Quality Standard

The purpose of the Quality Standard is to ensure, in cooperation with customers, that translations are done as required and correspond to the expectations of the customer. The Quality Standard applies to the whole translation process, from the receipt of orders to the delivery of complete translations to customers and feedback.

Fields of quality assurance:

1.       Customer management

2.       Resource management

3.       Quality management

4.       Management of translation projects

1.       Customer management

Customer management is necessary to ensure that translations meet customers' needs. In order to understand the needs of customers as accurately as possible, translation companies (TCs) must collect, update and use relevant information.

Customer management comprises:

1.       Customer information

1.       Contact details of customers
TCs must have developed a system that ensures that details, contact persons and other information about customers are recorded and available to authorized persons;

2.       Archival processing of texts
TCs must have a functioning system for archival processing of translations as needed so that the source texts and translations and other details of previously ordered works are available when needed.

2.       Processing of orders

1.       TCs must have a procedure for recording special customer instructions for each translation work.

2.       TCs shall interview customers in order to receive as completely as possible the information and details of contact persons that are necessary to complete orders.

3.       If requested by a customer, a TC shall provide the customer with relevant information (for example, quotations, price list, quality or confidentiality assurance procedures).

4.       In general, quotations shall be made and orders confirmed in writing. If needed, agreements shall be entered into regarding the performance of work.

5.       TCs shall agree to inform customers about any possible deterioration of quality in relation to short-order work.

3.       Cooperation with customers

1.       TCs shall do their best to guarantee communication with customers during the work process, for example, consulting customers to specify the content of source texts, and specifying terms or confirming terms by customers, if needed. TCs shall try to ascertain and correct any inaccuracies, errors and deficiencies in source texts by consulting customers.

2.       TCs shall ensure that relevant information is delivered to the persons who perform the work.

3.       Upon mutual agreement, TCs shall submit translations to customers for review before the final delivery of complete translations.

4.       TCs shall register feedback received from their customers and make efforts to avoid delivering unacceptable translations to their customers in the future.

4.       Delivery
TCs shall ensure delivery of ordered work at the agreed time, polished and formalized as requested.
TCs shall submit invoices in accordance with the Accounting Act and pursuant to (in the order of prevalence) agreements, quotations submitted by the TC or TC price lists.

5.       Confidentiality
TCs shall ensure that confidentiality is observed by their employees as well as by their subcontractors in processing works, and take relevant measures to perform this obligation. If necessary, translation companies shall enter into confidentiality agreements with customers.
 

2.       Resource management

TCs shall ensure appropriate resources that are necessary for ensuring the high-quality performance of translations ordered by customers.

Resource management consists of two parts:

* human resources management
* material resources management.

1.       Human resources

1.       Personnel in principal jobs
TCs shall have personnel resources employed in principal jobs for performance of the following duties:
* customer service (communication of information, recording and archival processing of information, etc.)
* giving quotations and project management
* translation
* proofreading/editing
* quality assurance.
Note: more than one-half of translators/editors in principal jobs must have a philological education or professional education and translating experience.

2.       Selection criteria for subcontractors
TCs must have developed principles for selecting subcontractors. TCs shall pay attention to the requirement that the persons performing translations shall have the relevant qualifications and shall be experienced translators. If possible, a translator/proofreader/editor whose native language is the target language should be selected. Other criteria of decisive importance are grasp of the subject matter being translated, possessing the necessary facilities, communication facilities used.

3.       Training
TCs shall continuously pay attention to their employees' development (in-house training, training courses, professional literature, language advice, specialization).

4.       Instructions
TCs shall ensure that their employees are instructed and provided with information that contributes to the quality of translation.

2.       Material resources

TCs shall use material resources for providing their services, including:

* office equipment (telephones, faxes, facilities for providing Internet connections, computers, scanners, copy machines, etc.)
* software (computer software and advisably also translation software, databases, electronic dictionaries)
* reference materials (dictionaries, other printed sources of information, professional literature in various forms)
* archival systems for the recording, secure saving and storage of the data and materials received from customers in relation to orders (source texts, original counterparts, assisting materials) in accordance with the confidentiality requirements
* database of translators/subcontractors so as to store updated and organized data about their experience and skills and ensure availability of the respective information to the persons concerned.
 

3.       Quality management

Implementation of quality supervision is essential for TCs. Quality management encompasses the whole process of performing orders so as to ensure that services are provided in compliance with customers' needs.

1.       Areas of management responsibility

1.       TCs shall have officially designated persons who shall be responsible for all the stages in which service and feedback are provided as well as for the functioning of the quality system in compliance with this standard and the written procedures established by TCs.

2.       Responsible persons shall ensure that TCs have adequate human and material resources for performing orders they accept.

3.       TCs shall also appoint persons who shall be responsible for the existence of order/project control systems and who shall ensure that orders are performed in accordance with the documented agreements.

4.       TCs shall have job descriptions on file for employees in all stages of performing orders.

2.       Verifying the performance of orders

TCs shall employ empirical methods for performing orders in accordance with the level of refinement required by customers. All translations shall undergo proofreading and delivery inspection.

If verification procedures are agreed with customers, TCs shall ensure that these procedures are accurately adhered to and properly supervised.

3.       Checking the quality system

Appointed persons shall be responsible for compliance to this standard. If necessary, they shall make sure that the requirements established by this standard are met, and take relevant measures to remedy problem areas.

TCs shall introduce and explain to their employees the requirements of this Quality Standard to the extent required by their work.

4.       Checking the quality of a translation

Upon completing a job, the translator shall check off items on a list. If, after this process, it appears that the translation does not meet the customer's requirements regarding linguistic quality, formalization and/or other agreed criteria, the respective system for amending it shall be used, the customer shall be informed accordingly if necessary, and other measures shall be taken to meet the agreed requirements.

Unsatisfactory translations shall be identified by proofreading and the verification stages so that they can be corrected before delivery.

Contractual translators shall be informed about unsatisfactory translations by way of feedback and measures shall be taken (whether involving the respective translator or not) to correct such a translation so that it meets the requirements of the customer.

4.       Management of translation projects

Translation projects can be divided into the following stages:

1.       query received

2.       project data obtained

3.       order confirmed

4.       project analysis - TCs shall study source materials and agree with customers on the details of performing the work (need for localization, confidentiality requirements, support services, deadlines, etc.)

5.       needed resources evaluated

6.       quotations prepared in accordance with the ascertained and agreed terms and conditions

7.       project planning (persons performing work, interim deadlines, entry into project agreements, submitting work to the customer's review before final delivery, etc.)

8.       employees given instructions

9.       translating

10.    proofreading, delivery inspection, editing

11.    delivery and invoicing

12.    feedback and complaints

TCs must have established procedures which can be verified for all these stages.