What is ISO Certification and Why Is It Important for Translation?

When we hire a company - translation service or not - we all want to make sure that we get good results for the money we spend. Almost all companies guarantee that their service is top notch, so is there an easy way to make sure or be as sure as possible that the service or product we receive is good? This is where ISO standards come in.

History of ISO 9000

ISO, or the International Organization for Standardization, is a 162-member global standardization body that provides a certification framework for quality management. ISO is the world's largest standardization organization and has provided international standards since 1947. ISO 9001 was originally developed as BS5750 for UK manufacturing.

It was renamed ISO 9000 in 1987 and established as an international standard. In the beginning, the standard was mainly about adopting and maintaining a standard. The ISO 9001 standard was updated in 2000 to move from simple process compliance to a greater focus on business management, customer focus, commitment and continuous improvement. ISO 9001:2000 was created in 2000 to combine ISO 9001, 9002 and 9003.

In 2015, ISO 9001 was updated again and ISO 9001:2015 is the newest form of this certification. ISO 9001:2015 is the most relevant for service industries. Most of the changes in this latest update are intended to clarify previous standards and there are no major changes to the requirements.

What is ISO 9001:2015 certification?

Although ISO 9001 is not specific to the translation or localization industry, it does recognize the well-documented process. The company's certification focuses on establishing a quality management system or QMS.

ISO 9001 certification and control for the effective planning, operation and control of the company's operations, as well as the implementation and continuous improvement of the quality management system. It provides the ISO framework for organizing, implementing and maintaining a clear quality policy, quality manual, procedures and documented records. ISO 9001 is designed to enable companies to focus on meeting customer needs, delivering on promises to customers and improving the overall quality of products and services. ISO 9001 aims at continuous improvement. When deficiencies or errors are discovered, establish a process for evaluating and correcting deficiencies so that the process can be continuously improved.

Idiomatic Canada, as well as all other subsidiaries of the Idiomatic Translation Group, such as Idiomatic Nigeria, Idiomatic Dubai, Idiomatic Spain and Idiomatic USA, are ISO 9001 certified, in particular ISO 9001:215 certified.

8 Basic requirements for ISO 9001 certification

ISO 9001:2015 requires rigorous operational standards based on eight quality management principles, including:

1 - Customer focus

Language service providers must understand the needs and customer requirements, and then meet or exceed them.

2 - Management

In order to improve activities, management must clearly define and communicate the company's vision and strategy.

3 - Participation of people

The staff of the organization must be involved and responsible for the process and its improvement. Employees must understand the quality policy at all levels, and each employee strives to achieve measurable goals.

4 - Process approach

All company activities are processes that must be managed for efficiency and improvement.

5 - Systems approach to management

All processes must be integrated into a single system to increase efficiency and success. A common system must be developed for all aspects of the process.

6 - Continuous improvement

Performance should be continuously reviewed to further improve the process. There should be a documented internal audit procedure and records should be kept to improve the system.

7 - Professional decision-making techniques

Uses predetermined measures to gather information. Use this information to make a decision. All business decisions must be based on recorded data.

8 - Relationships with suppliers of mutual benefit

Treat customers and suppliers as partners to achieve mutual benefit for all parties involved. ISO 9001:2015 certification must be renewed periodically. Advanced language service providers such as Idiomatic will review their operations quarterly through internal audits.

Why work with an ISO certified translation company?

In many cases, a prerequisite for ISO certification is the cooperation of ISO certified suppliers with other ISO certified suppliers. Because of ISO's focus on continuous improvement and strict quality management, it can be ensured that all parties involved work towards common quality goals.

Whether you want to translate as an individual or as a business, an ISO certified seal is a clear sign that your service provider takes pride in their work and follows a detailed set of steps to provide the best possible service.

Do you need translation services from an ISO certified provider? Connect with Idiomatic Canada here.