Introduction to Quality Reviews

Quality Reviews - Defined

Quality reviews are scheduled after common production tasks within translation and localization workflows as a check to ensure that the developing product meets the minimum quality standards for that stage, and to prevent unnecessary downstream issues and losses related to rework becoming necessary. Quality reviewers conduct checks after tasks like translation+editing and layout (desktop publishing) and are an important barometer for determining where production is going well and where improvements are needed. The issues and expectations-exceeding performance that quality reviewers flag help quality managers understand where to encourage good performance and where to focus root-cause analysis to prevent issues, and root-cause analyses help project managers optimize processes and resources to build high performing productions over time.

Quality Reviewer - Role Description

Primary Duties

• Review translated technical documentation for accuracy, consistency, and completeness, including correct measurement conversions and proper application of language-specific conventions

• Ensure cross-project consistency and adherence to client preferences and style guidelines

• Review format and layout of translated documents to ensure consistency with source-language templates

• Coordinate with project teams by querying translators about possible errors and assisting with unclear or ambiguous source text

• Manage multiple simultaneous projects while organizing priorities to ensure timely delivery

• Provide quality feedback to project managers regarding translation vendor performance

• Maintain documentation of client-specific preferences and translation decisions

Necessary Qualifications

Education

Minimum Bachelor’s Degree with some advanced foreign-language grammar study.

Experience

Some editing or proofreading experience necessary; familiarity with document production software preferred.

Skills and Aptitudes

• Reading knowledge of foreign languages
• Detail-oriented personality with strong organizational skills
• Ability to think hierarchically and envision document structure
• Ability to coordinate with project managers, translators, and vendors
• Ability to work independently and prioritize effectively
• Understanding of end-user needs to guide editorial decisions

Quality Reviewer Responsibilities

• Complete reviews on time

• Learn from feedback on your work

• Communicate proactively
  • Contact the PM before marking up a questionable change multiple times
  • Notify the designated scheduler of any changes in your availability

• Obtain and use the necessary tools and technology in order to do a thorough review

• Ensure that the language/formatting portion of the project meets the quality guidelines
  • If a review was not thorough enough, you will need to perform a second review
  • If you receive files that are not of the expected quality, contact the PM before proceeding

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Working too quickly and missing obvious errors like incorrect numbers or measurements

• Failing to consult reference materials such as glossaries, translation memories, or style guides

• Leaving unclear comments or introducing translation errors due to over-confidence in language skills

• Making inconsistent changes across multiple language versions of the same project

• Assuming exact source-target matching when target language conventions (punctuation, syntax, capitalization) may differ appropriately from the source

• Neglecting to ask questions or asking questions without first consulting available reference materials

The best way to overcome these challenges is to ask the PM/Quality Team Lead for feedback on your work and to learn from that feedback. Especially when starting out, ask the PM to return the file after they have accepted or rejected changes so that you can see which they preferred and which they discarded.

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Source: Adapted from Iverson Language Associates Quality Reviewer Training Materials