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Language Bear has undergone some big changes in the last few years. We’ve built our own software from the ground up, working closely with developers to create a secure platform that better serves our team and our clients. We’ve also grown our team of translators, editors, writers, and project managers—all with the goal of offering the best possible service to our growing list of clients.
Toward the end of 2023, we took things even further by partnering with French company Bureau Veritas to obtain the internationally recognized ISO 17100:2015 certification for translation services.
It’s something we’re very proud of as it serves as validation that the translation service we provide and the processes we use are of the highest standard.
What is Bureau Veritas?
Bureau Veritas is a certification organization that traces its roots back to the first half of the 19th century. It assesses and certifies companies to ensure they meet strict criteria and are able to provide the level of quality and professionalism that they claim. In our case, it meant we opened the doors of the Language Bear office to the company’s auditors, where they checked our software, approved our services, and confirmed our professional competency for translation services.
The auditors checked the entirety of our process, from the moment an order is received right on through to its completion and delivery. Although the auditors were given access to the Language Bear office and shown the job process, they were not shown any sensitive data, such as contact information, sensitive documents, rates, files, project names, and company names. Nothing that could jeopardize our clients’ privacy was made available to the auditors.
What is the certificate?
The ISO 17100:2015 certificate granted to Language Bear was with the following scope:
Written translations in various languages using native freelance translators and editors via a proprietary online platform for process management.
If a client has content that needs to be translated, our team will work with them to understand their requirements and ensure they are happy with the expected delivery time. They will then assign the work to an appropriate native translator from the Language Bear team. Once the translator has completed the work, they will submit it to our platform where it will be picked up by an experienced, native editor who double-checks for mistakes, and ensures that best translation practices have been followed and the client’s specifications have been met. Following a final check by the project manager, the work is sent to the client.
It seems like a long and complicated process, but it’s one that has been fine-tuned over a number of years. It’s also supported by our proprietary software, which ensures that everything runs smoothly, everyone understands the role that they play, and the client is informed of the job’s progress.
The meticulous nature of this process also allows us to account for highly specific client requirements and regulatory considerations. Our work in the gambling industry is a prime example of this, as every jurisdiction operates within a strict set of criteria governing what can and can’t be written. By working with editors who understand these requirements, we can apply those final checks.
What did the audit entail?
On the 11th and 12th of December 2023 , Bureau Veritas auditors assessed and approved several key areas of our company, including:
- Talent Acquisition: We work with experienced, native editors and translators from all over the world. The auditors scrutinized our hiring process, which involves checking the experience level of the translator/editor, assessing their CV, and ensuring they can meet our high standards. That means that if you want content translated from French into English, it will be conducted by someone who is fluent in both of those languages and then edited by a native English editor. It’s not just about language, either. As noted above, the best work is completed by people who are true specialists in their fields, and the auditors verified the processes we use to find, evaluate, and hire these specialists.
- Project Management: Every step of the order process was studied, assessed, and approved. This included project commencement, as well as client and talent communication. Content preparation and submissions were also studied. These processes are key for quality delivery, as it’s important to make sure the right people are involved and that every step is completed, as the client may not be in a position where they can check the work, so the onus is on us to be extra diligent.
- Software: Language Bear is a human-led content agency, but we use technology to support our processes and make life easier for project managers, translators, editors, and clients. Auditors checked and approved all of this software, including employee workstations and office hardware.
Finally, we worked with the auditors to create a roadmap for the future, one that outlines the processes we must follow and the rules that must be observed to ensure we continue to meet these high standards as the company grows and evolves.
Summary: Language Bear is moving forward
At Language Bear, we have always strived to stay ahead of the curve. We have invested heavily in our team and our software, and we’ve done all of this to provide a better service to our clients. Our ISO 17100:2015 certification is another big step forward, one that validates our hard work and proves that we are dedicated to running a tight ship.
We won’t stop there, either. We plan to have more certifications by the end of the year, including ISO 27001:2022 (information security, cybersecurity, and privacy protection) and ISO 9001: 2015 (quality management systems), and as always, we will continue to recruit the best linguists and grow the team.