Ensuring Excellence in Every Aspect
Introduction
Mindlink is committed to delivering products and services of the highest quality. Our comprehensive quality procedures are designed to ensure that we meet and exceed the expectations of our customers. This document outlines the key quality procedures implemented at Mindlink to maintain consistency, reliability, and excellence in our offerings.
Quality Management System (QMS)
Mindlink’s Quality Management System (QMS) forms the backbone of our quality procedures. It is a structured system that documents the processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives. Our QMS is based on the ISO 9001:2015 standard, which ensures a process-oriented approach to quality management.
Document Control
Document control is essential to maintaining an organized and efficient QMS. All documents related to quality procedures, including manuals, policies, and records, are systematically reviewed, approved, and updated as necessary. This ensures that only the most current and accurate information is available to our team members.
Internal Audits
Regular internal audits are conducted to assess the effectiveness of our QMS. These audits involve a thorough review of our processes and procedures to identify any areas for improvement. The findings are documented, and corrective actions are implemented to address any non-conformities.
Management Review
Periodic management reviews are held to evaluate the overall performance of the QMS. These reviews involve analyzing data from internal audits, customer feedback, and quality performance metrics. The aim is to ensure the continuous suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness of our quality management processes.
Product Quality Assurance
Ensuring the quality of our products is paramount at Mindlink. Our product quality assurance procedures encompass every stage of the product lifecycle, from design and development to production and delivery.
Design and Development
The design and development phase is crucial to ensuring that our products meet customer requirements and regulatory standards. Our quality procedures in this phase include:
- Requirements Analysis: Gathering and documenting customer requirements to ensure clarity and understanding.
- Design Reviews: Conducting regular design reviews to evaluate progress and identify potential issues early.
- Verification and Validation: Performing verification and validation activities to confirm that the product design meets the specified requirements.
Supplier Quality Management
Our suppliers play a critical role in the quality of our products. We have established robust supplier quality management procedures to ensure that our suppliers meet our high standards. These procedures include:
- Supplier Evaluation: Assessing potential suppliers based on their ability to meet our quality requirements.
- Supplier Audits: Conducting audits of supplier facilities to verify compliance with quality standards.
- Performance Monitoring: Regularly monitoring supplier performance and implementing corrective actions as needed.
Production Quality Control
During production, we implement stringent quality control measures to ensure that our products meet specifications. Our production quality control procedures include:
- In-Process Inspections: Conducting inspections at various stages of production to detect and address any issues promptly.
- Final Inspections: Performing comprehensive inspections of finished products to verify their compliance with quality standards.
- Non-Conforming Product Management: Identifying, documenting, and addressing any non-conforming products to prevent their release.
Customer Quality Assurance
Customer satisfaction is a key indicator of our quality performance. Our customer quality assurance procedures are designed to ensure that we consistently meet and exceed customer expectations.
Customer Feedback
We actively seek feedback from our customers to gain insights into their experiences with our products and services. This feedback is gathered through various channels, including surveys, customer reviews, and direct communication.
Complaint Handling
We have established a systematic complaint handling process to address any customer concerns promptly and effectively. This process includes:
- Complaint Logging: Documenting all customer complaints in a centralized system.
- Root Cause Analysis: Investigating the root cause of complaints to prevent recurrence.
- Corrective Actions: Implementing corrective actions to resolve complaints and improve customer satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is a fundamental aspect of our quality procedures. We are committed to continually enhancing our processes, products, and services to achieve higher levels of quality. This involves:
- Performance Metrics: Establishing and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) to track our quality performance.
- Improvement Initiatives: Implementing improvement initiatives based on data analysis and customer feedback.
- Employee Training: Providing ongoing training to our employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Translation Quality Procedures
Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our translations is essential to our commitment to quality. Our translation quality procedures include:
Translator Qualifications
We ensure that all translators possess the necessary qualifications and experience. This includes:
- Educational Background: Verifying that translators have relevant linguistic or translation degrees.
- Professional Experience: Ensuring translators have experience in the specific subject matter of the translation.
- Certification: Encouraging translators to obtain certifications from recognized translation associations.
We require our linguists to be native speakers of the target language. We use the ASTM Standard Guide for Quality Assurance in Translation (F2575 -14) to help define our linguist qualification process.
Successful applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Residence in the target country at least through high school
- Achieved one or more of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in the language or a related field
- Bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field + 1 year of experience in the language industry
- 2+ years of experience working in the language industry
- Demonstrates basic MS Office proficiency
- Passes the Mindlink Resources Qualifying Test verifying their native-level language skills in the following areas:
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Missing text
- Missing translation
- Consistency
- Identifying and correcting misleading or inaccurate translations
- Style (register, flow)
If a candidate meets these requirements, they are invited to create a profile in LinguistLink and are available to take on client assignments.
After a linguist is onboarded, we provide training on Mindlink processes, quality expectations, and tools through webinars and our Learning Management System (LMS) called the Mindlink Learning Center (https://academy.mindlinkresources.com). Courses include the latest industry standards and technical developments to help them keep up with advancements in the industry.
Translation Process
Our translation process is designed to ensure accuracy and consistency. This process includes:
- Pre-Translation Preparation: Conducting thorough research and compiling glossaries to ensure consistency in terminology.
- Translation: Translating the content while adhering to the specified style and tone guidelines.
- Review and Editing: Conducting a detailed review and editing of the translation to ensure accuracy and fluency.
- Proofreading: Performing a final proofreading to catch any remaining errors or inconsistencies.
- Translation Process, Capacity, and Quality Process
Quality Management
Two-step Translation and Proofread Process
To ensure a high level of quality, each translation is proofread by a second professional translator to ensure that the translations reflect the meaning and tone of the source text while sounding fluent and natural.
During the Proofing stage, our proofreaders look for:
- Mistranslations of the source text
- Linguistic mistakes, such as grammar or spelling errors, wrong punctuation, semantics issues (grammatically correct text but wrong meaning), incorrect fonts, noncompliance with guidelines, etc.
- Omissions, additions, broken cross-references, etc.
- Correct and consistent translations of key terms in compliance with approved terminology
- Consistent use of style (e.g. formal vs. informal), no awkward or idiomatic expressions, and linguistically appropriate and culturally relevant use of inclusive terms
- Appropriate use of country/regional address, date, telephone, currency, measurement, and other numerical units
Quality Framework
Mindlink uses a proprietary Translation Management System (TMS) called LinguistLink, and a Computer-aided Translation (CAT) tool, WordBee Translator. The translation process includes preparation, project requests, quote creation, project assignment, translation, proofing, QA checks, and final delivery. Turnaround times vary based on word count and urgency, with detailed timeframes provided.
In addition, throughout our translation process, linguists use a variety of tools and reference materials to ensure consistent, accurate, and quality translations and compliance with project requirements. These include:
- Translation guidelines
- Client-provided instructions
- Approved terminology glossaries
- Translation memories that leverage past translations, and
- QA checks built into the translation tools
Additional components of our quality framework include:
- Back Translation — “Back Translation” is an option that can add extra steps to ensure high quality. The Back Translation involves taking the translated terms and translating them back into English. The original English source and the back-translated English are then compared to identify any discrepancies. Any differences between the source and translated terms could indicate potential mistranslations. The initial draft will be sent back to the workgroup for final review and approval.
- Document storage with logging and version control: We use Microsoft OneDrive to manage documents. This tool allows us to create version controls and we never lose documents.
- Client reviews: We welcome client feedback both during and after projects to further train our linguists on your preferences and linguistic requirements and update translation guidelines accordingly.
- Best-fit translator assignment: We have specific criteria that our Schedulers follow to assign the right personnel to each project. In addition to assigning linguists who have the required experience and subject expertise, we assign at least one US-based translator to ensure that the voice of the local community is represented.
- Consistency: Our tools allow us to assign similar content or projects to the same linguist, providing consistent translations across documents as well as greater familiarity with your content and style.
- Performance management: We closely monitor our translators’ performance via client feedback and a dashboard that tracks the number of assignments in a given period and their on-time delivery statistics. We review the dashboards once a quarter, reward good performance with kudos, and discuss plans for improvement and training offerings in situations of underperformance.
Customer Feedback and Continuous Improvement
We value customer feedback to continually improve our translation services. This includes:
- Feedback Collection: Gathering feedback from customers on translation quality and satisfaction.
- Analysis and Improvement: Analyzing feedback to identify areas for improvement and implementing necessary changes.
Conclusion
At Mindlink, quality is not just a goal; it is a commitment embedded in every aspect of our operations. Our comprehensive quality procedures ensure that we consistently deliver products and services that meet the highest standards of excellence. By adhering to these procedures, we continue to build trust, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive continuous improvement.