Impact of ISO 18587 on Translation Services

The rise of machine translation (MT) made it an increasingly popular tool in the translation industry.  

With the market projected to reach $7.5 billion by 2032 according to Global Market Insights in 2022. It comes as no surprise that the need to leverage machine translation to meet the demand of businesses and organisations will continue to increase as more are looking to connect with multilingual audiences and expand their customer bases. 

However, machine translation is not yet fully capable of matching the quality of human translators, especially in languages with complex nuances or topic domains requiring cultural sensitivity.  

ISO 18587:2017 addresses this gap by providing a standardised framework for human post-editing of machine translation to ensure quality and accuracy of your translated materials. 

In this article, we will explore the role machine translation in translation workflows, their benefits, and limitations, and how the ISO 18587 standard can help ensure the quality of these translations for both translation service providers and their clients.

First, let’s get to know more about machine translation. 

The Rise of Machine Translation

The term ‘machine translation’ (MT) might not be new to you. Maybe the first thing that pops into your head is Google Translate, or perhaps you’ve seen automatically translated comments on Facebook or Twitter. These are some of the most common examples of MT in action. 

But what you might not know is that machine translation systems used in professional translations are far more advanced than typical machine translation tools found online. They have undergone massive transformations in recent years as fuelled by recent technologies that greatly improved their accuracy and reliability.

All types of machine translation follow the same basic principle: they leverage various algorithms, patterns, and vast databases of existing translations. This allows them to take a source text, segment it, and find corresponding words and phrases in the target language. 

This advancement has opened exciting opportunities for Translation Service Providers (TSPs) to integrate MT into their workflows, offering a range of benefits. 

How MT works in Translation Service Providers Workflows 

Most translation service providers are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency and machine translation offer just that. 

Here’s a breakdown of how Machine Translation works within the workflow: 

• Initial Translation Phase: In translation service provider workflows, MT provides a first draft of translation quickly and efficiently. This is particularly useful for extensive projects with large volumes of content or for content that is less complex. 
• Integration with Translation Memory Systems: MT is often integrated with translation memory systems (TMs), which store previously translated phrases and sentences. This integration helps to enhance the speed and consistency of translations, as the MT system can pull from a database of approved translations rather than translating from scratch. 
• Post-Editing Stage: After machine translation, the text undergoes a post-editing process, where human translators review and refine the MT output. This stage is crucial for correcting errors, adding nuance, and ensuring the translated content meets the specific needs of the client. The final output is then added to the existing translation memory for future use. 

Benefits of MT for Translation Service Providers 

When translation service providers integrate machine translation into their workflow, they can: 

• Offer faster turnaround times for clients 
• Provide more cost-effective solutions 

Limitations of Machine Translation 

However, machine translation is not a silver bullet. There are limitations to consider such as: 

• Accuracy:  MT can struggle with complex sentence structures or expressions, nuanced language, and cultural references that can lead to misinterpretations. 

• Nuance: MT often can lose the subtle cultural nuances or idiomatic expressions of the source language, which can be critical in sensitive content areas.  
• Creativity:  MT lacks the ability to handle creative language effectively, such as marketing content or literature that requires a high level of stylistic adaptation. 

ISO 18587 standard bridges the gap between machine translation and human translation by standardising the process of human post-editing. This standard ensures that texts translated by machines translation tools are thoroughly reviewed and corrected by professional post-editors who enhance accuracy, adjust nuances, and infuse creativity where needed. 

We’ll delve deeper into how ISO 18587 ensures quality in the next section. 

What is ISO 18587?  

The rapid advancements made in MT systems prompted the International Organisation for Standardisation to establish ISO 18587 certification. This standard recognises that no current MT system can produce an output equal to human translation. Human intervention by qualified post-editors remains essential for generating high-quality translations. 

ISO 18587 provides a comprehensive set of guidelines for human post-editing of machine translation. It defines clear processes and criteria to improve and verify machine-generated text, ensuring it meets the high-quality standards expected in professional human translation (ISO 17100). 

In a nutshell, ISO 18587 prioritises two key aspects: 

• Quality Assurance: The primary function of ISO 18587 certification is to ensure that machine-translated content achieves a quality comparable to that of translations done entirely by human translators. It sets out the necessary steps and quality checks involved in reviewing and enhancing machine-generated translations. 
• Standardising Processes: By establishing clear guidelines for post-editing, ISO 18587 helps create consistency across different projects and services. This ensures translations are improved uniformly after being processed by machine translation systems. 

ISO 18587 emphasises the importance of client consultation. This consultation helps determine: 

• Whether the source language content is suitable for MT. 
• The appropriate type of MT post-editing needed based on the client’s specific requirements. 

Types of Machine Translation Post-Editing 

ISO 18587 defines two types of post-editing, depending on the client’s needs identified during consultation: 

• Full MT Post-Editing: This is ideal for projects where you need to speed up the translation process while maintaining high quality and receiving a translation output comparable to a standard human translation. 

• Light MT Post-Editing: This is ideal for content that won’t be published to your audience and is intended to provide a general understanding of the source text. The post-editor makes minor changes to ensure the target language i

Types of Machine Translation Post-Editing 

ISO 18587 defines two types of post-editing, depending on the client’s needs identified during consultation: 

• Full MT Post-Editing: This is ideal for projects where you need to speed up the translation process while maintaining high quality and receiving a translation output comparable to a standard human translation. 

• Light MT Post-Editing: This is ideal for content that won’t be published to your audience and is intended to provide a general understanding of the source text. The post-editor makes minor changes to ensure the target language i

How ISO 18587 Impacts Translation Services 

Machine translation offers undeniable advantages for both translation service providers and clients and with the guidelines set by ISO 18587, it ensures accuracy and reliability of the machine-translated text that is comparable to a high-quality human translation. 

Here’s a breakdown of the impact ISO 18575 brings to both clients and translation service providers. 

1. Standardisation and Quality Assurance 

ISO 18587 certification establishes a framework of rigorous guidelines for the post-editing of machine translation outputs. This standard ensures that the final translations not only adhere to a high-quality threshold but also maintain consistency across different texts and projects. This offers distinct advantages for both clients and translation service providers: 

• Client Benefits: You can expect consistent high-quality translations. Working with an ISO 18587 certified translation provider means there are fewer chances of discrepancies and variations in the quality of final translations giving you more confidence and trust in the final output. 
• Translation Service Provider Benefits: Standardised workflows streamline internal operations, enabling more efficient project management and resource allocation. Additionally, adhering to ISO 18587 allows TSPs to demonstrate their commitment to quality and consistency, giving them a competitive edge. 

2. Increased Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness 

By standardising the post-editing process, ISO 18587 allows translation service providers to streamline and optimise their workflows, making the most of machine translation technologies. This results to: 

• Reduced Human Workload: MT tackles the initial bulk of the translation, freeing up human translators to focus on specialised tasks such high-quality post-editing. This targeted utilisation of human expertise optimises resource allocation. 
• Faster Completion: With MT facilitating the initial translation, human translators can devote their efforts to reviewing and refining the output, leading to faster project completion times. 

This streamlined workflow translates into the potential for reduced translation costs. While cost savings may vary depending on project specifics and the type of MT post-editing employed, ISO 18587 provides a framework for optimising resource allocation, potentially delivering cost-effective translation solutions to clients. 

3. Evolving Role of Translators 

ISO 18587, coupled with advancements in MT, necessitates a nuanced shift in the role of human translators. Here’s a glimpse into what we can expect: 

• Specialisation and Post-Editing Focus: Human translators will likely dedicate more time to specialised tasks like transcreation and high-quality post-editing of machine translation output. These specialised skills will ensure the final product retains the required cultural nuances and stylistic elements. 
• Demand for Skilled Post-Editors: As the adoption of ISO 18587 becomes more widespread, the demand for skilled post-editors with expertise in specific MT technologies is expected to rise. These specialists will be crucial in guaranteeing that machine-generated content is linguistically accurate, culturally appropriate, and stylistically sound. 

It’s important to emphasise that ISO 18587 doesn’t render human translators obsolete. Creative content, legal documents, and other high-stakes materials will always necessitate the irreplaceable human touch, the ability to navigate complex language nuances and ensure the intended message is conveyed effectively. 

Conclusion 

By adhering to ISO 18587, a standardized framework for human post-editing of machine translation, translation service providers ensure consistent high-quality translations comparable to standard human translations. This bridges the gap between the efficiency of machine translation and the irreplaceable expertise of human translators. 

ISO 18587 offers great advantages for both clients and service providers. Clients partnering with an ISO-certified service provider gain the assurance of fast, cost-effective translations that meet high-quality standards. For service providers, the standard translates into efficient workflows and the ability to deliver cost-effective solutions, giving them a competitive edge. 

This collaborative approach signifies a new era in the translation industry. This hybrid model leverages the strengths of both approaches: machine translation tackles the initial heavy translation, while human post-editors ensure cultural accuracy, nuanced language, and adherence to specific client requirements. 

As machine translation technology continues to evolve, ISO 18587 provides a vital framework for maintaining quality and maximising the potential of this powerful combination. 

Connect with an ISO 18587 certified translator service provider today to learn more about machine translation.