Translation of Standard Operating Procedures. Without a doubt, precision is crucial for success in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Poorly manufactured medical products can seriously damage a company’s reputation, which is why it is essential to apply Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in companies to ensure quality control. These procedures are step-by-step instructions to document work routines or specific activities of a process and ensure their quality.
Some companies decide to subcontract the manufacture of products to companies in foreign countries, which is why the translation of the processes must be carried out in the best way. The company to which the production is being subcontracted must have all the information so that the final product is always exactly the same. This is why the translated information must remain precise and the processes must be clear so that the standards can be met. Hiring professional translators who have experience in these matters brings benefits to the company, including:
- The company ensures that the translation of the standard operating procedures is correct: With the work of a translator, errors in the original document that may not have been identified before can be corrected. For example, there may be very open sentences that lend themselves to multiple interpretations. It is also possible that in the original translation there are omissions of certain steps, which may be obvious for some but for others these small omissions can lead to errors. All the problems must be pointed out by the translator and corrected in order to carry out the translation of the documents in the most precise way. The translator must also identify and find the best way to translate any colloquial phrases or jargon implemented in the original text.
- A correct explanation of the processes is given: The fundamental rule for carrying out this type of translation is that when the processes are being translated, they must be described in the way they will appear to the operator. For example, when a knob or button is labeled in the original language, it must appear this way in the document being translated, respecting the language and even the capitalization used. Any language the operator sees on the screen, regardless of their spoken language, must be identical to what is described in the converted SOP.
- Proper management of terminology is given: The extensive terminology used in the pharmaceutical industry is one of the main reasons why having professional translators is essential. The translator must have experience and knowledge of the terms and standards in order to carry out a good translation. First of all, the translator must take into account that although many of the terms must be translated, there are also some that are used internationally, therefore they must be left in the original language. Also, as shown above, the translator must have knowledge of the regulations, know the applicable pharmaceutical standards in their country and be sure that they are met. It is also important that the translator pays attention to trademark names that may or may not be internationally recognized. Lastly, the translator must also have knowledge of the abbreviations used in the industry and know if there are equivalent abbreviations in the language into which the translation is being made.
Training your staff in their own language is part of your Quality Assurance and Risk Mitigation System
All this confirms the importance of having professional translators with the necessary experience and knowledge when translating these important documents. Especially when it comes to industries such as pharmaceuticals, in which many regulations and standards must be taken into account, it is essential that a good translation be carried out, companies of this type cannot risk receiving lawsuits or damaging their reputation due to problems. of translation.
