ISO 17100 requirements turn translation delivery into an owned operating system: who is qualified to work, how jobs are planned, how texts move from translate to revise (and beyond), and how feedback becomes corrective action.
If you only memorize “we revise everything,” you will miss half the standard. ISO 17100:2015 expects Translation Service Providers to control resources, pre-production, production, and post-production—with project managers, technical tools, client agreements, and confidentiality in the mix.
This guide covers:
- A practical map of ISO 17100 requirements by stage
- What “good” looks like for resources and pre-production
- Production steps: translate, revise, review, proofread, verify
- Post-production, agreements, and an owners/evidence table you can operationalize
GIF via GIPHY
Related guides:
- What is ISO 17100:2015? Everything you need to know
- ISO 17100 translator and reviser competence requirements
- ISO 17100 certification checklist
- ISO 17100 audit: what auditors look for
- ISO 17100 collection
Key takeaways
- ISO 17100 requirements cluster into resources, pre-production, production, and post-production—plus supporting agreements and confidentiality.
- Mandatory revision by a second qualified person is non-negotiable for in-scope translation production; reviser ≠ translator on that job.
- Project managers and technical resources are part of the system, not optional overhead.
- Review, proofreading, and verification may apply based on agreement and risk; document when they are required.
- Audits succeed when every stage has a named owner and retrievable evidence—not tribal knowledge.
ISO 17100 requirements map
| Area | What auditors commonly test | Failure mode to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Resources | Competence files, tool fitness, access to TM/termbases | “Everyone is senior” with no records |
| Pre-production | Specs, feasibility, planning, agreements | Starting work from a vague email |
| Production | Translate → revise chain; optional review/proof/verify | Same person translates and revises |
| Post-production | Feedback handling, corrective action, records | Complaints closed with no root cause |
| Confidentiality & clients | NDAs, secure handling, contract terms | Source files in unmanaged personal inboxes |
Remember scope limits from the overview guide: interpreting is out of scope; raw MT + post-editing is generally outside ISO 17100 translation production and often referenced under ISO 18587.
Resources — human and technical
Human resources
TSPs need people who can perform defined roles. At minimum, plan for:
- Translators meeting competence routes (degree and/or experience paths)
- Revisers with translator competences plus domain experience
- Project managers who can plan, communicate, and control process steps
- Other specialists as needed (reviewers, proofreaders, engineers) with defined criteria
Competence detail belongs in HR and vendor records—see translator and reviser competence requirements.
Technical resources
Technical resources typically include CAT tools, terminology databases, style guides, secure transfer methods, and related infrastructure. Requirements are not “own every tool,” but fitness for purpose, availability, and controlled use.
Practical controls:
- Approved tool list for in-scope work
- Access provisioning/deprovisioning for freelancers
- Backup and recovery expectations for linguistic assets
- Guidance for handling confidential content in tools and file shares
SecureSlate helps teams document ownership and confidentiality workflows around these resources without claiming to replace linguistic judgment.
Pre-production requirements
Pre-production is where many quality failures are born. Before translation starts, TSPs commonly need to:
- Register and analyze the client enquiry and source materials
- Determine feasibility (languages, domain, deadline, volume, risk)
- Agree specifications (style, terminology, deliverable format, revision/review level)
- Plan resources (translator, reviser, PM, tools)
- Confirm commercial and confidentiality terms
| Pre-production artifact | Owner (typical) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Project specifications | PM + client success | Prevents silent assumption gaps |
| Feasibility / risk note | PM / linguistic lead | Flags impossible deadlines or missing domain talent |
| Resource assignment | PM | Proves planned reviser independence early |
| Signed agreement / PO + NDA | Commercial / legal ops | Ties scope and confidentiality to the job |
If pre-production is weak, production becomes heroics. Bake checklists into your PMS or ticket workflow so steps are not optional folklore.
Production requirements
Production is the heart of ISO 17100 requirements for translation services.
Translate
A qualified translator produces the target text according to specifications, using appropriate resources (termbases, style guides, reference materials). The translator should understand source and target languages and the relevant domain expectations for the assignment.
Record who translated what, when, and against which specification version.
Revise (mandatory)
Revision by a second qualified person is mandatory for ISO 17100 translation production. The reviser examines the translation for suitability for purpose, comparing source and target as required by the process, and is not the same individual who translated the job.
Revisers need translator-level competences plus domain experience. If you cannot staff independent revisers, you are not ready to claim full ISO 17100 production for that scope.
Review, proofread, and verify
Depending on client agreement and risk, additional steps may apply:
- Review: often a subject-matter oriented check of the target (may be monolingual depending on agreed process)
- Proofreading: typically a final linguistic/surface check of the deliverable presentation
- Verification: confirmation that specifications and process steps were completed before delivery
Document which steps are standard, which are optional add-ons, and how exceptions are approved. Ambiguity here creates audit findings and customer disputes.
| Step | Required under ISO 17100 production? | Typical trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Translate | Yes | All in-scope translation jobs |
| Revise (2nd person) | Yes | All in-scope translation jobs |
| Review | As agreed / risk-based | Regulated, marketing, or SME-critical content |
| Proofread | As agreed / risk-based | Publish-ready layouts, low-tolerance deliverables |
| Verify | Process completion check | Before client delivery / release |
Post-production requirements
After delivery, ISO 17100 expects TSPs to handle the aftermath professionally:
- Collect and assess client feedback
- Manage complaints with recorded outcomes
- Implement corrective action when process or competence gaps appear
- Retain records that support continual improvement and future audits
Post-production is where quality systems either learn or repeat the same escape. Tie CAPA items to owners and due dates. For surveillance and ongoing habits, see Maintaining ISO 17100 compliance.
Client agreements, confidentiality, and improvement
Across stages, ISO 17100 programs typically need clear:
- Client agreements covering scope, process steps purchased, deadlines, and responsibilities
- Confidentiality obligations for staff and freelancers handling source content
- Feedback loops that feed management review and training updates
These are not “legal nice-to-haves.” They are how you prove the TSP controls information and expectations. Many buyers will also ask adjacent security questions; keep quality and confidentiality evidence aligned so sales, security, and linguistic quality are not telling different stories.
Owners and evidence cheat sheet
| Requirement area | Suggested owner | Evidence to keep ready |
|---|---|---|
| Translator competence | HR / vendor management | Degree/experience proof, domain samples, onboarding checklist |
| Reviser competence + independence | Linguistic lead / PM | Domain evidence + job record showing different translator |
| Technical resources | IT / ops | Approved tools, access logs, configuration baselines |
| Pre-production specs | Project management | Spec sheet, feasibility note, signed terms |
| Production chain | PM / QA | Workflow timestamps: translate → revise → (review/proof) → verify |
| Confidentiality | Security / ops | NDAs, handling SOP, incident notes if any |
| Post-production CAPA | Quality manager | Feedback log, root cause, corrective action closure |
Use this table during gap analysis ahead of certification and when preparing for what auditors look for.
Streamline ISO 17100 requirements with SecureSlate
ISO 17100 requirements fail in the handoff—between PM and linguist, between delivery and CAPA, between NDA and file access. SecureSlate helps Translation Service Providers operationalize policies, ownership, confidentiality workflows, and audit-ready evidence across the stages above.
With SecureSlate you can:
- Break requirements into owned controls with status and due dates
- Centralize policies for pre-production, production gates, and post-production CAPA
- Track evidence for competence, revision independence, and client agreements
- Support confidentiality and security-adjacent workflows buyers increasingly bundle with quality diligence
- Stay audit-ready between surveillance cycles
SecureSlate does not replace linguistic certification or reviser expertise—it makes the management system around them reviewable.
FAQ: ISO 17100 requirements
What are the main ISO 17100 requirement areas?
Resources (human and technical), pre-production, production, and post-production—supported by client agreements, confidentiality, and improvement processes.
Is revision always mandatory?
For in-scope ISO 17100 translation production, revision by a second qualified person is a core mandatory control. Do not market “ISO 17100 process” for jobs that skip independent revision.
Are review and proofreading mandatory every time?
Not necessarily. They are commonly applied based on agreement and risk. Your procedures should state when they are required and how verification confirms completion.
Do project managers fall under ISO 17100?
Yes—project management competence and process control are part of running a TSP under the standard, not an optional extra.
Does meeting ISO 17100 requirements equal certification?
No. You can align processes without certifying. Certification requires assessment by an accredited certification body. See the certification checklist.
How do ISO 17100 requirements relate to ISO 9001?
They are complementary. ISO 17100 is translation-specific; ISO 9001 is a general QMS. See ISO 17100 vs ISO 9001.
Disclaimer (legal note)
SecureSlate is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute legal advice, certification advice, or an attorney-client relationship. Descriptions of ISO 17100 requirements are informational summaries for operational planning. Exact interpretation depends on the standard text, your scope, and your certification body’s audit approach. Consult qualified counsel and your auditor before making compliance or certification decisions.
Need compliance without the complexity?
SecureSlate automates ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more. Built for growing teams. See it in action.
No credit card required
