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Quality Assurance processes in an international localization company

Wordbank presentation to the Sprachen & Dolmetscher Institut München (SDI)


On 13 May 2004 Monica Basting, Wordbank Quality Manager, gave a presentation to the SDI, a renowned educational institute for translation and interpreting in Munich, to explain the QA practices used by Wordbank to meet clients’ quality expectations. Her talk was part of a series of lectures by guest speakers and was attended by 25 linguists embarking on freelance careers that will involve working for international localization companies.

Monica explained how the core of Wordbank’s quality approach is a four-stage process that is supported by an ISO 9001-certified process of recruitment for both external suppliers of translation, editing and proofreading services as well as in-house project managers who are all qualified linguists. The presentation also focused on Wordbank’s long-term working relationships with freelance suppliers and how they are developed by maintaining a continual, constructive feedback loop and communicating with them through tools such as a supplier extranet, newsletter, surveys and quality audits.

Cornelia Groethuysen, Stellvertretende Direktorin of the SDI said, “Monica's talk was received very well by the audience, especially our post-graduate students and former students (the undergraduates have yet to grasp the importance of quality and quality assurance). I think it is very important to show that quality assurance is possible even in the face of cost pressures.”