iDISC - making communcation easy

The following gives details of our normal translation process, that meet the European standard UNE-EN 15038:2006 for which iDISC has been certified:

• The files are received, and confirmation of their receipt is sent to the client
• A Project Manager is assigned.
• The group of files to be translated is reviewed. The tools are determined. The word counts are checked, and the process to be followed is determined (if not already specified by the customer).
• A language lead is assigned to resolve aspects of terminology, if the project so requires. Glossaries and memories are assigned to the project. This may be provided by the customer, or we can use iDisc's style guide and predetermined glossary. If required, this material may be created from scratch, being personalized according to the client's indications.
• The purchase order or approved quote indicating approval is received from the client and work begins.
• Files and volumes are assigned to the translators, depending on their experience and background regarding the topic/client and according to the due-date agreed on with the client.
• The translation process begins and follows its course.
• Questions and queries are passed along for resolution to the Project Manager (PM), if there is no language lead assigned to the project. A glossary is generated or is updated as the translation process continues. All translators on the team share this glossary, whether by LAN, intranet, or extranet.
• Questions that cannot be resolved internally are passed on to the client and the confirmed responses are incorporated into the translation.
• The translator reviews the files and ensures they are run through spell check.
• The files are sent to a reviewer/editor. This third person is in charge of carrying out a technical reading of the text, as well as a linguistic reading, in order to detect possible cases of incorrect translation, style issues, or the use of terms not in the glossary.
• The original translator inserts the corrections proposed by the editors. This feedback allows us to improve the translators' learning curves.

If the files are:

• Software. The localization engineers check the integrity of the files using their own or the customer's tools. Any errors arising from the translation process are corrected. We ensure that the translated files will behave in exactly the same way as the originals.
• Help. The quality assurance checks run on the Help files are carried out by HelpQA. Any errors arising from the translation process are corrected.
• The HTML files are checked using HTMLQA. Any errors arising from the translation process are corrected.
• Quality control checks on the documentation files are performed by examining their content, reading and viewing them, and then examining their formatting or layout.
• The graphics files that are to be used in the documentation or on websites are verified in situ, on a simulation of the Website, or on the documentation with its final formatting.
• The project manager (PM) does a spotcheck of the files before they are delivered. This includes, but is not limited to, correction, terminology, delivery date, and time taken.
• The files are delivered. The client makes any comments, and, if appropriate, they are applied to the files.
• The purchase order is invoiced.
• The project is closed.

In addition to these tasks, which comprise the standard localization process, we also take care of formatting/layout/DTP, the creation of terminology, style guides, and Beta testing of products.
Some of these processes have been mentioned previously.

In total, a minimum of 15 checks are carried out during the standard process.