ISO 9001 certification for translation companies

At Ontranslation, we have had the ISO 9001 certification for translation companies for many years now. But, what does the ISO 9001 mean? Why is it so important for us?

Today, we’re taking another look at this standard and the reason why it is so important in our sector.

What is the ISO 9001 certification?

Displaying the ISO 9001 logo is key for any company wanting to stand out. It certifies that the company complies with several quality standards and, therefore, it gives us an extra level of trust in the eyes of our clients.

In our case, this logo shows that we are certified in the “Management of multilingual communication projects”.

What are the requirements for the ISO 9001?

If we wanted to know how to get the ISO 9001 certification, we just need to fulfil a series of requirements that improve the quality of our projects.

We do this in several ways:

Project standards

If the quality of our translation services is high, it’s because we fulfil two standards:

• We work with native translators with at least three years of experience and with in-depth knowledge of the subject they translate.
• We always perform a second review of the work. This is way, we avoid any possible errors.

Training as a hallmark

To achieve the highest quality in our translation projects, we are committed to constant training. This means that our team must dedicate a certain number of hours per year to some sort of training.

Of course, the skills learned during these courses are put to the test to make sure they help us carry out our work.

We also keep an eye on all the latest news and updates from the sector. This is why Ontranslation forms part of ANETI, an organization that keeps us informed of any changes.

 

 

Setting measurable targets

As well as relying on the best professionals for each project and constantly training and educating ourselves, the ISO 9001 certificate for translation companies also focuses on the management of the agency itself and its processes.

That’s why:

• We perform an annual SWOT analysis.
• We look out for any risks and opportunities for the company.

With this data in mind, we establish several quality indicators that we must achieve throughout the year, which we review each quarter.

Control of results

Lastly, we perform a quality study, both internally and externally. In other words, we ask our clients about the service we have provided and about the process from the first contact right up to delivering the final project.

We do the same with our collaborators, asking them (among other things) if they find our CRM useful, or if they are happy with the tools we use for the work.

And although it may seem trivial, we can’t forget about our Ontranslation in-house teams (technical, sales, and admin), who we send a questionnaire to fill out twice a year.

All these assessments help us to improve our processes, both internal and external, as we aim to achieve the highest quality.

Is the ISO 9001 certificate mandatory?

It may not be mandatory, at least not for translation agencies, but why is the ISO 9001 certification so important? Well, we may find clients who take it into consideration when choosing a translation service provider, as it proves we are an audited company. It may also be required by some tenders.

In short, although it isn’t mandatory, it is definitely an advantage. For us, it’s no extra effort, so we renew it every year.

ISO 9001 certification for translation companies, with public results!

Getting the ISO 9001 certificate is as simple as passing an external audit and placing the logo on your home page. However, we certainly see transparency as a plus.

This is why, every year, we publish our client and collaborator quality results. We don’t have to do this, but we think it’s best. It’s a great way for potential clients and collaborators to know our strengths and where we are improving every year.

Ultimately, it’s about emphasizing a standard that many people are unaware of.