal computers.

Machine translation is now an important part of the translation workflow and for some types of translation is an effective alternative to a human-only process, speeding up time to market. However, in most cases, post-editing by a trained professional is essential to guarantee quality.

Artificial intelligence and specifically the arrival of large language models powered by generative AI, are increasingly influencing the translation process. Generative AI is not only being assessed as an alternative to more traditional machine translation methods – it also has enormous potential in content optimisation and automated quality evaluation. GenAI can be integrated into translation workflows to check the quality of the source material and the machine translation output. It is effective at checking grammar and punctuation, style and fluency. Gen AI is a great asset in the quest for optimal translation quality.

Although AI can help language services providers increase turnaround times and reduce costs, human experts must still supervise its use and input when necessary.

• Relationships

Communicating with your translation provider should be easy. Whether it’s in person or via a portal, being in regular contact should be straightforward. Any queries should be dealt with quickly and the status of your language project should be simple to track.

How well does your translation partner listen to your needs? Do they understand your brand and what it stands for? A reputable language provider will build close relationships with its clients to enable better collaboration and ultimately, results.

As well as being responsive to the customer’s questions and requests, a language services provider should regularly ask for feedback to help improve the ongoing process and ensure any problems are addressed as soon as possible.

How customers can help

There are several ways a buyer of translation can assist an LSP and play a part in successful collaborations.

Actively contributing to a strong relationship with a translation partner by providing clear briefs, style guides and an understanding of the brand’s ethos can be a great help and enable the translator to better grasp the client’s goals.

Providing error-free, precise and well-written copy will help the translator and reduce the number of queries they might have. Responding to any queries swiftly is also mutually beneficial.

It’s important to understand that translated content carries as much weight as its original counterpart. Communicating the right message is still crucial, even in other languages and deserves as much time and attention as necessary to produce the best material possible.

Quality counts

These are just some of the elements that contribute to a superior translation workflow and indicate that the resulting translations will be done professionally and rigorously. If your translation partner can fulfil these criteria then the chances are, that the work it produces will be of good quality.

t’works does all these and more. We are certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 17100 and ISO 18587 and our quality framework guarantees our customers the best possible results at all times.

t’works embraces a hybrid translation workflow that combines AI, machine translation and human experts, using the strengths of each to produce high-quality outcomes. We integrate artificial intelligence into the TMS environment, allowing optimal interaction between machine translation, translation memories and terminology databases. AI helps us offer our customers further guarantees of quality in our processes.

With over 75 years of excellent customer service at every level, t’works has the experience and know-how to provide the translations you need to make going global easy.

Contact us today for more information.