Double audit: Translavic certified for ISO 17100 and ISO 18587

Double reward after an intensive audit day on 20 September: Translavic celebrates no less than two obtained certificates. Since 2015, Translavic has been certified according to the international standard for translation services ISO 17100:2015. Certifying body Kiwa annually tests the services and processes of the translation agency against this standard, which imposes requirements on, among other things, the education and experience of translators, the competencies of project managers and procedures that lead to quality and clarity for clients. Once again, no shortcomings were found this year and it was established that the services provided meet all the requirements set out in the standard.

In addition, Translavic – as one of the first translation agencies in the Netherlands – also decided this year to apply for certification according to the international standard for post-editing of machine translation, ISO 18587:2017 (Post-editing of machine translation output). This standard was created in 2017 to ensure the quality of machine-translated texts. Machine translation (MT) is experiencing rapid technological progress and is finding more and more practical applications. The certification is in line with Translavic’s ambition to play an active role in the professionalization of the machine translation and post-editing services. The audit was successfully completed also for this post-editing standard.

Managing director Jeroen Hesp: “There are many misunderstandings and prejudices about machine translation. No, machine translation engines don’t always produce ‘junk’ anymore. And no, machine translation is not always the best, fastest and cheapest solution. But it can certainly be a suitable option. This depends, among other things, on the domain and the size of the source text, the frequency with which texts in the same domain are translated, the available time and the desired quality level. The output of neural machine translation engines is getting better and better. However, skilled human translators are still needed for post-editing the outputted texts, in order to raise the quality to the desired level. Translavic will always consider, together with the client, which process best suits a translation assignment: a fully human translation by a translator and a reviser, or a process involving a machine translation engine and human post-editors.

For Translavic, combining the computing power of MT systems with human linguistic intellect is the key to success. For example, a great deal of energy is put into the thorough training of post-editors, which is also an important aspect of the ISO 18587 standard. Translavic recently announced the launch of its first online course. Through this practical course, translators and linguists will be able to train themselves in post-editing and learn what they need to know about the different forms of machine translation and the pitfalls involved in detecting the typical errors that MT systems make.

Jeroen Hesp continues: “By offering an e-learning course in post-editing machine translation, we want to help translators keep up with technological developments in the translation process and respond to changing market needs. The translation industry suffers from a lack of trained post-editors. By providing translators with good post-editing skills, we hope to contribute to a stronger language sector”.

For more information, see our page on machine translation and post-editing.