To what extent do technological innovations, such as machine learning and AI, play a role?
Valentina: Innovations like the ones you’ve just mentioned play a really big role. Because people want shorter and shorter turnaround times and, naturally, without having to sacrifice the quality. And that means that, out of necessity, it’s virtually impossible to do without AI. I personally believe that you can offer the best possible quality when you have a combination of a human being and AI. And that is precisely what we stand for at Apostroph.
Could you name a few examples of successful quality improvement projects or initiatives that have led directly to customer satisfaction?
Valentina: There are lots of examples – from the ongoing revision of the complaints procedure to the internal suggestion scheme. After all, quality management also includes processes that are not directly linked to our customers. The most important thing is to detect possible weaknesses quickly and then act accordingly. That is something we are always working on.
Theresa: For some time now, particularly for translations of medical technology texts, we’ve been using a quality assurance tool that allows us to make customer-specific checklists alongside our standard tools and the knowledge and experience of our employees. We use these checklists before delivering a translation to make sure that all the customers’ requirements have been taken into consideration during the translation process.
How do you react to feedback from customers and what measures do you take to respond to individual requirements?
Theresa: Oh, two completely different topics in one question! But there is actually one answer that fits both topics. As the texts we deliver are all different and the requirements are always very specific to the particular customer, there is no “one size fits all” solution. You have to decide from one job to the next.
Positive feedback is a great source of encouragement because it shows us that we are on the right track with our services. We see negative feedback as an opportunity to further improve our process and, in turn, our services. That’s why we analyse negative feedback carefully and draw out learnings which may well lead to us adapting the way we work.
Usually, we’re told of any special requirements before the project starts so that they can be passed on to the person working on the translation by the project manager. There are different ways of going about it – from a simple work instruction to applying default settings in the translation software.
What role do training and further education play in ensuring high quality standards? How are these training sessions conducted?
Valentina: Training and further education are the be-all and end-all in quality management. We hold training sessions at regular intervals – sometimes online, sometimes in person. It depends on the subject in each case. What’s important to me is that quality is also fun. The excellent documentation we have on all our internal processes and procedures is a big help. It’s not just new employees who consult the documentation to find out more information or take another look at the training documents.
Theresa: Yes, both are important – training up new employees and informing existing employees about new topics, new software or processes that have been changed. Our processes can only run smoothly if every employee has a high level of knowledge. It’s only then that we can offer our customers top-quality services. We also learn about new topics in external training sessions offered by renowned training providers and industry-specific organisations.
What do you both like most about working at Apostroph?
Theresa: The professionalism of my colleagues and the strong sense of camaraderie in the team.
Valentina: Definitely, the exchange of ideas and information. It’s one way to make sure things never get boring and that we’re always learning something new. I always enjoy working with other teams even if it’s about a serious subject like quality.
What do you do when you finish work? What do you do in your spare time?
Valentina: Actually, I’m still involved with language after hours. I love reading fantasy books and can really switch off when I listen to true crime podcasts. And then I like watching series or films, particularly mystery thrillers where you have no chance of working out what exactly is going to happen until the very end.
Theresa: I have a daughter, so we play together, go for walks and ride our bikes. And I love reading! I read a lot and I also like baking and recently rediscovered crocheting. Soon, I’ll be running out of people to give my crocheted blankets to (laughs).
