Why ISO Certification Matters for LSPs
ISO 17100 certification has become the standard quality credential for language service providers seeking to access legal, medical, pharmaceutical, and government translation markets. EU institutional tenders, NHS procurement, legal firms, and pharmaceutical companies routinely specify ISO 17100 as a mandatory supplier requirement. ISO 9001 provides the broader quality management framework that satisfies general enterprise procurement requirements alongside ISO 17100.
ISO 17100 — Core Requirements for LSPs
- Documented translator competence verification — linguistic, subject matter, and translation skills
- Mandatory bilingual revision for all translation outputs
- Defined project management procedures including pre-production specification agreement
- CAT tool governance, terminology management, and translation memory policies
- Client feedback and complaint handling procedures
- Subcontractor and freelance translator qualification and management
ISO 9001 + ISO 17100 — The Standard Combination
Most LSPs pursuing ISO 17100 pursue it alongside ISO 9001 — which provides the broader QMS framework that satisfies enterprise supplier qualification requirements beyond translation-specific procurement. BALTUM's integrated ISO 9001 + ISO 17100 programme shares a common management framework, internal audit programme, and documentation structure.
Data Security for LSPs — ISO 27001
Legal, medical, and financial translation involves handling highly confidential client data. ISO 27001 certification is increasingly required by law firms, investment banks, and pharmaceutical companies as part of LSP supplier due diligence. BALTUM offers a three-standard programme: ISO 17100 + ISO 9001 + ISO 27001 — covering quality, translation-specific, and information security requirements from a single integrated management system.