As of August 5th, 2003, IDEM is among the few translation companies to have achieved ISO certification. These ISO standards imply the observance of very strict and recurrent processes that can be traced, measured, analyzed and trended. In order to achieve this, a company needs to have the processes in place as well as reliable tools for ongoing measurement and improvement.

What is the advantage of being ISO certified? What does ISO do to make a translation agency’s process reliable?

The primary advantage of being ISO certified in the translation business is that the quality of the translation process is under control at all stages: from the first response to an incoming client request, which includes an agreed and detailed quotation, to translation, editing, desktop publishing (or formatting), delivery and post-mortem follow-up. Our Quality Manual is supported by a number of work instructions, templates and forms and clearly states our Quality Policy and objectives. It describes in detail the rules and standards that we have committed to follow in order to provide top-quality translations to our clients. Each stage of the translation process is closely monitored to ensure compliance with the quality standards. In addition, scheduled internal or external audits are performed annually.

The internal auditor’s responsibility is to make sure that all processes, if checked by an external auditor at any time, will always meet the ISO requirements. Any findings are noted in a report and corrective and preventive actions are taken accordingly. Because this process is systematic, it ensures that all internal processes are running smoothly and reliably at all times.

What happens in case of a complaint? How does ISO help resolve non-conformances?

One of the key requirements for an ISO certified business is the presence of a corrective/preventive action mechanism. As part of IDEM’s policy of open communication, we provide each client with 24-hour, confidential access to a status report and to the project files through our file transfer website. During business hours, our responsive team of project managers is available by e-mail or telephone to address any questions and concerns. In the event of a complaint, corrective and/or preventive action is taken immediately and is recorded in a formal report.

At IDEM, all feedback is carefully analyzed, measured and compared to our quality objectives. Client Satisfaction Surveys are performed on a regular basis. Any type of feedback that arises during the translation process – whether it comes from clients, project managers, translators, editors, formatting experts or as a result of an internal audit – is used as a tool for continuous monitoring of our Quality Management System. All corrective and preventive action reports, as well as positive feedback, are recorded, analyzed and measured over set periods of time. We hold frequent meetings and annual Management Reviews to summarize these measurements and derive possible trends. The result enables us to continually improve our services where necessary.

To download our certificate, please click here.