November 26, 2024
Excellence in the delivery of language services is a multifaceted endeavour. For Oncall, achieving excellence is crucial for maintaining trust and effective communication. On a global scale, accurate language services can bridge cultural divides, foster international collaboration, and support business growth. Below I will delve into the core elements that contribute to Oncall’s excellence in the delivery of language services.
1. Understanding the Purpose and Context – Accuracy, Cultural Sensitivity and Localisation
The first step in service delivery excellence is understanding the purpose and specific context in which the service will be used. Effective language professionals must grasp the nuances of the subject matter, the target audience and the cultural sensitivities involved.
For instance, translating a legal contract requires adherence to and understanding of specific terminology, as even minor errors can lead to significant misunderstandings or legal implications. Equally, localising content needs creativity to maintain the impact of the original message while adapting it to resonate with different audiences and cultures. This requires rigorous preparation and familiarity with our clients’ industry and goals.
Cultural sensitivity is pivotal in language services. It ensures that content is both linguistically accurate and culturally appropriate. Oncall achieves excellence through awareness of these nuances and thoughtfully aligning content with local preferences while preserving the original message and tone.
2. Strong Communication and Client Collaboration
Oncall achieves excellence through understanding expectations, obtaining feedback, and maintaining transparent communication, ensuring that the outcome aligns with our clients’ vision, every time.
3. Quality Assurance Processes
Delivering excellence means implementing rigorous quality assurance processes. Oncall adheres to quality control standards such as ISO 9001 which provides guidelines on frameworks, resource management and data security. This ensures that every project is approached with clear protocols for maintaining quality.
4. Expertise and Continuous Professional Development
Oncall is committed to achieving high levels of expertise in specialised areas to deliver excellence.
Through our learning management system and partnerships with industry bodies, Oncall supports and encourages language professionals to build on initial qualifications and engage in continuous learning to keep up with language trends, terminology, technological advancements and certification.
5. Ethical Standards and Confidentiality
Oncall achieves excellence by upholding ethical standards and ensuring confidentiality and data protection for our clients. Our systems are certified to ISO 27001 Cyber Security and Data Protection and our language professionals are trained in best practices for managing client data securely and adhering to non-disclosure agreements.
6. Technology and Tools for Enhanced Quality
Modern language services have been significantly impacted by technology. From computer assisted translation (CAT) tools to advanced machine translation (MT) platforms. These resources streamline workflows, improve consistency, and reduce turnaround times.
CAT tools, such as translation memory systems, allow translators to reference previously translated content, ensuring consistency across similar projects. Machine translation, when paired with post-editing by human translators, can be an effective solution for projects requiring speed without sacrificing quality.
True service excellence involves balancing technological support with human expertise to capture nuances, emotions, and cultural references that machines alone may not interpret accurately.
7. Agility and Continuous Improvement
Oncall achieves excellence through effectively managing complex projects with tight deadlines and changing scopes. Oncall’s systems and resource management processes ensure that we are agile in adapting to these dynamics. Excellence also means adapting to client feedback and continuously improving processes.
Oncall is a learning organisation and has established mechanisms for collecting and analysing feedback which helps us identify areas of improvement and contributes to enhancing our quality of service over time.
High quality language services can break down barriers and foster greater understanding. By focusing on client collaboration, ethical standards and continuous improvement, Oncall is consistently providing language solutions that meet and exceed expectations.
Rod Bassi
Sales and Marketing Director