Pre-production processes and activities in ISO 17100

Pre-production is the stage that runs from the client’s initial enquiry to the actual start of the translation project. In a translation conforming to ISO 17100, this stage is not limited to sending a price. The translation agency must analyse the assignment, check whether it can take it on, define the conditions, prepare the necessary resources and make the project specifications clear.

This stage directly affects translation quality. A poorly prepared file, an unclear purpose, an unspecified language variant or terminology that has not been agreed can cause errors even when the translator is competent.

That is why the ISO 17100 standard devotes an important part of the process to the activities that take place before translation.

What happens when the client requests a translation

The first step is to analyse the enquiry. The translation company must examine what the client needs and whether it has the human, technical and technological resources required to provide the service.

Translating a short contract is not the same as translating multilingual technical documentation, a medical device product sheet, a financial report or a website with SEO content. Each project requires a specific combination of languages, deadlines, formats, specialist knowledge and controls.

At this stage, issues such as the following are identified:

• source language and target language;
• country or target language variant;
• type of document;
• approximate volume;
• file format;
• requested deadline;
• purpose of the translation;
• confidentiality requirements;
• need for revision, desktop publishing, terminology work or additional services.

This initial analysis makes it possible to know whether the project is feasible and which process should be followed.

Project feasibility

Feasibility does not only mean that the agency can translate the text. It means that it can manage the assignment with the right resources.

To do this, the agency must assess whether professional translators are available in the required language combination, whether the text needs a specialist reviser, whether files have to be prepared, whether CAT tools are required and whether the requested deadline allows the planned level of revision to be maintained.

In sensitive projects, such as medical and pharmaceutical translations or legal translations, this assessment is especially important. Assigning a generalist translator is not enough. Domain competence, terminology control and suitable revision are required.

Quotation and service conditions

When the project is feasible, the agency prepares the quotation. In the approach followed by ISO 17100, the quotation should reflect at least aspects such as languages, delivery, price, format and agreed conditions.

A professional quotation should not be limited to a figure. It should allow the client to know what is being contracted.

In a translation conforming to ISO 17100, it is advisable to clarify:

• whether the service includes translation and independent revision;
• which files will be translated;
• which delivery format will be used;
• which deadline has been agreed;
• whether translation memories or glossaries will be used;
• whether desktop publishing, proofreading or other services are included;
• how later changes in the source text will be handled.

This also helps to compare translation rates with proper criteria. Two prices may look similar but include different processes.

Agreement between the client and the translation agency

Before work starts, there must be an agreement between the client and the translation agency. This may be a formal contract, acceptance of a quotation or written confirmation by email.

The important point is that the conditions are recorded.

That agreement may include commercial terms, deadline, price, languages, format, purpose of the translation, linguistic instructions, legal requirements, confidentiality, liability, intellectual property and handling of the client’s materials.

If anything relevant changes during the project, for example volume, deadline, format or the final use of the translation, that amendment should also be agreed and retained.

Technical preparation of the project

Technical preparation prevents many later problems. Before translation starts, the agency has to check that the files are usable and that the team has the necessary resources.

At this stage, Word documents, InDesign files, Excel spreadsheets, XML, HTML, presentations, editable PDFs or content exported from a CMS may be prepared. Translation memories, terminology databases, project folders, translator instructions and reviser guidelines may also be created.

In website translation, for example, preparation may include extracting text, controlling tags, reviewing URLs, preparing SEO instructions, handling menus, metadata and consistency between pages.

Translation technologies help at this stage, but they do not replace professional decision-making. They are used to prepare the work better and reduce consistency, omission or formatting errors.

Linguistic specifications

Pre-production also includes defining linguistic specifications. This affects style, terminology, register, locale and the purpose of the text.

Translating into Spanish for Spain is not the same as translating into Spanish for Mexico, Chile or the United States. Nor is it the same to translate a commercial brochure, a technical sheet, a judgment, a clinical protocol or a user manual.

When the client has a style guide, glossary or approved terminology, those materials should be integrated into the project. If they do not exist, the agency can propose basic criteria to maintain consistency.

This part is decisive in projects with several translators or several languages.

Why pre-production improves quality

Pre-production reduces improvisation. It makes it possible to allocate resources better, avoid misunderstandings, prepare files, document instructions and establish a verifiable process.

It also facilitates translation project management, because the project manager knows what has been agreed, what has to be controlled and which criteria must be verified before delivery.

Good pre-production does not in itself guarantee a perfect translation, but it creates the necessary conditions for the translation process to be carried out more safely.

LinguaVox and translation project preparation

LinguaVox analyses each project before assigning it. Depending on the type of document, language combination and purpose, it can prepare glossaries, instructions, translation memories, technical resources and guidelines for translators and revisers.

This preliminary work is especially useful in technical, legal, medical, pharmaceutical, corporate and multilingual projects.

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Frequently asked questions about pre-production in ISO 17100

What is pre-production in a translation project?

It is the stage before translation. It includes enquiry analysis, feasibility of the assignment, quotation, agreement with the client, technical preparation and definition of linguistic specifications.

Why is it important to analyse the document before quoting?

Because price and deadline depend on the type of text, volume, language, format, specialism and level of revision required. Without that analysis, the quotation may not reflect the real work involved.

What information should the client provide?

It is advisable to send the final files, state the languages, explain the intended use, indicate the target country, provide glossaries or references and communicate any format, confidentiality or deadline requirement.

Does pre-production include terminology work?

It can include it. If the project requires it, the agency can prepare or update glossaries, terminology databases and translation memories to maintain consistency during the process.

What happens if the client changes the source text after accepting the quotation?

The change should be reviewed and, if it affects volume, deadline, format or conditions, it should be recorded as an amendment to the initial agreement. This avoids confusion and maintains project traceability.