Selecting your translation company in Australia

Twenty tips for selecting your translation services provider. These tips are aimed at organisations who need to select the right company for their translation provider. It can be used as a guide for writing tenders and RFP/RFQs.

Experience matters

How long has the company been in the translation industry? What kind of projects have they handled before? How familiar are they with your specific domain and target audience? You want to choose a company that has a proven track record of delivering high-quality translations for similar clients and purposes.

Translationz has more than 20 years of experience in translation services. We have managed translation projects across most industries and Australia. We perform thousands of language services assignments every week.

Language Services – Breadth of Services and Size of Company

What languages does the company offer? How many native speakers do they have in their network? Are they staff or contractors. How do they ensure linguistic and cultural accuracy and consistency across languages and regions? You want to choose a company that can cover all your language needs and provide localisation services as well.

In 2023, Translationz is recognised as one of Australia’s two largest private language services companies. We have qualified translators who meet Australian standards, including NAATI credentials.

Translation Services Technology

What tools and software does the company use to facilitate and enhance the translation process? How do they leverage machine translation, translation memory, terminology management, and quality assurance tools? How do they protect your data and privacy?

Translationz uses award winning technology for both our translation and interpreting services. Choose a company that uses the latest and most reliable translation technology to improve efficiency, accuracy, and security.

Disciplined Project Management

How does the company handle your translation project from start to finish? What are the steps and stages involved? How do they communicate with you and keep you updated on the progress and status of your project? How do they handle feedback and revisions? Choose a company that has a clear and transparent project management process and a dedicated project manager to oversee your project.

Translation Staff or Contractors

Who are the actual translators and editors who work on your project? Are they actually staff members? What are their qualifications, credentials, and certifications? How do they select, train, and evaluate their translation vendors? How do they ensure quality and consistency across different vendors and projects?

Translationz has thousands of active translators ensuring that you get accurate and complete translations. Choose a company that has a large and diverse pool of qualified and experienced translators who meet your specific requirements.

Quality Assurance – More expensive having to fix a poor translation

Quality Assurance infographic with 8 steps, parts, options

How does the company ensure the quality and accuracy of the translations they deliver? What are the quality standards and criteria they follow? What are the quality control aQualitynd quality assurance processes they implement? How do they measure and monitor the quality of their translations?

Choose a company that has a rigorous and comprehensive quality assurance system and a proven record of customer satisfaction.

Turnaround Time – To meet your requirments

How fast can the company deliver your translations? Faster is not always better.  What are the factors that affect the turnaround time, such as the volume, complexity, and language of your project? How do they handle urgent or large-scale projects? How do they balance speed and quality? Choose a company that can meet your deadlines and expectations without compromising on quality.

Define your turnaround time requirements and then use that to determine whether your translation service company can meet those requirements. Translationz has our Rapid Translationz capability for delivery in less than an hour – and also has comprehensive reviews that take more time.

Cost vs Quality

How much does the company charge for their translation services? What are the factors that determine the cost, such as the word count, language pair, subject matter, and level of difficulty of your project? How do they calculate and communicate the cost to you? How do they handle payment and invoicing? You want to choose a company that offers competitive and transparent pricing and value for money.

Selecting the cheapest is frequently a mistake. When quality matters, seek to understand details about their staff and processes.

Certifications and Accreditations

What are the certifications and accreditations that the company holds or adheres to? How do they demonstrate their compliance with the industry standards and best practices? How do they ensure the quality and professionalism of their services?

Translator accreditation should be NAATI for when you need to provide any documents to the governments of Australia. Company certifications and accreditations, such as ISO 27001 – for data security should also be considered,

Client References and Testimonials

What are the feedback and reviews that the company has received from their previous and current clients? How do they showcase their portfolio and case studies? How do they handle complaints and disputes? How do they measure and improve their customer satisfaction and loyalty?

Reach out to organisations who have implemented a panel arrangement. They will tell you who delivers and who just talks a good game.

Specialisation and Expertise

What are the areas of specialization and expertise that the company offers? How do they handle different types of content, such as technical, legal, medical, or marketing? How do they deal with different formats, such as documents, websites, software, or multimedia? How do they ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the terminology and style of your project? You want to choose a company that has the relevant and specific specialization and expertise for your project.

Flexibility and Scalability

How flexible and adaptable is the company to your changing needs and preferences? How do they handle requests for changes, additions, or modifications to your project? How do they cope with fluctuations in the volume, complexity, and urgency of your project? How do they accommodate different languages, formats, and platforms?

Translationz can support you through your phases of growth. We have clients who started with one project per week, who then grew to hundreds per week. Choose a company that can adjust and scale their services to your project requirements.

Innovation and Creativity

How innovative and creative is the company in their approach and solutions? How do they use the latest technology and trends to enhance their services? How do they incorporate your feedback and suggestions to improve their services? How do they add value and differentiation to your project? Translationz offers more than just translation. We offer localisation, transcreation, or multilingual SEO, desktop publishing and more.

Culture and Values

What are the culture and values that the company follows and promotes? How do they reflect their mission, vision, and goals in their services? How do they treat their employees, vendors, and clients? How do they contribute to the society and the environment? You want to choose a company that has a positive and professional culture and values that align with yours.

Caring is a the foundation of our values. We care about our clients, the quality of work we deliver, our staff, and ultimately about providing the right service to those who need translation and interpreting services.

Reliability and Trustworthiness

How reliable and trustworthy is the company in their services? How do they ensure the confidentiality and security of your data and information? How do they handle sensitive or personal data? How do they prevent and resolve errors or issues that may arise during or after the project? Choose a company that you can trust and rely on for your translation needs.

Request a face to face meeting. We can come to you and discuss your needs.

Accessibility and Availability

How accessible and available is the company for your communication and collaboration? How do they communicate with you throughout the project? How do they respond to your queries and concerns? How do they provide support and assistance after the project? You want to choose a company that you can easily and conveniently reach and work with.

If you and your staff are waiting 20 minutes or more to have your questions answered, then you should consider switching to Translationz. We care about our clients and your needs.

Customer Service and Support

How customer-oriented and friendly is the company in their services? How do they understand and meet your expectations and objectives? How do they handle your feedback and complaints? How do they provide support and assistance after the project? You want to choose a company that provides excellent customer service and support245.
Industry Knowledge and Insights: How knowledgeable and informed is the company about the industry and market trends and developments? How do they keep up with the changes and challenges in the translation industry? How do they provide you with insights and advice on how to optimize your translation project? Choose a company and translators who have a deep and broad industry knowledge and insights.

Translationz has a large pool of translators which means that we can provide you with a translator with domain expertise in your area of interest.

Global Presence and Network

How global and diverse is the company in their services? How many countries and regions do they operate in? How many languages and cultures do they cover? How do they leverage their global presence and network to provide you with the best translation solutions? You want to choose a company that has a strong and extensive global presence and network.

Translationz is an Australian company with clients across the whole of Australia. We operate mainly in Australia, however we can assist with rare and emerging languages.

Compatibility and Partnership

How compatible and suitable is the company for your project and organization? How well do they understand and match your needs and preferences? How well do they work and collaborate with you and your team? How do they establish and maintain a long-term relationship and partnership with you? You want to choose a company that you can work with as a partner and not just a vendor.

Feel free to use this a framework for your procurement activities for translation services. Whilst, some language services companies look good on paper, they can fail to deliver. Asking these questions for significant procurements can save a huge amount of pain and regret from selecting the wrong company.