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Poll: Is it worth investing in quality assurance (QA) processes? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Is it worth investing in quality assurance (QA) processes?".
View the poll results »
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Michael Harris 
Germany
Local time: 10:21
Member (2006)
German to English
but I have not managed to get around to it yet.
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| Most probably, but | Jul 28, 2010 |
I'm not sure exactly what the questioner had in mind. Formal certification might not be essential, but having at least an informal process of one's own to ensure the quality of one's finished product certainly is.
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Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 10:21
English to German
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In memoriam
I voted "other" because I do not understand the question.
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| This question should be addressed to agencies | Jul 28, 2010 |
QA is definitely a must for companies. I've always maintained that an individual freelance translator shall not be forced into becoming a business. There should be a room left in this cruel world for those who are just good translators and have no intention of mastering business administration.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:21
Spanish to English
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I'm with Rolf on this one, i. e. quite baffled.
I have no idea what the asker means...
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Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 10:21
English to French
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I may be 'pedantic about the wording' but I do not understand the question either.
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Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:21
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| Utter commitment | Jul 28, 2010 |
That's my QA process.
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Rebekka Groß (X)
Local time: 09:21
English to German
I don't understand the question either.
Does the asker refer to financial investments into specific QA tools, spending the time to review and proofread, having your work checked by a reviewer???
I certainly undertake certain QA steps every time I do a translation.
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Rebekka Groß (X)
Local time: 09:21
English to German
Alexander Kondorsky wrote:
QA is definitely a must for companies. I've always maintained that an individual freelance translator shall not be forced into becoming a business. There should be a room left in this cruel world for those who are just good translators and have no intention of mastering business administration.
Interesting take on this question - I guess it shows that nobody is sure what the asker is asking.
I would have thought some form of QA should be a must for everyone and has nothing to do with business administration. My translations are only as good as my expertise, research and...QA procedures
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m_temmer
Local time: 02:21
English to Dutch
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| don't get it either | Jul 28, 2010 |
Alexander Kondorsky wrote:
I've always maintained that an individual freelance translator shall not be forced into becoming a business. There should be a room left in this cruel world for those who are just good translators and have no intention of mastering business administration.
I really don't agree. Freelancers are per definition business men or women, just like self-employed plumbers, painters, IT consultants, lawyers, etc.
QA is important even at the translator's level, but I would say it requires an investment of time rather than of money...
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John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 10:21
Spanish to English
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| My understanding of the question | Jul 28, 2010 |
Since few people seem to get the question, I'll take a stab at what I understand by it...
I believe it's talking about using some type of QA measures or standards such as ISO.
One example:
http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref828
The information on how to implement these standards must, of course, be purchased. There's e... See more Since few people seem to get the question, I'll take a stab at what I understand by it...
I believe it's talking about using some type of QA measures or standards such as ISO.
One example:
http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref828
The information on how to implement these standards must, of course, be purchased. There's even such a thing as a "Standards Store" (what will they think of next?) where you can purchase the info:
http://webstore.ansi.org/
I've looked at the standards on the store webpage and they seem quite pricey, if you ask me.
Perhaps, that's the basis of the question?? ▲ Collapse
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Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 04:21
German to English
| Programs such as XBench for QA | Jul 28, 2010 |
Used properly, Xbench can catch a number of errors that might be missed during "normal" visual checking, such as mismatched numbers, deviation from customer-specified terminology, etc. The financial investment is nil, and the program doesn't take long to learn.
Software such as ErrorSpy, even in the "low-cost" freelancer version, is much too expensive for the benefits provided.
Value-added services requiring little additional effort or cost provide a competitive edge f... See more Used properly, Xbench can catch a number of errors that might be missed during "normal" visual checking, such as mismatched numbers, deviation from customer-specified terminology, etc. The financial investment is nil, and the program doesn't take long to learn.
Software such as ErrorSpy, even in the "low-cost" freelancer version, is much too expensive for the benefits provided.
Value-added services requiring little additional effort or cost provide a competitive edge for a professional translator. ▲ Collapse
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Amy Duncan (X)
Brazil
Local time: 05:21
Portuguese to English
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Rolf Kern wrote:
I voted "other" because I do not understand the question.
What are they?
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| Invest in quality from the get-go? | Jul 29, 2010 |
Seasoned professionals who carefully proofread their work make few mistakes of the kind that software could detect. Perhaps an equally or more important investment would be to raise the bar and pay for quality work.
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