ISO 17100 Translation Services
ISO 17100 is the internationally recognized standard that defines how professional translation services must be planned, executed, reviewed, and quality-controlled throughout the entire translation lifecycle. Rather than focusing solely on linguistic output, the standard establishes clear requirements for translator qualifications, mandatory review steps, terminology consistency, and documented quality assurance processes.
For organizations operating in regulated, legal, or high-risk environments, ISO 17100 is not a marketing label or optional credential—it functions as a risk-reduction and accountability framework. It helps ensure that translated content can withstand regulatory scrutiny, procurement evaluations, audits, and legal review by demonstrating that structured, repeatable, and defensible translation workflows were followed.
EPIC Translations delivers translation services aligned with ISO 17100 to support organizations that require accuracy, consistency, and traceability across multilingual documentation. Our ISO-aligned workflows help clients meet regulatory expectations, procurement requirements, and internal compliance standards while reducing the likelihood of translation errors that can delay approvals, trigger rework, or increase legal exposure across global markets. Our ISO 17100 translation services support organizations operating in regulated, technical, or high-risk environments where translation quality must be demonstrable.
What ISO 17100 Means for Your Organization
ISO 17100 establishes clear requirements for:
- Translator qualifications and subject-matter expertise
- Mandatory review and quality assurance steps
- Terminology management and linguistic consistency
- Secure handling of confidential content
- Documented, auditable translation workflows
For regulated industries, this standard provides traceability and accountability—two things regulators and auditors expect but rarely spell out explicitly. Below is how ISO 17100 requirements are applied in real-world translation workflows to protect accuracy, consistency, and accountability.
ISO-Controlled Translation Workflows
Qualified Technical & Subject-Matter Linguists
Mandatory Independent Review & QA
Terminology Management & Consistency Control
Documented Revision, Traceability & Version Control
Audit-Ready Quality Documentation
ISO 17100–Aligned Translation for Compliance, Review & Audit Readiness
ISO 17100 defines the mandatory processes, qualifications, and quality controls required for professional translation services. When applied to compliance-driven and regulated content, the standard ensures that translated materials are produced using documented, review-based, and auditable workflows.
Under ISO 17100–aligned translation processes, content used for regulatory review, legal validation, and audit purposes is handled with an emphasis on traceability, consistency, and risk management throughout the translation lifecycle.
The following content categories are commonly managed within ISO 17100–aligned workflows due to their compliance sensitivity and review requirements:
- Formal submissions and filings prepared for government agencies or regulatory authorities
- Compliance declarations, certifications, and regulatory statements demonstrating conformity with applicable laws, directives, or standards
- Product labeling, packaging content, and inserts subject to formal review or approval processes
- Agreements, licenses, permits, and legally binding documentation requiring exact linguistic and structural fidelity
- Training materials, policies, and compliance documentation required for audits, inspections, and internal controls
- Controlled documents managed within regulated workflows, document control systems, and formal approval environments
By following ISO 17100 requirements—including qualified linguist assignment, independent review, terminology management, and documented quality assurance—organizations reduce translation-related risk and strengthen their ability to withstand regulatory scrutiny, procurement evaluation, and audit review. ISO 17100 translation services focus on process quality and documented review rather than speed-only delivery models.
ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Processes Built for Accuracy, Review & Audit Readiness
Why Choose EPIC Translations for ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Services?
When translation quality must be demonstrable, reviewable, and defensible, organizations look beyond language capability and focus on process maturity and standards alignment. ISO 17100 establishes clear requirements for how professional translation services must be delivered, reviewed, and quality-controlled.
EPIC Translations supports organizations that require ISO 17100–aligned translation workflows to meet internal quality standards, procurement criteria, and audit expectations across multilingual operations.
- ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Expertise — Our translation processes are structured to align with ISO 17100 requirements, including qualified linguist assignment, mandatory independent review, and documented quality assurance. This ensures translation quality is not assumed, but verifiable.
- Standards-Driven Translation Workflows — ISO 17100 emphasizes repeatable, controlled workflows. We apply structured processes that support accuracy, consistency, version control, and traceability across the full translation lifecycle.
- Terminology Management & Linguistic Consistency — We centrally manage terminology and reference materials to ensure consistent usage across documents, updates, and languages—supporting long-term quality governance and reducing revision cycles.
- Documented QA & Audit Readiness — Our ISO-aligned workflows produce reviewable outputs and supporting documentation that help organizations demonstrate due diligence during audits, procurement reviews, and internal quality assessments.
- Secure Handling of ISO-Aligned Projects — Translation projects are managed using secure file handling, controlled access, and confidentiality protocols appropriate for sensitive, proprietary, or compliance-driven content.
This ISO 17100–aligned approach provides organizations with confidence in translation quality, reduced operational risk, and a defensible framework for managing multilingual content at scale.
Languages Supported Under ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Workflows
ISO 17100 emphasizes qualified linguist assignment, subject-matter competence, and controlled quality processes—regardless of language. Under ISO-aligned workflows, language coverage is not simply a matter of availability, but of verified expertise, review capability, and consistency across multilingual content.
EPIC Translations supports ISO 17100–aligned translation projects across 150+ languages, enabling organizations to manage multilingual documentation with consistent quality standards across regions, markets, and jurisdictions.
Our language coverage supports organizations that require review-ready, audit-defensible translations for regulated, technical, legal, and compliance-sensitive content.
Common Language Pairs Managed Within ISO 17100–Aligned Projects Include:
- English to Spanish — Widely used for regulatory, technical, legal, and compliance documentation across North America and global markets
- English to Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese) — Supporting technical documentation, regulatory materials, product content, and formal communications
- English to Arabic — Frequently required for government, legal, and compliance-driven documentation across Middle Eastern markets
- English to Vietnamese — Supporting technical, manufacturing, and operational documentation
- English to French, Portuguese, Russian, and many additional languages used in regulated and high-risk content environments
Language pairs are assigned based on verified linguist qualifications, subject-matter expertise, and review availability, ensuring ISO 17100 requirements are met regardless of target language.
By applying consistent ISO-aligned workflows across all supported languages, EPIC Translations helps organizations maintain terminology consistency, quality governance, and defensible translation processes across global operations.
FAQs — ISO 17100 Translation Services
Below are common questions organizations raise when assessing translation providers against ISO 17100 requirements.
What Qualifications Do Linguists Have Under ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Workflows?
ISO 17100 establishes specific requirements for translator competence and qualifications. Under ISO-aligned workflows, linguists are selected based on verified education, professional experience, subject-matter expertise, and demonstrated ability to translate content within defined domains.
EPIC Translations assigns linguists who meet ISO 17100 qualification criteria and have experience working with technical, legal, regulated, or compliance-sensitive content. Linguist selection is tied to both language pair and content type to ensure competence is appropriate for the project scope.
Does ISO 17100 Require Certified Translations for Government or Regulatory Use?
ISO 17100 governs translation process quality, not legal certification requirements. When certified translations are required by a specific authority, jurisdiction, or document type, certification is handled according to those external requirements rather than ISO itself.
ISO-aligned workflows help ensure translations are produced using documented, review-based processes, which supports acceptance and defensibility during review, procurement evaluation, or audit—but certification requirements are always determined by the receiving authority.
How Does ISO 17100 Help Ensure Accuracy and Consistency?
ISO 17100 requires a multi-step translation process, including translation by a qualified linguist and mandatory independent review by a second qualified professional. This structure is designed to identify errors, inconsistencies, and deviations before delivery.
In addition, ISO-aligned workflows emphasize terminology management, reference alignment, and controlled updates to support consistency across documents, languages, and revision cycles—particularly important for long-term or repeat translation programs.
Are ISO 17100–Aligned Translations Suitable for Review, Audit, or Procurement Evaluation?
es. One of the primary benefits of ISO 17100 alignment is that translation processes are documented, reviewable, and auditable. This supports organizations that must demonstrate due diligence during internal audits, third-party reviews, or procurement evaluations.
ISO-aligned workflows provide traceability around linguist qualification, review steps, and quality controls, helping organizations defend translation quality decisions when required.
How Is Confidential or Sensitive Content Handled Under ISO 17100?
ISO 17100 includes requirements related to confidentiality and information security throughout the translation process. Under ISO-aligned workflows, access to project materials is controlled, confidentiality obligations are enforced, and secure handling procedures are applied.
These practices support organizations working with proprietary, technical, legal, or compliance-sensitive content that must be protected throughout translation and review.
What Types of Content Are Commonly Managed Using ISO 17100–Aligned Workflows?
ISO 17100–aligned workflows are commonly applied to content where accuracy, consistency, and defensibility are critical, including technical documentation, legal materials, regulated content, internal policies, training materials, and other high-risk or review-sensitive documentation.
The suitability of ISO-aligned workflows depends on content risk, regulatory exposure, and quality expectations rather than document label alon.
Do ISO 17100–Aligned Workflows Support Ongoing Updates and Version Control?
Yes. ISO 17100 emphasizes controlled processes, consistency, and documented quality management, which are especially important for content that evolves over time.
Under ISO-aligned workflows, updates and revisions are managed using structured version control, terminology consistency, and reference alignment. This helps organizations maintain translation quality across document lifecycles, revisions, and multilingual updates while reducing the risk of inconsistencies introduced during change cycles.
What Languages Are Supported Under ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Processes?
ISO 17100 applies to the translation process, not to a specific set of languages. Language support is determined by the availability of qualified linguists who meet ISO 17100 competence requirements and by the ability to apply mandatory review and QA steps for each language pair.
EPIC Translations supports ISO-aligned workflows across 150+ languages, with linguist assignment based on verified qualifications, subject-matter expertise, and review capability appropriate to the content type.
How Do Timelines Work Under ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Workflows?
ISO 17100 requires a multi-step process, including translation and independent review, which directly influences project timelines. Turnaround time depends on factors such as content complexity, language pair, volume, and review requirements.
ISO-aligned workflows are designed to balance quality assurance with delivery expectations, helping organizations plan realistic timelines that support review, audit, or procurement requirements without compromising process integrity.
How Do We Initiate an ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Engagement?
ISO-aligned translation engagements typically begin with a scope and workflow assessment, not an instant price quote. This allows translation requirements, quality expectations, review needs, and documentation considerations to be clearly defined upfront.
Organizations can initiate an engagement by sharing project details and quality requirements. From there, an ISO-aligned workflow is established to support accuracy, review, documentation, and compliance objectives throughout the translation lifecycle.
ISO 17100–Aligned Translation for Review, Quality Control & Audit Readiness
ISO 17100 defines how professional translation services must be delivered to ensure accuracy, consistency, and documented quality assurance. For organizations operating in high-risk or compliance-sensitive environments, translation quality must be demonstrable, not assumed.
Errors or inconsistencies introduced during translation can compromise internal reviews, procurement evaluations, or audit outcomes. ISO 17100–aligned workflows help mitigate this risk by enforcing qualified linguist assignment, mandatory independent review, and structured quality controls throughout the translation lifecycle.
By applying ISO 17100 principles, organizations gain confidence that translated content is review-ready, traceable, and defensible—supporting internal governance, external audits, and long-term quality management objective.
Maintaining Consistency Through ISO 17100–Aligned Translation Workflows
Organizations managing multilingual content across regions, business units, or product lines must ensure that translations remain consistent as documents evolve over time. ISO 17100 emphasizes controlled processes, terminology management, and documented workflows to support consistency across revisions and languages.
ISO-aligned translation workflows help organizations:
- Maintain consistent terminology across languages and document versions
- Manage updates and revisions without introducing inconsistencies
- Support structured review and approval cycles
- Reduce rework caused by uncontrolled translation changes
By centralizing translation processes under ISO 17100–aligned controls, organizations can manage multilingual documentation more efficiently while preserving quality governance, traceability, and long-term consistency as requirements, content, or markets change.