How to ensure professional translation quality

When companies order translation, it is rarely just about changing languages. It is about ensuring the message is clear, the terminology is used consistently, and the text works in the right channel and context. Professional translation quality is therefore the result of well-thought-out working methods, the right expertise, and clear checks – not of a single linguistic performance.

To describe what lies behind high quality, an industry standard designated ISO 17100 is sometimes used. It puts into words important elements of a structured working method, but it is always how the work is actually carried out that determines the final result.

Right competence: the foundation of professional translation

The most important factor for translation quality is almost always the competence of the person performing the work. Professional translation requires more than good language skills – it requires an understanding of the subject area, text type, target audience and purpose. A technical manual, a marketing text and an internal policy document place completely different demands on language and tonality.

That is why it is crucial how a translation agency matches the right translator to the right assignment. How is subject matter expertise ensured? How is experience assessed? How is quality followed up over time? It is in these steps that much of the long-term quality is built up, long before the text is delivered.

Review: quality through more eyes

Even experienced translators can miss details when they are close to their own text. Therefore, revision is a central part of a quality-assured working method. An independent reviser can spot inconsistent terminology, unclear phrasing, and deviations from instructions or reference material.

At the same time, conditions vary depending on the language and subject area. Some language combinations are uncommon, and certain specialist fields require very specific expertise. Therefore, it is important that the agency can explain how quality assurance works in practice and how the work is adapted when conditions vary.

Structured processes: quality that lasts

Many quality issues do not arise at word level, but from a lack of clear frameworks. When purpose and target audience are unclear, when reference material is missing or when terminology has not been agreed upon, the risk increases that messages become inconsistent between languages and versions.

A structured working method therefore means that instructions are documented, terminology is handled systematically and changes are followed up over time. This ensures that translation does not become an isolated effort, but part of long-term communication work where quality can be maintained even when the material is updated.

ISO 17100 as a basis for describing quality

ISO 17100 is an international standard for translation services that describes precisely these elements: competence, revision and documented processes. It can be a useful aid when wanting to talk more structuredly about quality and understand the stages normally included in a professional workflow.

At the same time, the standard is a framework and not a guarantee in itself. It is always the concrete working method, adapted to the language, subject matter and conditions, that determines how well quality is actually assured in each individual project.

This is how we work at Språkbolaget

At Språkbolaget we work with well-documented routines and policies, tailoring our work to each assignment. Our processes for project management, translation and proofreading are in line with how quality is described in standards such as ISO 17100. The translators we use always translate into their mother tongue and have passed our quality tests. Furthermore, every text is checked by an additional translator.

This allows us to combine structure and quality assurance with the flexibility that reality sometimes requires.

Want to ensure high translation quality in your next project? Get in touch and we will suggest a setup based on your languages, texts and requirements.