In the professional services sector, certifications serve as a badge of reliability and excellence. Within the language industry, the most recognized benchmark is a standard that governs how translation projects are managed and executed. To understand the difference between a casual translation and a professional-grade one, one must ask: what is ISO 17100?
ISO 17100 is the international quality standard that replaced the older EN 15038. It was developed to provide a unified set of requirements for Translation Service Providers (TSPs) worldwide. By establishing a common language for quality, it allows clients to compare services on an equal footing, ensuring that the process behind the final document meets a rigorous global threshold.
The Professional Qualifications: What is ISO 17100’s Requirement for Linguists?
One of the most frequent questions regarding this certification is: what is ISO 17100 actually checking? The standard places a heavy emphasis on the human element. It dictates that every linguist working on a project must demonstrate professional competence through one of the following:
- A recognized degree in translation, linguistics, or a related field.
- A degree in any other field plus two years of full-time professional translation experience.
- Five years of full-time professional experience in translation.
This ensures that the “human” part of the process is handled by experts, not just bilingual individuals, which is a crucial distinction in maintaining technical accuracy.
Workflow and Verification: What is ISO 17100’s Mandatory Process?
The standard does not just care about who does the work, but how the work is done. To comply with the standard, a project must follow a specific lifecycle:
- Translation: A qualified translator produces the initial draft, ensuring it reflects the source meaning and tone.
- Check: The translator performs a self-check of their own work.
- Revision: A second person—the reviser—compares the translation against the source text to ensure it is fit for purpose.
- Review and Proofreading: Optional but recommended steps for further refining the text for specific markets.
- Final Verification: A project manager confirms that all specifications have been met before delivery.
Transparency and Client Confidence
Understanding what is ISO 17100 helps businesses understand the “hidden” costs of quality. The requirement for a mandatory second-person revision (the four-eyes principle) naturally increases the resources required, but it drastically reduces the risk of errors that could lead to financial or reputational damage.
Ultimately, this standard provides a framework for transparency. It gives clients the confidence that their content is being processed through a documented, audited, and globally recognized system, rather than an opaque or inconsistent workflow.
