From Human Translation to MQM QA: Scaling Multilingual Image Localization for a 1.5M-Employee Marketplace Giant

AI Localization / Translation Services, Quality Assurance

The client needed native-speaking linguists to ensure high-quality translations of image summaries across the following five European languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Initially, we were tasked with translating English summaries using the provided machine translation as an optional reference. Later on, the client shifted our role to final QA review of translations done by another vendor, following detailed linguistic and formatting guidelines to meet MQM-based quality standards.

The main challenge was aligning with the client’s in-house linguistic experts, as translation preferences sometimes differed despite all parties being fully competent. This required open communication and flexibility in interpretation. The pilot phase was also prolonged due to the client’s multi-layered review process, which created uncertainty for linguists expecting steady work. Despite these difficulties, we maintained quality and adapted our team management to handle the slower pace.

Since the client is a large, multinational organization, they need to ensure consistent quality and accuracy in translating image summaries across five European languages, specifically French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. In all of the tasks, both linguistic precision and adherence to strict formatting rules were critical. Initially, they sought native-speaking linguists to translate content from English, using machine translation as a reference. 

As the project evolved, the need shifted toward establishing a robust quality assurance process to review and refine translations provided by another vendor, ensuring they met MQM-based quality benchmarks and aligned with the client’s detailed style and formatting guidelines. This required a scalable workflow capable of supporting high volumes while maintaining uniform quality across all target markets.

We had been successfully collaborating with the client since April 2024 on another project involving Spanish text analysis. With access to a wide network of native linguists across regions and a strong performance during the initial pilot phase, we proved our reliability and linguistic expertise, making us a natural choice for this multilingual QA task.

We started our collaboration with the client on a multilingual image summarization project covering French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. The task focused on translating short English summaries of visual content into clear, natural target-language descriptions. This phase included direct translation with machine-translated (MT) reference where our linguists handled the full translation process. While MT references were provided, we performed human translations from scratch — using MT only as a secondary aid for terminology and phrasing consistency. Each translation was crafted to preserve:

• Complete semantic fidelity
• Natural, localized style
• Target-language grammar and punctuation norms

In the later stages of the project, our role evolved into quality assurance. Another vendor was brought in for initial translations, and our team took over the final review and validation. Our QA process included:

• Ensuring completeness and accuracy
• Correcting terminology inconsistencies
• Fixing unnatural phrasing and localization mismatches
• Flagging any MQM-related issues (additions, omissions, style errors, etc.)

This two-phase contribution ensured both high-quality initial delivery and strong final consistency across all target languages. Overall, our proven experience in scaling multilingual projects and adapting to evolving client needs established us as a reliable and consistent QA partner for the client, currently supporting them with steady, ongoing volumes. The client values our stability and quality-driven approach, and sees us as a trusted vendor. Internally, we’ve built a strong collaboration with our linguists, ensuring smooth communication and sustained performance across all tasks.

1/ 5 Languages Supported at Scale
Successfully delivered high-quality localization and QA for French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese – aligned with strict MQM-based standards.

2/ Two-Phase Workflow Implemented
Handled end-to-end human translation in Phase 1 and final QA of third-party output in Phase 2, ensuring semantic fidelity and linguistic consistency across all summaries.

3/ Zero Rejection Rate During QA Phase
All reviewed translations met the client’s MQM scoring thresholds, with no vendor rejections – a testament to our team’s precision and consistency.

4/ Flexible Scaling with Native Linguists
Rapid task allocation and expert matching across time zones ensured seamless delivery despite the client’s slower, multi-layered review process.

5/ Long-Term Partnership Solidified
The client now relies on us as a trusted multilingual QA partner, continuing to engage us for steady volumes – with potential expansion to more languages in 2025.