Ensuring quality in translations requires systematic processes with specialist expertise, quality control and verification. For business-critical documents such as annual reports, contracts and strategic texts, it is not sufficient to rely on a single translator’s work. Instead, robust quality assurance with multiple review levels is required.
Choose the right translator
Quality begins with choosing translators with the right specialist expertise. For financial documents, IFRS experts with at least 10 years’ experience in annual report text and an understanding of accounting standards are required. For legal documents, translators with legal backgrounds are needed. For technical manuals, technical expertise is required. General translators without subject matter knowledge cannot deliver the required level of quality for specialised documents, regardless of how skilled linguistically they might be.
Implementation of the four-eyes principle
The four-eyes principle means that at least two experts review the translation before delivery. The first expert translates, whilst the second expert reviews the translation against the original text and checks linguistic accuracy, terminological precision and that tonality has been preserved. This catches errors that can always creep in and ensures higher quality than if only one person works on the document.
Use of professional tools
Translation memories are databases that store everything that has previously been translated for each client. Therefore, text can be reused time and again, whilst the memories ensure the use of consistent terminology throughout a document and between projects. Term bases contain approved translations of company-specific terms that should be used consistently. An ICR (In Country Review) platform enables a company’s internal experts to validate the translation before publication, providing additional quality control and ensuring that a translation meets a company’s expectations. Fluid Translation is a language consultancy with ISO-certified system support according to international quality standards, offering specialist expertise across all subject areas. We use the four-eyes principle as standard, as well as translation memories and term bases, anICR(In Country Review) platform for client validation and we have 20 years of documented experience. Read more in our client case studies.