STAR Deutschland GmbH Our quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2008 STAR Group Your single-source partner for corporate product communication
Our quality management manual... The quality management manual describes to customers, suppliers and our staff in a simple and comprehensible manner the company and its positioning in the market the responsibility taken on by the management our areas of activity and strategic objectives quality assurance activities for all relevant functions measures aimed at continuous improvement of our quality standards The quality management manual is the foundation on which we have introduced and are maintaining a certified quality management system complying with EN ISO 9001:2008. Our processes are developed and optimised on the basis of this manual. STAR Deutschland GmbH STAR Deutschland GmbH is an independent company within the STAR group of companies. Of the three largest internationally active providers in technical documentation and translation, the STAR Group is the only one that was founded in the German-speaking world. Over 800 permanently employed, skilled experts in 36 companies in 30 nations and a powerful, IT infrastructure networked across the globe guarantee hitchfree, international cooperation. We thus have comprehensive resources available for German as a source or target language. What is more, German is the language of communication within the group. The German companies in the STAR Group are the largest German translation services providers and have pioneered the development and use of software tools in the automation of translation using translation memory technology. Operating from as its hub office in Böblingen, the STAR Group manages translation and localisation into over 35 different languages for the renowned big names of German industry. Experienced project managers, mother-tongue technical translators, reviewers, terminologists, specialists in practically every DTP program and operating system platform and IT specialists ensure highly efficient processes applying the very latest translation technology. The many years of experience our staff have between them in translation management and automated translation is complemented by specialists in prepress who can ensure that the layout of the translated texts and documents is perfect, including those into Asian languages and languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. Blue chip customers such as Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, MAN, Siemens and Bosch confirm our success in just-in-time translation services while, at the same time, we provide considerable cost savings. STAR Deutschland is managed by two managing directors. In addition to the administrative departments, there are departments organised into teams, with the exception of the translators. Permanently employed translators cover the main languages. Other languages are covered by mother-tongue translators around the world in the local STAR companies or by carefully selected contracted partners. Management responsibility Customer focus is an essential part of our management responsibility. We make sure that customer needs and customer expectations are translated into clear requirements for our organisation. As a matter of principle, we are led by the following premisses (vision/mission) in our actions: We shall set a new standard for high-quality, innovative, reliable and automated translation services, enhance our customers' competitiveness with our services and thereby build on our leading position in the market.
... STAR Deutschland GmbH Our work together with our suppliers will be based on a partnership founded in trust with the objective of securing high quality supply in the shortest possible time. Our customers constitute the economic foundation for the continuing existence of our company. We provide clearly defined services. Customer needs are concerned less with how the portfolio is structured but more with how these services are managed, i.e. with delivery times, matching a layout, following specified style guides and other service levels. Our sales staff make contact at the professional level when acquiring new customers. The individual, detailed requirements are then identified in further discussion between the customer's experts and our own staff. We try always to align our company with the direction implied by these requirements and to offer implementation of these. Key account managers look after a fixed set of key account customers. Their main task is to look after the relationships at all levels of management and with all the customer's departments. Because of this close attention afforded to our regular customers, we are able to expand our business with them and look after their new business and the associated special services required. What What does does a a quality quality management system mean? Customer needs Customer focus Organisation's policy Organisation targets Operational processes in the provision of services Review of the process outcomes Assessment of the effectiveness of the quality management system Management of the processes Internal audits Measurement of success Correction and prevention Company policy Being a medium-sized, innovative enterprise, our strategic planning reflects the situation, that is to say, measures for determining customer needs directly influence the direction the company takes. Investment decisions, HR decisions and other measures are very projectspecific. Overall company policy is determined in close consultation with the management of the STAR Group. Our activity concentrates our forces on our daily work, taking into consideration the real, constantly changing needs in our field of activity and we are always on the lookout for new, more efficient solutions and methods. Our quality objectives may be defined as follows: We fulfil or exceed the expectations of our customers with the high quality of our services. We set all levers in motion and search for better and automated solutions. We are pleased when we achieve what was previously thought impossible. By measuring the defined parameters, we achieve a demonstrable, constant improvement in our processes and the effectiveness of the quality management system. We work in a team-supported organisation to achieve higher efficiency while at the same time increasing competence and staff motivation. We extend and improve our services portfolio within our core competence with carefully selected and tested partners. These quality objectives will be modified accordingly if future developments in the market give rise to changes in customer expectations and attitudes. This change will be effected by management through correction and prevention processes. The quality objectives are known to every member of staff and are posted up around our company for all to see. Every member of staff supports the company's objectives both internally and externally and ensures that his work is in line with our company's quality standards. Our organisation is capable of implementing these objectives efficiently and with the correct use of resources. The constant development of our organisation and all those working in it is a basic constituent of our management responsibility.
Our quality management manual... We ensure a good working atmosphere, a pleasant and safe workplace and interesting jobs to promote the commitment to implementing the company's policy in all areas of the company. We have taken it on ourselves to permanently improve our performance and extend our knowledge. Management's close ties with the customers and staff are supported by open company communications cutting across any hierarchy. Quality planning The requirements of our quality management system are achieved through processes. Every process is designed to carry out the work for achieving clear quality goals under controllable conditions. The staff in the sales functions and in the technical sections work in accordance with the principles of their contracts. The operational tasks and responsibilities of the individual members of staff are described in the operating procedures and work instructions. The staff have undertaken to uphold the company's principles. Members of staff have been appointed to take responsibility for procedures. They are responsible, with the specialist support of the quality champion, for the creation, implementation and continuous improvement of the procedures. An employee of the company has been appointed the official champion in the company for the drafting, implementation and maintenance of a quality management system. His function title is quality champion. The quality champion ensures that the requirements for the maintenance of the quality management system are understood and met at all levels. He will review the quality management system at preset intervals and continue to develop it in collaboration with those responsible for the procedures. Quality management documentation system We see our quality management system as a tool for the management of the company and use it for this purpose. We have accordingly developed, introduced and had certified a quality management system in accordance with our company objectives and the requirements of the EN ISO 9001:2008 standard. The quality management system is documented on three levels: The quality management manual describes the principles of the company policy and quality policy and the quality intentions permeating our key processes. It covers the overarching specifications and goals that are necessary for the fulfilment of our mission statement and to match up to customer requirements. The second level defines the procedures for achievement of the requirements described in the quality management manual and the activities required to maintain the quality management system. The third level includes work instructions complementing the procedures and forms, planning control documents and other documents necessary to back up the quality management system.
... STAR Deutschland GmbH The quality champion prepares defined data for a management report every quarter. This is a report on the performance of the quality management system. The data gathered to assess its effectiveness comes from the measurement of core processes or from the outcomes of audits, from the systematic evaluation of customer complaints (customer satisfaction), the status of corrective and preventive actions and from supplier assessment. This data is evaluated by the management. Performance improvements are sponsored in the form of the agreement of targets, commissioning activities to correct inadequate performance or the introduction of corrective and preventive procedures. Resource management Taking account of economic feasibility, senior management makes available the personnel resources, equipment and the working environment necessary to meet customer needs. The value added necessary for the company and a strong customer loyalty are created by the participation and above average commitment of every member of staff. Those whose activities have an influence on the quality of our services have the appropriate training and experience. Delegation, trust, respect and recognition characterise our management style. The management makes every effort to promote the values and needs of the staff to employ the resulting positive effects in the improvement of the company's performance. Motivation of our staff includes training, the delegation of tasks and competences and leaving freedom for creativity. Internal training is provided covering the use of the tools provided and also aspects of relevance to quality. The good atmosphere within the company, combined with job security, a place in a market-leading, expanding company and demanding customer has resulted in an extraordinarily low turnover of staff. The knowledge and skills our people gain thus remains in the company for a long time. Provision of services Our services range from expert advice to a complete multilingual solution. Our principal means of meeting the high quality demands of our customers,especially in technical translations is to use mother-tounge translators working in the various companies of the STAR Group. The group companies work directly with the customer's representatives in the target country concerned. This helps us achieve close collaboration in terms of style and terminology and a considerably improved acceptance of a translations which are also better adapted to the target market. We assign project managers, DTP specialists, information scientists, editors and graphic artists to control and follow-up processing of projects. Management of quality in the company VA01 VA09 VA10 Company policy and the deployment of resources Monitoring and evaluation Correction and prevention VA02 VA03 Quotation and order Project management Quality management system manual VA04 VA05 VA06 IT support Translation DTP A03a VA11 Documents and data A04a Data storage Error correction VA12 Quality records VA07 VA08 VA13 Supplier management Complaints handling Internal audits A07a Supplier assessment Quality management processes
Our quality management manual... The highest degree of translation quality and process automation is achieved with the additional employment of terminology systems (TermStar/WebTerm), an Internetbased terminology database and workflow systems (e.g. STAR James). We have generated a demand for our services through active sales work, which offers a broad palette of specialised services. The STAR Group has developed its own advertising material to use for this purpose. Requirements are determined in follow-up discussions with the customer's editors and documentation mangers, the technical standards are determined and defined as is the form in which the translated, print-ready material is to be supplied to the customer. Quotations are prepared to ensure that orderly and adequate instructions for the order are available in every case. The customer requirements and expectations as stated are verified in an internal process. We try always to align ourselves with the direction of these requirements and to offer implementation of these. The order will only be released for processing once the quotation and the quotation confirmation match up. The order documents are archived electronically. Paper documents are filed in customer files. If it is determined while completing an order that it is impossible to provide a service or meet a promise, the customer will be informed accordingly immediately with a description of the reason and a proposal to work together to find a solution. Orders are handled in project form. Project managers control and co-ordinate all the work from drafting the quotation to final acceptance of the work by the customer. The project manager plans or supplements the generic principal activities required to fulfil the order, which may be subdivided hierarchically into multiple subsidiary steps. The project manager determines the resources required to run the project and informs all those participating in the project of the work they are expected to do and the deliverables expected from them. The project manager monitors the deadlines, organises checking of the outcomes, ensures that data is archived, data is preprocessed and post-processed and has the invoice prepared. Difficulties coming to light in the execution of the work and other events arising during the delivery of the service are noted in the project database for evaluation. The customer provides his documents in paper or electronic format. If necessary, the paper documents are captured. Files in a database format and data that has not been created in publishing or graphics programs are prepared for translation, i.e. converted into a format compatible with Transit. Data thus prepared is passed to the translators. Following quality assurance measures, the data is post-processed so that the customer receives the data as previously specified. STAR Deutschland GmbH follows what is known as a mixed production model, in which services are provided in part by its own staff, and in part by external suppliers. This means that the company is capable of reacting at any time flexibly and in a financially affordable manner to fluctuations in available capacity. Routine observation of the market and recruiting measures create a basis for this. As the quality of freelance provider performance depends to a great extent on personal characteristics, we subject our suppliers to a strict selection procedure. We expect our suppliers to be aware of our values, to apply them in their work and that they will act and plan in a forwardlooking manner. Our suppliers are assessed periodically. Depending on the outcome, contracts may be terminated or suppliers identified. This ensures that only suppliers who meet our high quality requirements are selected for subsequent commissions. The translator commissioned supplies a translation into his mother tongue and appropriate technical terminology. The translation is reviewed either in full or by sampling.
... STAR Deutschland GmbH Dealing with customer property The data, paper documents and data handling tools supplied by the customer where his data does not match standard formats are recorded as customer property with the job number. Confidential information is only given to staff who have shown their trustworthiness over many years of employment. Separate confidentiality agreements are agreed if requested by the customer. Measures are taken to avoid customer property being degraded, damaged, lost or rendered unserviceable during the time it is in our possession. The customer data will be stored on a protected network. Security inspections and network management are the responsibility of the STAR Group's international IT department in Switzerland. The results of the translation process are returned to the customer and archived. The data is checked for viruses before it is passed on in electronic form. The data is regularly backed up for another year before it is transferred to a permanent archive. Where customer contracts demand it, the customer property supplied and, as appropriate, the original documents are destroyed following delivery. Measurement, analysis, improvement We carry out regular reviews of the effectiveness of our quality management system and the processes in terms of customer satisfaction and efficiency of provision to ensure continuous improvement of our company. Data is gathered periodically and processed for a management report. The report is based on what is required by senior management and is clearly structured in terms of content and scope. The report is assessed by a defined procedure based on measurable criteria and weighting factors. Direct actions for the correction of nonconformities are derived directly from this. Monitoring customer satisfaction Any member of staff becoming aware of customer dissatisfaction which he cannot resolve himself within the scope of his competencies will inform management through his team leader. A decision intended to satisfy the customer will be taken at this level. The degree of customer satisfaction is determined by a systematic evaluation of complaints concerning delivery delays or other ways in which expectations are not met. We will take suitable measures to prevent or limit identified events as causes of nonconformity. It is self-evident to us that a complaint should be seen as a positive customer contact. We react to it immediately and provide timely information as to progress on resolving the complaint. Internal quality audits Internal quality audits are used to determine whether the application of the rules in our quality management system leads to the quality objectives defined. The quality champion draws up an audit schedule each year which is approved by senior management and notified to all staff. The content and frequency of the internal quality audits are planned according to the status and importance of the procedure. Corrective and preventive actions Every member of staff is obliged to record nonconformities in his remit and area of responsibility. Where possible, he should remedy the fault or introduce immediate action. Corrective actions are launched by the management or the quality champion following the objective identification of a nonconformity of actual or potential causes of errors in the quality management system with the aim of remedying the fault or reducing the probability of repeat nonconformities. Staff responsible for the procedure implement defined steps according to the instructions for their functional area. They decide on the resources and strategies to be implemented within the scope of their own competence. The implementation and effects of the timetabled actions is checked by the quality champion.
How to contact us We look forward to getting to know you. Visit our website or contact us directly. STAR Deutschland GmbH Dornierstrasse 3 D-71034 Böblingen Tel. +49 7031 21 70-0 Fax +49 7031 22 72 30 Email: info@star-deutschland.net www.star-deutschland.net