Pages in topic:   [1 2] >
How to get EN-15038:2006 Certified
Thread poster: Diego Achío
Diego Achío
Diego Achío  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:28
English to Spanish
+ ...
Jul 14, 2015

I've been wondering this for a while already. Few years ago, I discovered the European quality standard EN-15038:2006 (a specific European standard for translation services) for the first time and I tried to find out who can certify your services with it so you can tell your clients you are EN-15038:2006 Certified. I was unsuccesful in trying to find the organization/company/auditors/whatever that can certify you.

Today, I was looking at some translation company websites and one of
... See more
I've been wondering this for a while already. Few years ago, I discovered the European quality standard EN-15038:2006 (a specific European standard for translation services) for the first time and I tried to find out who can certify your services with it so you can tell your clients you are EN-15038:2006 Certified. I was unsuccesful in trying to find the organization/company/auditors/whatever that can certify you.

Today, I was looking at some translation company websites and one of them used a picture saying they were EN-15038:2006 Certified. Just who in the world provides these certifications?

When you try to look it up in Google, you get information regarding the Certification, specially these two sites, which appear to be an official explanation of it, but it does not mention anything like "if you'd like to get certified contact..."

http://qualitystandard.bs.en-15038.com/
http://www.en-15038.com/

There is another website (http://www.agenciasdetraduccion.es/) which is from Spain, that suggests that you shouldn't trust translation companies that are not EN-15038:2006 Certified. It even provides a list of translation agencies in Spain that are certified.

I own a small translation company, and we're on Mexico so I don't even know if I can get it certified or if it is even worth the try (because we're not in Europe) but I'm still wondering who can I reach in order to figure it out.

By the way, I already tried contacting ISO (they never replied back, very unprofessional I dare to say) and I tried to find the Certification in the BSI Group website, no success.
Collapse


 
brg (X)
brg (X)
Netherlands
Well, it's simple Jul 14, 2015

You declare that for each translation you'll have a translator + a proofreader working, and sharing the same price. Of course, the proofreader will be happy to undo the translation and the translator to repair the proofreading results. ISO certification is not necessarily more expensive, nor better quality, but it takes 3x more time.

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 05:28
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Bureau Veritas? Jul 14, 2015

Their name often seems to come up. I don't know if they are to be recommended or not, though I did teach one of their French employees English for a while, so I know the company exists!
As for
There is another website (http://www.agenciasdetraduccion.es/) which is from Spain, that suggests that you shouldn't trust translation companies that are not EN-15038:2006 Certified. It even provides a list of translation agencies in Spain that are certified.
I imagine it pays them to say that.

[Edited at 2015-07-14 14:32 GMT]


 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
I've never seen the point of this... Jul 14, 2015

as it tells people you're good at paperwork, but says nothing about the quality of your translations.

 
RobinB
RobinB  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 00:28
German to English
Superseded Jul 14, 2015

EN 15038 has now been superseded by ISO 17100, so certification under the new standard
should - at least in theory - be possible in countries that are ISO members (though of course most countries’ standards organisations will only be willing to support the development of certification if there is sufficient demand).

Certification may be helpful or even vital for certain client industries (especially those that are themselves very "certification-heavy”, such as automotive,
... See more
EN 15038 has now been superseded by ISO 17100, so certification under the new standard
should - at least in theory - be possible in countries that are ISO members (though of course most countries’ standards organisations will only be willing to support the development of certification if there is sufficient demand).

Certification may be helpful or even vital for certain client industries (especially those that are themselves very "certification-heavy”, such as automotive, aerospace, engineering, or medical technology), but of little or no relevance in others (e.g. legal or finance).

Note that ISO 17100 is a process standard, so certification does not say anything about the output quality of a company’s translations (despite what some companies and organisations may claim).
Collapse


 
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 06:28
German to English
+ ...
ISO 17100 Jul 14, 2015

http://uepo.de/2015/06... See more
http://uepo.de/2015/06/07/weltweit-gueltig-neue-prozessnorm-iso-17100-fuer-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen-veroeffentlicht/

http://uepo.de/2014/08/20/was-bringt-die-neue-norm-din-en-iso-17100-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen/

EN-15038, which was applicable only in Europe, is replaced by ISO 17100, which is applicable on a world wide level. You can register with DIN CERTCO or get audited by this body. If your processes are compliant with this standard, clients will trust you to deliver a truly professional service.

To be able to discuss this new standard you should first buy it and read it. It provides for example that translators need to have a degree in translation studies or five years of documented translation experience. Translation being an unregulated sector, this new standard is a very useful tool for translation buyers, who need to know which translators and agencies are truly professional.
Collapse


 
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 06:28
German to English
+ ...
You could contact linguacert Jul 14, 2015

http://linquacert.com/iso17100_en/?lang=en

to find out whether they certify LSPs on a world wide level.


 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
. Jul 14, 2015

Maria S. Loose, LL.M. wrote:
Translation being an unregulated sector, this new standard is a very useful tool for translation buyers, who need to know which translators and agencies are truly professional.


The vast majority of us don't have certification. In fact, do any individual translators have it? Isn't it simply too expensive?

That doesn't make us unprofessional.


 
Diego Achío
Diego Achío  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:28
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
So, it is ISO 17100 now... Jul 14, 2015

Maria S. Loose, LL.M. wrote:

http://uepo.de/2015/06/07/weltweit-gueltig-neue-prozessnorm-iso-17100-fuer-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen-veroeffentlicht/

http://uepo.de/2014/08/20/was-bringt-die-neue-norm-din-en-iso-17100-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen/

EN-15038, which was applicable only in Europe, is replaced by ISO 17100, which is applicable on a world wide level. You can register with DIN CERTCO or get audited by this body. If your processes are compliant with this standard, clients will trust you to deliver a truly professional service.

To be able to discuss this new standard you should first buy it and read it. It provides for example that translators need to have a degree in translation studies or five years of documented translation experience. Translation being an unregulated sector, this new standard is a very useful tool for translation buyers, who need to know which translators and agencies are truly professional.


Thanks a lot for this and all commentaries recommending certification companies that can help me with this. I'm going to get in touch with them right away.

As for those of you who say the certification is not needed. It is truth, it is not a must have, specially if you're a freelancer. I've been a freelancer for 8 years and I've never needed and ISO certification. But I've been owner of a translation agency for two years already and I've discovered that these kind of certifications increase your market value by a lot.

When running an agency I've had to worry not only about how much I charge my clients but also how much we pay to our outsourced translators. The more certifications and specialization papers we can get, the higher our value as a company, so we can charge more, and offer our talents the rates they deserve. I really don't want to run a company thst offer underates.


 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:28
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Thin end of the wedge Jul 14, 2015

philgoddard wrote:
That doesn't make us unprofessional.

No indeed. And having the certification does not guarantee professionalism or, of course, competence. But large corporate clients want to be able to tick the ISO box.

Qualifications like this are a two-edged sword. As a profession, if we want to be afforded the same respect that is shown to lawyers, medical doctors, accountants and so on, two things need to happen.

First, we would need a single, recognised qualification per country or region. That is, an organisation with a monopoly on overseeing and issuing qualifications to translators. Second, we would need legislation forbidding people from calling themselves translators without this qualification (which is the situation in some other professions).

It's far from clear to me that such a system would be a good thing for the industry. Sure, universally imposing minimum credentials in translation would raise incomes for those translators who qualify, improve the transparency and accountability of the service offered and maybe even improve overall quality levels.

On the other hand it would not guarantee quality, it would restrict supply, often based on dubious principles, and therefore raise costs for buyers of translation services. That in turn would probably lead to increased investment in technologies to replace translators or increased pressure on translators to invest more in tools to improve their efficiency.

I'd like to think that 15038 or 17100 are irrelevant to most of us outside the artificial market of the EU directive paper mountain. However, the fact is that a decent fraction of European agencies seem to want translators to be 15038-compliant. It's already had an impact and I think ISO 17100 will intensify that effect.

Regards
Dan


 
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.
Maria S. Loose, LL.M.  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 06:28
German to English
+ ...
ISO 17100 Jul 15, 2015

Extract from ISO 17100:
"Translators who take part in translation projects under ISO 17100 must demonstrate the professional competences specified in the standard by meeting at least one of the three requirements.
Advanced translation studies (recognised qualification)
Equivalent qualification in another specialisation plus a minimum of two years documented experience in translation.
At least five years of documented professional experience in translation."

... See more
Extract from ISO 17100:
"Translators who take part in translation projects under ISO 17100 must demonstrate the professional competences specified in the standard by meeting at least one of the three requirements.
Advanced translation studies (recognised qualification)
Equivalent qualification in another specialisation plus a minimum of two years documented experience in translation.
At least five years of documented professional experience in translation."

These requirements do uphold a minimum standard, which serve to regulate the industry on a voluntary basis. Nobody is forced to work under this standard. But it is precisely because there is no legally protected status for translators that voluntary certifications like these do make sense. The client can then choose whether to work with a certified or uncertified LSP according to his/her budget.




[Edited at 2015-07-15 08:23 GMT]

[Edited at 2015-07-15 08:25 GMT]

[Edited at 2015-07-15 13:07 GMT]
Collapse


 
Annamaria Amik
Annamaria Amik  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:28
Romanian to English
+ ...
Another possible reason why Jul 15, 2015

Maria S. Loose, LL.M. wrote:
The client can then choose whether to work with a certified or uncertified LSP according to his/her budget.


While I agree that it is not necessary and you can work successfully without one (at least as a sole trader), there is another area where being ISO certified is a major benefit, if not mandatory: public tenders. ISO certification may be an eligibility requirement for bidders especially in governmental tenders, at least in Eastern Europe. It does raise the company's profile, even if it may add nothing to its quality, in other business relationships, as well.

On a personal note, seeing the ISO badge on any supplier's website does not impress me per se, but it reassures me that the company is serious, not to mention financially sound enough to at least care about this kind of paperwork.

[Edited at 2015-07-15 09:28 GMT]


 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:28
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Sharp! Jul 16, 2015

Diego Achío wrote:

Maria S. Loose, LL.M. wrote:

http://uepo.de/2015/06/07/weltweit-gueltig-neue-prozessnorm-iso-17100-fuer-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen-veroeffentlicht/

http://uepo.de/2014/08/20/was-bringt-die-neue-norm-din-en-iso-17100-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen/

EN-15038, which was applicable only in Europe, is replaced by ISO 17100, which is applicable on a world wide level. You can register with DIN CERTCO or get audited by this body. If your processes are compliant with this standard, clients will trust you to deliver a truly professional service.

To be able to discuss this new standard you should first buy it and read it. It provides for example that translators need to have a degree in translation studies or five years of documented translation experience. Translation being an unregulated sector, this new standard is a very useful tool for translation buyers, who need to know which translators and agencies are truly professional.


Thanks a lot for this and all commentaries recommending certification companies that can help me with this. I'm going to get in touch with them right away.

As for those of you who say the certification is not needed. It is truth, it is not a must have, specially if you're a freelancer. I've been a freelancer for 8 years and I've never needed and ISO certification. But I've been owner of a translation agency for two years already and I've discovered that these kind of certifications increase your market value by a lot.

When running an agency I've had to worry not only about how much I charge my clients but also how much we pay to our outsourced translators. The more certifications and specialization papers we can get, the higher our value as a company, so we can charge more, and offer our talents the rates they deserve. I really don't want to run a company thst offer underates.


Basically the ISO certification is total nonsense, just another way for some organisation to make a buck, but it is there, and in your situation, I would do the same. So, I totally agree with you, but isn't it a shame you feel obliged to certify yourself just because everybody else is doing it? In what kind of world are we living?


 
Diego Achío
Diego Achío  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:28
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Just a strategy to overcome a limitation Jul 16, 2015

Robert Rietvelt wrote:

Diego Achío wrote:

Maria S. Loose, LL.M. wrote:

http://uepo.de/2015/06/07/weltweit-gueltig-neue-prozessnorm-iso-17100-fuer-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen-veroeffentlicht/

http://uepo.de/2014/08/20/was-bringt-die-neue-norm-din-en-iso-17100-uebersetzungsdienstleistungen/

EN-15038, which was applicable only in Europe, is replaced by ISO 17100, which is applicable on a world wide level. You can register with DIN CERTCO or get audited by this body. If your processes are compliant with this standard, clients will trust you to deliver a truly professional service.

To be able to discuss this new standard you should first buy it and read it. It provides for example that translators need to have a degree in translation studies or five years of documented translation experience. Translation being an unregulated sector, this new standard is a very useful tool for translation buyers, who need to know which translators and agencies are truly professional.


Thanks a lot for this and all commentaries recommending certification companies that can help me with this. I'm going to get in touch with them right away.

As for those of you who say the certification is not needed. It is truth, it is not a must have, specially if you're a freelancer. I've been a freelancer for 8 years and I've never needed and ISO certification. But I've been owner of a translation agency for two years already and I've discovered that these kind of certifications increase your market value by a lot.

When running an agency I've had to worry not only about how much I charge my clients but also how much we pay to our outsourced translators. The more certifications and specialization papers we can get, the higher our value as a company, so we can charge more, and offer our talents the rates they deserve. I really don't want to run a company thst offer underates.


Basically the ISO certification is total nonsense, just another way for some organisation to make a buck, but it is there, and in your situation, I would do the same. So, I totally agree with you, but isn't it a shame you feel obliged to certify yourself just because everybody else is doing it? In what kind of world are we living?


Thanks Maria for your recommendation, I got in touch with Linguacert and I'm now waiting for their price quote.

Robert, the ISO is basically a way to "officially" demonstrate clients that you actually have a translation workflow and that there is a team of more than 1 person working the project. Which is in theory, the difference between freelancers and agencies.

I see my topic ended up in a discussion of whether it is important to get a ISO certification or not. I just have to say again that it is not a must have, hundreds (or thousands?) of companies do not get certified, they still have a whole translation process and deliver the exact same quality a certified company does.

So, the certification is just another "membership", just like translators who want to join ATA with the sole purpose of being able to show off the ATA seal of approval in their CVs. That's how I would define ISO certifications.

We're currently assesing whether we should do this investment or not. Truth be told, the idea of getting ISO certified came up when we discovered that there are no translation companies (or almost none) in Mexico with a ISO Certification. It came up like a strategy to position ourself above them.

We found out that there are a lot of freelancers working with corporate profiles, offering freelancer prices, this affect real translation agencies because the client thinks they are actually hiring a real company for a much lower price. In consequence, real agencies have to lower their rates by a lot and this obviously affects the freelancers working with us.... A whole different issue that deserves another forum discussion I guess

I sincerely think the final decision will be made based on pricing rather than requiring it. We're currently thinking of several courses of action in order to earn our client's trust and let them know we're a company and not just a masked freelancer.

But I'm not really complaining, kudoz on those people who were bright enough as to mask themselves as companies. The business world is all about strategies, not morals. Or so they say


 
Robert Rietvelt
Robert Rietvelt  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:28
Member (2006)
Spanish to Dutch
+ ...
Like I said: 'sharp' Jul 16, 2015

With which I meant to say 'good strategy', go for it, absolutely! The rest of my opinion you can read in my previous answer.

[Edited at 2015-07-16 22:35 GMT]


 
Pages in topic:   [1 2] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

How to get EN-15038:2006 Certified







TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »