When should we use a translation agency?

Today, a company seeking to translate a document into a foreign language has several options: machine translation, translation agency, freelance translator. Obviously, not all these options are equally valid and, above all, not all of them respond to the same needs.

Depending on the type of document to be translated, but also on your company's objectives, sometimes it is better to use the services of a translation agency.

If your documents are confidential

It is not common for freelance translators to sign confidentiality agreements, as many assume that a verbal agreement is sufficient. The advantage of a translation agency is that you will be able to sign a confidentiality clause with them which guarantees that your documents will never be distributed or sent to third parties.

In addition, the translation agency will have the possibility, if you wish, of distributing the documents among several translators. So none of them will have the entire document in their possession. By using professional translators, this does not pose any risk to the quality of the text.

If it's an urgent project

Translation agencies are much more responsive than a freelance translator, so they are ideal if you need your texts translated urgently. A freelance translator will not always be immediately available. And if it is, it will have to follow deadlines that may not take into account the urgency of the project.

On the other hand, thanks to the large team of qualified translators that the translation agencies have, they are able to find immediately available translators and distribute the order among several translators in order to speed up the translation process without compromising quality.

If you are looking for high quality and guarantees

For some companies, sometimes due to the type of document or the objective being considered, quality is not exactly a priority. So they will use translators whose skills have not been tested, or worse, approximate machine translations.

On the other hand, some documents require perfect quality in translation, such as

• Medical documents
• Legal documents
• Marketing documents
• Etc.

Using a translation agency instead of freelance translators will give you the following guarantees:

• Professional translators whose qualifications have been verified and their experience proven.
• Native translators of the target language so that the translated texts are idiomatic.
• Corrections and proofreading by other native speakers so as not to overlook any errors or details.
• Great flexibility, responsiveness and reliability for large projects or regular collaborations (advice throughout the process, assignment of a project manager, choice of your preferred translators, etc.).

So whenever you need a quality translation that preserves the meaning and authenticity of the text, it is best to use a translation agency, even if there are equally competent freelance translators.

The translation agency can offer you additional guarantees, especially with regard to the confidentiality of your documents and compliance with delivery dates. Finally, it is also the best option if you need a regular or medium to long term collaboration.