Most translation agencies in the EU have introduced quality management systems which observe the provisions of the ISO 9001 Standard, although this system does not guarantee total quality of the translation. The European Standardisation Board issued the EN 15038 quality standard in translation services rendering in 2006.

The EN 15038 Standard stipulates the requirements that translation services providers must to meet regarding human and technical resources, quality control systems, project management, relationships with clients, and the monitoring and surveying of the translation process.

The EN 15038 Standard is important to translation agencies for the following reasons:

•     Competence advantage, market differentiation
•     Operational efficiency
•     Strengthening client confidence

Short-term benefits:

•     Refreshing effect of analysis and critical review of current organisation
•     Sources of new ideas as the basis for further development and continuous service quality improvement
•     Evidence for associates and customers that the agency meets the requirements defined by experts from all over Europe

Long-term benefits:

•     Clear formulation of a specific customers' requirements, which are contrary to the rules of good practice
•     Possibility of integrating additional standards and other national and international specifications, such as ISO 9001:2000, ISO 27001:2005, ISO 14001:2004
•     Possible application of standards in all business processes
•     The right to use evidence of expertise in agency advertising
•     Guaranteed confidence in services rendered by an agency
•     Maintaining the status of a good manager acting with due diligence in the event of litigation

More about EN:

See more on the EN 15038 Standard at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EN_15038
Short explanation of EN 15038
EN 15038:2007 En, Fr and De version