ISO 17100 is an international standard for the quality management of companies providing translation services. This standard specifies the requirements of translation service providers with regard to the deployment of people and resources, quality assurance, management system, contractual framework, project management and service provision. Obtaining this certificate demonstrates that the translation process is carried out in a structured and documented manner and that the quality of the service is guaranteed.
The standard defines a number of minimum process steps that are mandatory, such as translation, check, revision, review, proofreading, final verification and publishing. In addition, the people involved in the process must be selected carefully. Employees and freelancers must have the right competences.
The standard NEN-ISO 18587 can be considered as a supplement to the 17100 and focuses on the post-editing of automatically-produced translations, or machine translation. The ISO 18587 sets specific requirements with regard to the post-editing process. These requirements focus on the preparation, execution and completion of post-editing projects and what competences and qualifications are required. With the certificate, Untranslate can demonstrate that it controls the linguistic activity of post-editing, and that these tasks are carried out by competent people.
On 1 August 2016, Untranslate N.V obtained ISO 17100 certification after successfully passing an audit carried out by the independent certification body Kiwa. In 2019, the ISO certificate of 18587 was added. The certification process starts with an assessment of the documentation; the standard requires written processes and procedures. Subsequently, an on-site implementation audit takes place. During this audit, translators and staff at the office are interviewed and their working methods tested against the requirements of both standards. Only a positive assessment of the organisation will eventually lead to an approval certificate.
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