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“When hiring a translation company, price should not be your primary concern.”
Emergo Group, global provider of medical device and IVD consulting services.

All regulators and Notified Bodies agree: Selecting the right translation services provider is perhaps the most important step in the successful completion of any medical translation project (for more on this topic, download our complimentary report “How to Choose a Translation Provider.”). Yet, despite months of hard work and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to produce medical documentation in their source language, some device and drug companies will hire a translation company based on price, as if their liability stopped with the source documents. Let’s be clear. The liability of device and drug companies does not stop with their source documentation. An incident due to an error or omission in a translation will have the same implications as a mistake in the source documentation itself.

This is the reason why translation for medical device manufacturers, for instance, is increasingly perceived by regulators and Notified Bodies as a key outsourcing activity. Issues related to outsourcing and supplier control are at the core of the ISO 13485:2003 standard and this is why Excel Translations has made the necessary investment to become ISO 13485-certified, effectively aligning its quality processes with its clients' in the medical device, diagnostic, hospital supply, and dental supply industries.

When it comes to price, make sure you take the following into consideration as you review quotes and compare proposals from different translation services providers:

Quality Control Process.

Compare the number of quality control steps involved in the translation process of the translation companies you are considering. If a translation company is more expensive, maybe it is because they will spend more time and resources on your translation projects. For example, at Excel Translations, a ten-language project containing three documents may undergo seven actions. That totals 210 discreet tasks (10 x 3 x 7) to be performed and checked! Surely, this comes with a price.
Note: Ask for evidence, not just for promises. At Excel Translations, all of these steps are documented and available for review or auditing.

ISO Certifications.

Maintaining ISO certifications is extremely costly, both directly (registration, renewal of certifications) and indirectly (training of staff, internal audits, recruitment of certified medical translators, etc.). The more certifications, the more guarantees of quality assurance, but also the more costs for the translation agency. Excel Translations’ Quality Management System is uniquely designed to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, ISO 13485:2003, ISO 14971:2007, EN 15038, and ASTM F 2575-06.
Note: Don’t forget that being compliant and being certified is not the same thing. Many translation companies will use loosely both terms as if they were interchangeable. They are not.

Experienced Medical Translators.

We only work with experienced and certified translators who possess significant experience in their field of specialization and are subject-matter experts. Many of our medical translators and editors hold MDs and PhDs in all major areas of life sciences and medicine. Such uniquely qualified medical translators demand to be fairly compensated and we fully subscribe to this idea.
Note: Ask for documented evidence and bios of the linguists involved in the translation of your documents. At Excel Translations, we have profiles of our translators available upon request.

Good Governance, Fair Trade and Dedicated Project Management.

We support and promote the translation industry and understand that hiring the best translators is expensive. We do not auction jobs on the Internet to the lowest bidders as some competitors do after claiming they will carefully select the translators working on your projects. Likewise, we understand that attracting the best in-house talent requires competitive compensation packages and attractive benefits. Excel Translations’ project managers are seasoned medical publication professionals with competencies in the translation needs of companies in the medical devices, pharmaceutical, healthcare and clinical industries. This allows you to rest assured that your projects are in the best possible hands.
Note: Make sure a dedicated project manager will be assigned to your project. Based on each client’s unique requirements, Excel Translations assembles a team led by a dedicated project manager. The project manager is the focal point for all project-related issues and is also the main team leader on projects.

Remember: Translation is not a commodity. Translation is a service and the price you are willing to pay will determine the level of service you will receive and the qualifications of the linguists and project managers involved in your project. While we constantly strive to be competitive, we do not cut corners to compromise quality. That’s out commitment. If the price you were quoted is too good to be true, it most likely is.