Quality Standards, Tools and Metrics March 31, 2013 Omar Aly & Noha Sayed

Quality Standards, Tools and MetricsMarch 31, 2013

OmarAly & NohaSayed

© 2012 Arabize ltd. All rights reserved.

Agenda

• Quality Concepts• Importance of Quality• Expertise, Skills & Qualifications of Professional

Translator/Localizer• Quality Challenges and How to Overcome • Project Requirements• Quality Tools• Quality Standards • Quality Evaluation Metrics• CAT Tools• Effect of Bad Quality on the Arabic Market


Quality Concepts

What is Quality?

• Quality is all about meeting the needs and expectations of customers

• ISO 8402-1986 standard defines quality as "the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs."

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives”

William Foster


What is Quality assurance (QA)?• QA refers to “any systematic process of checking to see whether a product

or service being developed is meeting specified requirements.”

What is Quality Management System (QMS)?• It is the system by which an organization aims to reduce and eventually

eliminate nonconformance to specifications, standards, and customer expectations in the most cost effective and efficient manner.

Quality Concepts (Cont.d)


Importance of Quality Customer level• Customer Satisfaction• Good reputation• Increased sales of localized product • Increased revenue and profits

Company level• Loyal customers who can market for the company• Increased revenue and profits• Good reputation• Gaining new customers• Competitive edge• Company growth


Expertise, Skills & Qualifications of Professional Translator/Localizer

Expertise• Mastering source and target language • In-depth knowledge in the respective field• Mastering computer assisted-translation (CAT) tools• Localization-specific expertise (knowledge of the functional part

of the product to be localized)

Skills• Search & research skills• Term coinage skill

Qualifications• Has a good style (suitable to field)• Accurate


Quality Challenges and How to Overcome Quality Challenge How to overcome

Tight time - Optimal resource allocation- Focusing on the main requirements .e.g. style for the marketing material)

Low price - Automation

Unqualified Translators & Localizers

- Training- Development- Practice


Project Requirements

Understanding the project requirements is a must for good quality:

• Instructions• Resources required• Tools• Tasks required• Deliverables


Quality Tools

Quality Tools are one of the pillars of good quality. The most popular QA tools in the field are:

• Xbench• Linguistic ToolBox (LTB)• Error Spy• Verifika

• Other client developed & customized tools


Quality Standards

EN 15038:2006

• This is the “The European Quality Standards for Translation Service” It’s the standards that establishes and defines the requirements for quality translation services by TSPs (Translation Service Providers).

• It aims to unify the terminology used in the translation field, define basic requirements for language-service providers (human and technical resources, quality control, and project management) and create a framework for the interaction of customers and service providers in terms of their rights and obligations. It also defines certain services, in addition to translation, that may be offered by language-service providers.


LISA QA metric is one of the most common models that can be used to structure the feedback given by reviewers on the quality of translations. In the LISA QA metric, errors are categorized per severity level as Minor, Major or Critical.

• Measurement Formula (1000 w (7 points allowed = Pass))

• Severity Levels – Critical Error (= 7 points)

• Any statement that can be potentially offensive.• Any error that endangers the integrity of data or the health/safety of

users.

Quality Evaluation Metrics


• Severity Levels – Major Error (= 5 points)

• Confuse or mislead the user. • May cause the users to stop using the product.• Appears in High Visibility portion• Any un-translated part• Most of mistranslation and terminology errors

Quality Evaluation Metrics (Cont.d)



• Severity Levels – Minor Error (= 1 point)

• Any error that does not mislead the user. • Most of them (but not all) are spelling, punctuation and

style errors.



• Error Categories

– Accuracy• Incorrect Cross-references• Incorrect translation• Wrong omissions & additions

– Language• Grammar• Punctuation• Spelling



• Error Categories- Functional Error

• Format• Tags/Links• Technical Error

- Country• Company standards• Country standards• Local suitability


• Error Categories- Style

• Client Style guide• General style• Language variants/slang

- Terminology• Context• Glossary• Inconsistency



CAT Tools

Mastering the advanced level of the CAT tools is a must to produce a professional translated output in a suitable time. The most common CAT tools are:

• Trados • Passolo• Idiom• Catalyst


Effect of Bad Quality on the Arabic Market

Lose(You)

Lose(Company)

Lose(Society)

- Clients- Company reputation

- Hard currency - Money

- Work (client/company)- Your reputation

-Money

- Reputation of the Arabic market

- Hard currency


Recommendations

- Kindly do not sacrifice quality for any reason- Kindly respect this historical profession- Kindly do not undervalue the price and effort of your

job- Kindly be a professional FL


Feel free to contact me any time for any comment or question at:

[email protected]

Omar AlyLanguage Development Manager

Q&A

Quality Standards, Tools and Metrics March 31, 2013 Omar Aly & Noha Sayed

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