While some people might think that the difference between a translation company and a translation agency is a technicality, this is not the case, although the two terms are used inconsistently even by some translation providers. Although both expressions seem similar at the first glance, there is a profound difference between them, and if you are a client, it would be best to make sure which one is suitable for your particular requirements.
To achieve the best cost and benefit ratio and to understand what opting for either one of them will get you, you first need to understand that a translation company should have in place an internal employee structure, i.e. its in-house translators, proofreaders, DTP specialists, graphic designers and an online translation memory system to be able to call itself a translation company.
A translation company should have in place an internal employee structure, i.e. its in-house translators, proofreaders, DTP specialists, graphic designers and an online translation memory system to be able to call itself a translation company.
On the other hand, a translation agency can be practically a one-man-band organization since the work there is completely outsourced and since the translation agency has a pool of freelance translators at its disposal. The quality of work throughout the revision steps can vary though, despite the outsourced translators being professionals with excellent qualifications.
A translation agency only serves as a mediator between the client and the translator, forwarding documents to the translator and returning the translated texts back to the client with no possibility of establishing any common standards or unified company culture for the entire project team. However, for the translation of reports, for documents dealing in special fields like medicine or automotive industry, as well as for websites and other business documents, it is essential to include specialized translators.
One factor here is reliable and efficient project management, while the other is a constant and well-optimised workflow, so there is less need for revisions or changes made in retrospective.
In a translation company, consistent quality can be achieved by establishing and implementing common guidelines, standards and principles. A company culture and an in-house team are established by continuous collaboration, communication and mutual agreements. Furthermore, by organising internal trainings and education, a company sets up its internal processes and keeps the team updated on the latest trends and technological advances. This way, even an average translator can become an excellent one and can get specialized in specific types of translations.
In terms of the price, the difference between the two variants can be insignificant, yet the work through a translation company can be done much faster. One factor here is reliable and efficient project management, while the other is a constant and well-optimised workflow, so there is less need for revisions or changes made in retrospective.
Offering high quality translation services to its clients, Translat provides all the advantages of a translation company. We are proud of our dedicated team of project managers and professional translators, who have been servicing our clients for nearly two decades. Contact our team, if you need a reliable language service provider, and they will be glad to assist you with any inquiries.