Guide for business
Finding the best translation agency: eight criteria for companies
Which translation agency is best depends on your documents, your languages and your security requirements. This guide shows how purchasing, specialist departments and data protection officers can assess a provider, with a criteria matrix, a checklist and a template for requesting a sample translation.
In short
- You can tell a good translation agency by its audited processes and the evidence it provides, not by rankings or self-promotion.
- ISO 17100 requires every translation to be revised against the source text by a second professional.
- For confidential documents, ISO 27001 certification is the most reliable evidence of information security.
- For recurring texts, translation memory and terminology management decide both cost and consistency.
- A sample translation of your own material tells you more than any list of references.
How to recognise a good translation agency
A good translation agency can prove its process: externally audited certifications, qualified specialist translators, revision by a second professional, secure data transfer and tools that keep terminology consistent across every project. Which provider is best depends on your use case, not on a general ranking.
- Define your requirementsDocument types, languages, annual volume and confidentiality
- Check the evidenceCertifications and their scope, plus the eight criteria in the matrix
- Compare samplesThe same sample text sent to two or three providers
- DecideChoose the provider that meets your must-have criteria
Rankings of translation agencies usually sort providers by revenue or headcount. That tells you something about size, but little about whether a provider can deliver your operating manuals, contracts or product copy at the quality you need. A machinery manufacturer with twelve target languages and a technical authoring system has different needs from an HR department with a few highly confidential documents.
So before you compare, decide what you need translated, into which languages, in what annual volume and how confidential the content is. These four factors determine which of the following criteria are must-haves for you.
Which certifications a translation agency should have
Four standards are relevant to translation agencies: ISO 17100 for the translation process, ISO 18587 for post-editing machine translation, ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 27001 for information security. A certification only carries weight if an independent body has issued it.
ISO 17100 covers the entire translation process. It requires translators to hold a degree in translation or another degree plus two years of professional translation experience. Five years of full-time professional experience also qualifies. Every translation is revised by a second professional, following the four-eyes principle. The ISO website describes the standard.
ISO 18587 applies to machine-translated texts that a human fully post-edits. If a provider uses machine translation, this step should be certified to ISO 18587 and stated in the quote. There is more on this on our post-editing page.
ISO 9001 demonstrates a quality management system for the whole company. ISO 27001 demonstrates an audited information security system. For contracts, HR documents or unpublished product data, it is the most important criterion.
Ask to see the certificate, not just the logo. Check the scope, the location and the expiry date. tolingo is certified to all four standards; the evidence is on our certifications page.
A criteria matrix for comparing providers
The matrix gives each of the eight criteria a question to ask and a warning sign to look out for. You can use it as the basis for a tender or for a selection meeting with two or three providers. The weighting column shows which criteria are must-haves for most companies.
Eight criteria, eight questions
| Criterion | Question for the provider | Warning sign | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Translation process | Do you hold a valid ISO 17100 certificate, and who revises the translation? | Only a badge on the website, no document | Must-have |
| Information security | Does your ISO 27001 certification also cover the platform, file transfer and storage location? | Files exchanged as email attachments | Must-have |
| Subject-matter expertise | How do you select and vet translators for our field? | “Native speaker” as the only criterion | Must-have |
| Machine translation | Do you use machine translation, do you disclose it, and is it post-edited to ISO 18587? | No mention in the quote, a strikingly low price per word | Must-have |
| Pricing | Are the price per word, minimum charge, surcharges and discount for repetitions stated? | A flat fee with no breakdown of volumes | Must-have |
| Terminology and translation memory | Do you keep a termbase for each client, and do you credit repetitions? | Glossary only sent as an attachment to the order | Depends on volume |
| Point of contact | Is there a dedicated person for our account, with a deputy? | A different person in charge for every order | Depends on volume |
| Integrations | Is there a client portal, an API or a connection to your CMS or technical authoring system? | Every order handled manually by email | Optional |
If you regularly have similar texts translated, move terminology and translation memory up your list. A translation memory stores sentences that have already been translated, and terminology management sets out which technical terms to use. Both lower the cost of recurring projects and keep terms consistent for years.
Checklist for the selection meeting
These eight points let you establish in a conversation of around 30 minutes whether a provider fits your volume, your document types and your security requirements. You can tick off the list as you go or print it out.
To tick off during the meeting
For information security, it is worth asking one more question about storage. Where are your files processed, who has access to them and when are they deleted? You can find out how tolingo answers these questions on our quality page.
How to request and assess a sample translation
A sample translation only tells you something if it is produced under real conditions: with an extract from your own material, your terminology and a realistic deadline. Have the result checked by an expert in your company who has a command of the target language.
Choose an extract of around 300 words that contains typical difficulties: technical terms, tables, warnings or set phrases. Assess the sample on three points. Does the terminology match your glossary? Is the content complete and technically correct? Does the text read the way a specialist in the target country would write it? Ask in advance how the provider handles the scope and cost of a sample translation.
Request for a sample translation
Subject: Sample translation [document type], [language pair] Hello, We are currently evaluating translation providers for [department]. Attached is an extract of around 300 words from a current document, together with our glossary. Please translate the extract by [date] and let us know who worked on it and which process was used to check the translation. Kind regards, [Name, position, company]
Frequently asked questions
Is there a difference between a translation agency, a translation company and a translation service?
No. The three terms are used interchangeably, and in Germany none of them is a protected title. What matters is which processes and evidence a provider can show, not what it calls itself. You can find out more about tolingo as a translation agency on our homepage.
Which ISO standards are relevant to translation agencies?
ISO 17100 for the translation process with revision by a second professional, ISO 18587 for post-editing machine translation, ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 27001 for information security.
How many translation agencies should you compare?
Two or three. More providers mean more work to assess them without improving the decision. What matters more is comparing all providers using the same questions and the same sample text.
Is it a quality problem if a translation agency uses machine translation?
Not in itself. For large and recurring volumes of text, machine pre-translation with full post-editing to ISO 18587 is a recognised method. The problem is using it without disclosure and without audited post-editing.
How can I tell whether confidential documents are handled securely?
Look for an ISO 27001 certificate whose scope includes file transfer. Also check for encrypted transmission, storage within the EU, fixed deletion periods and the option of signing a non-disclosure agreement before the first upload.
Who handles certified translations?
In Germany, certified translations are produced by translators who are sworn in or authorised by a court. Companies and law firms can order them at fixed prices from Juristra, private individuals from Sworn Translators.
What does the price of a specialist translation depend on?
On the language pair, the subject area, the volume, the deadline and the process, for example whether a second professional revises the text or machine translation is post-edited. Repetitions from a translation memory lower the price. tolingo’s starting prices are on our prices page.
Terms on this page
- ISO 17100
- The international standard for translation services. It sets out qualifications, the process and revision by a second professional.
- Revision
- A comparative check of a translation against the source text by a second, independent professional.
- Translation memory
- A database of previously translated sentences that recognises repetitions in new projects and keeps wording consistent.
- Full post-editing
- Complete revision of a machine translation by a professional, in line with ISO 18587.