AI has made first drafts fast and cheap. It has not made errors in submissions, manuals or contracts any cheaper. These are the questions that separate a partner who carries responsibility from one who resells machine output — with our own answers under each.
Read the answer, then ask for the evidence listed below. Use the existing supplier evaluation worksheet to record the response, gaps and follow-up owner.
Ask which models and processing routes are proposed for your project. If no-training is a project requirement, confirm the applicable provider terms before work starts. Retention, provider logs, processing location and access are separate questions: agree these before sending sensitive files. Do not assume zero retention or on-premise deployment; any special restrictions need confirmation for the actual project.
Ask to seeProposed models, processing route and written retention or access terms.
Confidentiality & Security →Ask who will translate, review and approve each type of document, and what relevant qualifications and experience they bring. We match language and subject expertise to the agreed scope. Review depth depends on the selected service level; AI-only work is not presented as expert-reviewed. Request the proposed roles and escalation contact in the project plan.
Ask to seeTranslator and reviewer roles, relevant experience and escalation contact.
AI + Expert Workflow →A single promise for all content usually means no measurable promise at all. We calculate the composite error rate per GB/T 19682, China's national standard for translation quality, and audit against the LISA QA 3.1 model: L2 ≤1.5‰ (meets the national limit), L3 ≤1‰, L4 ≤0.5‰. L1 is AI-only with a basic check and carries no error-rate commitment.
Ask to seeError definitions, sampling method, exclusions and applicable service level.
Choosing a service level →ISO 17100 covers qualified personnel and translation-process requirements, including revision by someone other than the translator. Its scope excludes raw machine-translation output followed by post-editing and interpreting. Angel holds ISO 17100:2015 certificate 20138-UK and ISO 9001:2015 certificate 195947-UK, issued by Bureau Veritas. The credentials page provides the scans, scope and printed validity dates; a certificate is not approval of a particular translation or regulatory submission.
Ask to seeCertificate scan, holder, scope, issuer and printed validity dates.
Credentials →Ask who owns and approves terminology, which source glossary and document version apply, and how changes are recorded. We can check agreed terminology and maintain client-specific resources within the project scope. Reuse, export, access and retention should be agreed with the client; do not assume every project includes a complete new termbase or automatic transfer of ownership.
Ask to seeApproved glossary, version owner and agreed reuse or export arrangements.
AI + Expert Workflow →Get the acceptance criteria, correction process and liability terms in writing before work starts. Revision rounds, refund provisions and other remedies follow the quotation and contract; a changed source or brief may need a revised scope. QC reports and a written quality commitment can be agreed for L3 and L4 when needed; confirm their coverage and format in the quotation. Do not assume unlimited free revisions or an automatic refund outside the agreed terms.
Ask to seeWritten acceptance criteria, correction process and contractual remedies.
Pricing and service levels →Regulators decide which language, which wording and which document version counts. We offer regulatory research ahead of translation — for companies entering China, covering the requirements of Chinese regulators. It is research and document support, not legal advice.
Ask to seeResearch scope, official sources and the boundary between research and translation.
China Regulatory Research →Agree the NDA and access restrictions before sharing sensitive material. Company-level confidentiality and access limited to the assigned team are the starting points. Confirm any provider restrictions, storage or deletion requirements and required evidence for the actual project. ISO 9001 is a quality-management credential, not an information-security certification; special hosting or deployment arrangements are subject to confirmation.
Ask to seeNDA, authorised access and agreed handling or deletion requirements.
Confidentiality & Security →Provide the editable source package, referenced assets, target languages and release deadline. Confirm whether native-format delivery, layout checks and a coordinated release are included. DITA, XML and InDesign projects need a source-file assessment; translation volume, review depth and layout work determine the schedule. We confirm the delivery plan after reviewing the files rather than applying a fixed number of days to every project.
Ask to seeSource-file assessment, target-language list and coordinated delivery plan.
Chinese language pairs →Agree metrics that can be measured within the commissioned work: for example, the applicable error-rate method, approved terminology checks, delivery milestones, issue closure and the quoted scope. Record definitions, exclusions and who accepts the deliverables. Regulatory acceptance is decided by the authority and must not be promised as a translation-performance guarantee.
Ask to seeA reporting example with metric definitions, milestones and issue closure.
Request a quote →Acknowledged in 4 hours, quoted in 24.