Quality Standards & Certifications

Certification for translation services

ISO 17100 & EN 15038:2006

In June 2012 Vertext obtained the official EN 15038:2006 certification for translation services.
This European standard was especially developed for translation services providers to ensure the consistent quality of the services. It covered the translation process and all correlated aspects, including quality check and traceability. Furthermore, it defined all requirements concerning human and technical resources, quality and project management, and service procedures.

This European standard was especially developed for translation services providers to ensure the consistent quality of the services. It covered the translation process and all correlated aspects, including quality check and traceability. Furthermore, it defined all requirements concerning human and technical resources, quality and project management, and service procedures.

To comply with the norm, Vertext thoroughly reorganized its internal workflow to include the checking, proofreading and final verification stages.

The relevant first certification was released by ANCIS srl on a 3 year-basis with annual on-site audits.
In 2015, this norm was superseded by the ISO 17100:2015 standard. Vertext adapted all procedures and processes consequently and in June 2016 obtained the new certificate from ANCIS srl.

What is ISO 17100?

The international quality standard ISO 17100 contains new requirements for translation services which cover all the steps, resources and other elements necessary to deliver a certified translation project. This allows translation service providers in Europe and Canada to certify the quality and conformity of their services to their clients.

Within ISO 17100, you will find information on:

Resources – The standard lists the best practices for managing or using resources. It also breaks down the responsibilities or requirements for translators, revisers, and their managers.
Pre-production processes and activities – This part focuses on the actions a translator and client should take prior to translation. It highlights the guidelines for handling inquiries, providing quotes, signing agreements, and more.
Production process – Production process – This part defines the process of translation itself and the workflow structure. For each project, it requires an initial translation, a revision, and a final verification before delivery. It also lists the review and proofreading steps.
Post-production processes – This part lays out the feedback and correction processes, which ultimately ensure that clients are satisfied with the final product.

ISO 17100 Requirements

Obtaining ISO 17100 certification improves an organization’s processes and credibility. To ensure quality results, a certified translation company has to follow these requirements:

Adherence to obligations toward clients and vendors
Securing confidentiality of any information
Utilization of appropriate resources, both technological and technical
Cooperation with qualified and competent linguists
Management of the translation process in full compliance with the ISO 17100 standard
Conducting regular surveys of customer satisfaction

In addition to adhering to these guidelines, quality assurance is ensured through the expertise of qualified translators and revisers. Both translators and revisers must possess the requisite skills and knowledge to fulfill their roles. To guarantee proficiency, they are required to hold at least one of the following translation qualifications:

A recognized graduate qualification in translation from an institution of higher education
Five years of full-time professional experience in translating
A recognized graduate qualification in any other field from an institution of higher education plus two years of full-time professional experience in translating

For Vertext, this certification underscores our reliability as partners, showcasing our capacity to deliver the high-quality services our clients seek.