Check translation certificate holder, scope and dates, then define the Chinese project and any requested review or QA report in the quotation.
View the file review example ↓View references (3) ↓Different standards, different scopes
ISO 9001 concerns a quality management system. ISO 17100 concerns specified translation services, resources and processes. ISO 18587:2017 concerns full human post-editing of machine-translation output. Certification is issued by a certification body, not by ISO itself.
The scopes are not interchangeable. In particular, ISO 17100:2015 excludes raw machine-translation output followed by post-editing. Do not describe an AI draft plus editing as ISO 17100-certified simply because the company holds that certificate.
What to check against the service you are buying
A certificate concerns a stated holder and scope; it does not approve an individual translation or your product. Ask which process applies to this project, what the reviewer does and how acceptance is recorded.
For machine-translation post-editing, ISO 18587 is a relevant reference for a full human post-editing process. It does not automatically apply to light editing or every AI-assisted task. Angel’s published scans establish ISO 17100:2015 and ISO 9001:2015 certificates, not an ISO 18587 certificate.
| Standard | Scope to discuss | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | Quality management system and certified scope. | Not product approval or a guarantee of error-free translation. |
| ISO 17100:2015 | Specified translation processes, resources and revision requirements. | Excludes raw MT output followed by post-editing and interpreting. |
| ISO 18587:2017 | Full human post-editing and post-editor competence. | Not proof that a particular vendor holds certification. |
Read the current certificate, not a slogan
Our published scans identify ANGEL TRANSLATION CORPORATION, ISO 17100:2015 certificate 20138-UK and ISO 9001:2015 certificate 195947-UK, issued by Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS – UK Branch. The printed scope is provision of translation and localization services, and the displayed cycle runs from 29 November 2025 to 28 November 2028.
See the certificate scans and procurement checks for holder, dates and scope. Historical cycle dates do not establish uninterrupted certification under each named standard. Ask for current verification when procurement requires it.
Confirm the review coverage and any separate QA report in the quotation. A company certificate does not by itself add expert review, a written report or a particular acceptance process to the assignment.
From reading to a project
Match certificate evidence to the Chinese assignment
Supplier evidence check · fictional procurement sheet
- Tender request
- Record the specified standard and the buyer’s exact evidence question
- Certificate check
- Holder / number / printed scope / dates / verification still required
- Chinese assignment
- Manual edition / actual source language / Chinese readers / return files
- Separate decision
- Review coverage and any written report to be agreed in the quotation
Review status: questions to confirm
Read the scan
Check the holder, scope and dates on the published record.
Compare the requirement
Keep the tender wording beside the evidence and record unanswered questions.
Scope the work
Specify Chinese files, review and reporting separately from company credentials.
Related published experience
SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International)English ⇄ Chinese
Corporate reporting and disclosure documentation, delivered across successive annual cycles.
SMIC’s published record concerns recurring Chinese–English corporate reporting from 2014. It is an example of document experience, not proof that this procurement sheet was used or that a particular project was certified.
Chinese translation procurement: identify actual source language, Chinese script, document inventory and intended use. Include the exact tender credential requirement, entity to assess, requested evidence, review coverage, any separate QA report, return formats and requested date. Do not include confidential tender passages in this form.
Bring the tender requirement into the Chinese project brief
If your procurement form names a standard, send the exact requirement with the document inventory. Identify the contracting entity you need to assess, the actual source language, the Chinese readers and the intended use. Keep a request for evidence separate from a request to translate the files.
For a fictional tender check, the buyer has a certificate scan but still needs to confirm the holder against the proposed supplier and ask which process will be used for the Chinese manuals. The scan, the project scope and the quotation answer different questions; keep any unanswered item open until the responsible person replies.
Use the vendor-evaluation worksheet to record the answer, and the QA-report guide if your tender asks for a separate findings report. Include the requested evidence and return files in the enquiry rather than inferring them from a badge.
Questions
Is ISO 17100 better than ISO 9001?
Does a certification guarantee my translation will be correct?
We use AI drafting — which standard is relevant?
Does a vendor’s certification cover its freelancers?
Sources
- ISO 17100:2015 — scope of translation servicesOfficial scope; excludes raw machine-translation output followed by post-editing and excludes interpreting.
- ISO 18587:2017 — full human post-editingOfficial scope and post-editor competence. A reference to this standard is not a claim that Angel holds this certification.
- ISO — certificationISO develops standards; independent certification bodies issue certificates. Verify holder, scope, version and validity.