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Posted on7 April 2026

What Does Onboarding a New Translation Agency Actually Look Like?

By Rachel Lambert | rachellambert.biz | Copy & Content Writer at Atlas Translations

Rachel Lambert

Switching suppliers is one of those decisions that can sit on the to-do list longer than it should. You know your current setup isn’t right, and you spend more time correcting work than accepting it. Still, the thought of onboarding a new translation agency…😱. Starting from scratch and hoping the first project doesn’t go sideways is enough to make staying put feel like the easier option.

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In regulated industries, that hesitation is even more understandable. When your translation work touches regulatory submissions, clinical documentation, or legally sensitive materials, the stakes of a rocky transition feel very real. But here’s the thing: a well-run professional translation service makes onboarding straightforward. Most of the anxiety dissolves once you know what to expect. So, let’s walk through exactly what the process looks like.

Before the First Project: Laying the Groundwork

The onboarding process for a new translation agency starts before a single word is translated. At Atlas Translations, the first stage is all about understanding your organisation: the sectors you work in, the document types you need translated, your target audiences, and any regulatory context that shapes how language should be used.

If you have existing glossaries, style guides, or preferred terminology, this is when they get captured and built into your client profile. If you don’t have these yet, that’s fine too. Part of what a certified translation agency does is help you develop that resource over time. This way, consistency builds with every project rather than being policed manually.

Data security and confidentiality are also sorted at this stage. NDAs, data handling agreements, and secure file transfer protocols are all in place before any sensitive documents change hands. For clients in pharmaceutical, medical, or legal sectors, this isn’t a box-ticking exercise. It’s a genuine requirement, and it should be handled properly from day one.

The First Project: Where the Relationship Gets Calibrated

The first project is important, but not because it’s where things are most likely to go wrong. It’s important because it’s where preferences get fine-tuned in practice. Even the most thorough briefing can’t anticipate every stylistic nuance or sector-specific preference, and a good agency knows this.

Under ISO 17100, every translation is reviewed by a second qualified linguist before delivery. That revision step is a structural safeguard, not a reaction to problems. It means the work that lands in your inbox has already been through an independent quality check, regardless of whether it’s your first project together or your fiftieth.

Any feedback you provide after the first project is documented and fed forward. If you have a preference for a particular term, a tonal note, or a formatting requirement specific to your organisation, it goes into your client profile straight away. You shouldn’t have to say the same thing twice.

onboarding new translation agency

What a Long-Term Partnership Looks Like

This is where working with a certified translation agency starts to pay dividends in ways that go beyond individual project quality. Over time, your translation memory builds up: a database of previously translated content that can be drawn on for consistency across future projects. Your approved terminology becomes a living glossary that every linguist working on your account can access. Your preferences are known without needing to be restated.

For organizations with high document volumes and working across multiple languages and document types, this accumulated context is genuinely valuable. A regulatory submission, a patient information leaflet, and a clinical trial protocol can all come from the same agency. They can even use the same approved terminology, under the same certified quality framework. That level of consistency is very difficult to achieve when you’re managing multiple suppliers.

There’s also a practical benefit when things need to move quickly. An agency that already knows your organisation, your documents, and your requirements can turn projects around faster and with fewer queries. The groundwork you lay when onboarding a new translation agency is what makes that possible.

The Hard Part Is Making the Decision

Onboarding a new translation agency is not the complicated, risky process it can feel like from the outside. With the right partner, it’s a structured, well-managed handover that gets smoother with every project. The transition is handled. The groundwork is laid. And from there, the relationship does what a good long-term partnership should: it gets easier and more valuable over time.

If you’re at the stage of evaluating agencies and want to understand exactly how Atlas Translations would approach your account, our team is happy to walk you through the process in detail. Get in touch, and we can have a straightforward conversation about what working together would look like.

Contact Us Today!

You can call us on +44 (0)1727 812 725 or email team@atlas-translations.co.uk. We respond quickly to all enquiries and are always happy to chat about your needs.

If you’d like to visit us in person to learn more about our services or drop off documents, just call or email us to arrange a time.

The groundwork you lay when onboarding a new translation agency is what makes that possible.

The A-Team (back row: Anna, Jim, Alex, and Rhys; front row: Clare, Steffi, and Joanna)

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Can I Trust Atlas Translations?

Atlas Translations is certified to ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) and ISO 17100:2017 (Translation Services) standards. For confidential projects, we’re happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for over 20 years now, reflecting our long-standing commitment to privacy and data protection.

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Global Voice, Local Touch

If you’re looking for some top tips for partnering with Atlas Translations, we have some top tips to share! We answer 25 of our clients’ most frequently asked questions, ranging from typesetting queries to discussing reference materials.

Click to download Global Voice, Local Touch

ATC: We hold full membership with the Association of Translation Companies, a trade association representing the interests of language service companies in the UK and internationally. It is the leading voice for companies operating in the UK’s language services industry.

CIEP: We’ve held Corporate membership Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading since 1993. CIEP are an international membership organisation that offers training and community for editorial professionals (copy editors and proofreaders) while helping members develop business confidence.

Corporate membership of the ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting) since 1994. Corporate Member of the Year 2021. ITI is the only UK-based independent professional membership association for practising translators, interpreters and all those involved in the language services sector.

ISO 17100 – ISO 17100:2017 for Translation Services (since this standard began, in 2008, externally audited annually).

Certified since 2003, externally audited annually. ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS), applicable across all sectors. ISO 9001 provides a framework to respond to changing quality requirements in line with changing demands across society, economics and the environment.

Living Wage Employer: As a living wage employer, we believe our staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs. The Living Wage Foundation has a mission to encourage employers to play their part in tackling in-work and post-work poverty and provide a decent standard of living by paying the real Living Wage, adopting Living Hours and Living Pensions as well as wider good employment practices.
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Disability Confident Committed is creating a movement of change, encouraging employers like ourselves to think differently about disability and take action to improve how we recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being a DCC employer is a unique opportunity to lead the way in our community and show that we’re a disability inclusive employer.
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Proudly a 4-Day Week Employer since 2019. Amongst other items, the 4-Day Week initiative calls for a reduction to the maximum working week from 48 hours per week to 32 hours per week by 2030.

 
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A member of the Good Business Charter since 2022. The GBC is a simple accreditation that organisations of all sizes in the UK can apply for in recognition of responsible business practices.
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We’re a proud member of the Patient Information Forum (PIF), a membership organisation for anyone producing health information and support. PIF promote access to trusted, evidence-based health information for patients, carers, the public and healthcare professionals.

Atlas Translations has been accredited by the Fair Tax Foundation since February 2024. The Fair Tax Foundation is a not-for-profit social enterprise developed by a team of tax justice, corporate responsibility, and ethical consumer experts. It was launched in 2014.

We’ve been registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) since 2004. Go to https://ico.org.uk/ for more information.

The Fair Payment Code (FPC) sets standards for best payment practices and is administered by the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The Gold Award is awarded to those paying at least 95% of all invoices within 30 days.

We hold a full membership in the Association of British HealthTech Industries. The ABHI supports the HealthTech community by providing products and services that help people live healthier lives. As the voice of the industry, we show the value of health technology and overcome barriers to people benefitting from it now and in the future.

Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed certification scheme that helps protect organisations’ and customers’ data from cyber attacks. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends Cyber Essentials as the minimum cybersecurity standard for all organisations.

We’re a proud Sedex Supplier Plus member, demonstrating our leadership in sustainable and ethical business practices. This premium membership recognises organisations that go beyond basic compliance to embrace continuous improvement in environmental, social, and governance standards. As a Supplier Plus member, we have access to advanced ESG learning resources, enhanced visibility to global buyers, and official recognition of our commitment to responsible business practices. Our Supplier Plus status reflects our dedication to transparency, ethical labour practices, environmental stewardship, and responsible business conduct throughout our operations and supply chain.