Are ISO 9001 Certified Translation Agencies Better?

When enlisting any kind of service, peace of mind in the quality received is essential – especially so when working with a translation agency. After all, you’re putting your trust in the hands of someone else to successfully and authentically translate your work.

However, it is possible to be duped by agencies that promise the earth and end up employing cheap and nasty methods such as using translation software or skimping out on crucial processes to “get the job done”. Here at Kwintessential, we condemn dodgy shortcuts and instead practice what we preach: a high level of quality assurance.

Quality Assurance in Translation

Quality assurance is crucial in the translations industry, as it encompasses everything required to ensure any work delivered is to the highest of standards. This involves rigorous planning, documenting and agreeing on the guidelines to follow. By following these guidelines, every translation project is dealt with using the same core process, and every client receives the same great level of service.

These guidelines, along with specific processes all make up a successful quality management system.

Our own quality management system, used by all Kwintessential translators, has achieved the prestigious ISO 9001 status – and we are one of the only translation agencies to hold this certification.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is part of the ISO 9000 family of quality standards and covers a number of different aspects of quality management. These include quality management principles pertaining to:

• A strong customer focus – putting their needs first.
• Great leadership – where the head honchos share the company vision and strategy with all levels.
• The involvement of employees – giving the ownership and improvement of processes to those who use them!
• A process focused approach – with systems to support them.
• Continual improvement – through regular reviewing of performance, and a clear procedure for auditing.
• A factual approach to decision making – using data to make business decisions.
• A mutually beneficial relationship between customers and vendors – everybody’s happy!

This certification by the International Organization for Standardization has been achieved by just 5% businesses in the UK. ISO 9001 is also supported by the UK government and recognised across the world as a mark of quality.

Are ISO 9001 Certified Translation Agencies Better?

By choosing a translation agency with the IS0 9001 certification, you can rest assured that the service you will receive is highly professional and focused around your needs.

Organisations are able to self-certify for the ISO 9001, but you cannot guarantee the same level of scrutiny than using an outside agency to carry out an audit. This is why Kwintessential opted to be assessed by an independent body – and passed with flying colours!

Contact Kwintessential for Quality Assured, Certified Translation Services

Need a document translated and certified? All certified translations are returned with our company stamp, a reference number and authenticity certificate to confirm that a qualified translator has translated them.

For more information contact Kwintessential today. Just call (UK +44) 01460 279900 or send your requirements to us at info@kwintessential.co.uk.