I will never forget the pitying looks. Or the comments. Words of encouragement like “That’s no mean feat!”, “What, you’re not using an external consultant???” or “You’ll never get it first time!” were offered frequently whenever I mentioned my new project: an ISO 9001 quality management system!

That’s no mean feat!

To be honest, if I had known exactly what I was letting myself in for, I may not have been so keen to take the project on when we decided in a management meeting to go for certification. But it just seemed to fit so perfectly into my remit: Not only do I oversee the annual audits for ISO 17100, the international quality standard for translation services, I am also our in-house compliance officer and “go-to person” for all things information security and data protection.

What, you’re not using an external consultant???

Given that I already had a basic understanding of processes, figures, risk assessments, audits and the various documentation templates, as well as first-hand knowledge of our organization, I was well placed to step into the breach when we opted to try our hand at setting up the QM system ourselves without external support.

In retrospect, this approach turned out to be spot on, as we already met many of the ISO 9001 requirements and likewise already had many of the processes and documents in place – we “just” had to tailor them to the new standard.

My task, after reading up on what was required, was to liaise with our departments and teams and gather the requisite materials. In addition to the descriptions and procedural requirements for the core processes that had already been provided for ISO 17100, I was presented with a veritable treasure trove of strategy papers, working documents and training materials that could in many places simply be incorporated unchanged into the documentation. We even came across some forgotten gems that have since come to see the light of day once more.

Given that ISO 9001, unlike ISO 17100, focuses not only on translation services but on the company as a whole, these materials also related to our other management systems – those for information security and compliance – as well as to the operational units. And since figures, risk assessments and catalogs of measures feature in all these systems, it made sense to merge the respective documents and create a truly integrated management system – with tangible benefits for both administration and maintenance.

Where we did have to redraft documents or redefine processes, it was a collaborative endeavor between the respective departments and management. Any new developments were regularly communicated within the company, alongside our progress in setting up the management system. A good forum for this was our weekly town hall meeting, where we gave updates every few weeks and answered any questions that arose. This meant that everyone knew what was going on and the new developments were well received.

You’ll never get it first time!

The audit date drew ever closer. Despite all the planning, time was tight in the end; the last few weeks before the big day were packed full of final coordination meetings, internal audits and management reviews. I was still missing the odd bit of up-to-date information here and there, but my colleagues were on hand to give me everything I needed.

And so the time came at the end of February: The documents had gone through the first assessment and the audit participants had been briefed; just one last technical check-in for remote colleagues working from home and the audit could begin.

We went into the first of the three audit days with a mixture of respect, curiosity, and anticipation as we prepared to present our revamped QM system. The initial tension soon gave way to a relaxed atmosphere, and in the end everything went smoothly: The participants performed brilliantly, everyone knew their stuff and, last but not least, the auditor created such a pleasant atmosphere with her calm and kind manner that we couldn’t help but achieve certification at the first attempt.

We were absolutely delighted and duly celebrated in our in-house lounge(-cum-champagne bar on this occasion)!

ISO 9001

So why subject ourselves to all this?

Sometimes I am asked why we wanted this certification, given that we have been certified to the ISO 17100 quality standard for years. My answer is that it was important to us that our standards landscape not only reflect the highly specialized focus of ISO 17100 on translation services, but also the interdisciplinary nature of our services, our holistic service concept and our consistent focus on the customer for which we are known. With ISO 9001, we are better able to meet the requirements of our market environment and at the same time make the “Leinhäuser spirit” a little more tangible.

Certification was therefore not an end in itself. We took the opportunity to scrutinize and improve existing processes and take a fresh look at the company overall. We see ISO 9001 as a tool for further development that perfectly complements our other labels and management systems:

  • Quality management according to ISO 9001 and industry standard ISO 17100
  • Information security according to TISAX (Information Security Assessment according to the guidelines of the German Automotive Industry Association)
  • Data protection according to GDPR
  • Compliance management with its core elements of code of conduct and internal guidelines, which govern all relevant topics from anti-discrimination and corruption prevention to corporate ethics
  • Commitment to sustainability as defined by EcoVadis (with Silver status for the second time in the 2025 sustainability rating) and as a participant in the UN Global Compact (annual Communication on Progress)

Was it worth the effort?

Definitely yes. It was a great experience to delve into all our departments and see the enormous wealth of knowledge and ideas we as a company have. It was also the ideal opportunity to bring them together in a structured way.

It was also wonderful to have the support of the teams who patiently provided me with information and documents and helped me fine-tune our processes. They demonstrated great commitment to training and briefings and passed the audit with flying colors.

Overall, we will benefit from it for a long time to come and can be very proud of ourselves!

FAQ

DIN EN ISO 9001 is a globally recognized standard for quality management systems. It defines requirements for companies to optimize processes, increase customer satisfaction and ensure continuous improvement.

DIN EN ISO 9001 is based on QM principles such as customer focus, a process-oriented approach and risk-based thinking. Underpinning it is the high-level structure that reflects the PDCA cycle (Plan – Do – Check – Act) and looks particularly at the responsibility of top management, the context of the organization and the consideration of risks and opportunities.

Certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001 shows that a company takes a systematic and quality-conscious approach. It gives customers and partners greater confidence, increases competitiveness and creates clear structures and responsibilities within the company.

The path to certification includes the introduction of a quality management system (QMS), internal audits, a management assessment and finally an external certification audit by an accredited body.

DIN EN ISO 9001 is cross-industry and geared towards the entire company, while DIN EN ISO 17100 focuses specifically on translation services. Combining the two gives rise to holistic quality management.

An integrated system bundles documentation, processes and audits from different areas (e.g., quality, information security, data protection), reduces duplication and creates greater clarity and efficiency within the company.

Claudia Link-Beier

Claudia Link-Beier

Claudia Link-Beier war lange Jahre Inhaberin und Geschäftsführerin der Übersetzungsdienst Macklin GmbH und ist daher mit allen Facetten eines Sprachdienstleisters vertraut. Nach der Verschmelzung ihres Unternehmens mit Leinhäuser Anfang 2019 konzentrierte sie sich zunächst auf das operative Geschäft und die interdisziplinären Studio-Teams. Seit 2021 treibt sie wichtige Themen wie Compliance, Datenschutz und Informationssicherheit, Qualitätssicherung, Nachhaltigkeit und Training voran.

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