GDPR - Do you have a firm grip on your data landscape?
GDPR will come into force on the 25th of May 2018, and represents a comprehensive reform of existing data protection measures.
In loose terms this concerns only data that can be used to directly or indirectly identify a person, including names, photos, email addresses, bank details, and posts on social networking sites.
To ensure compliance with key concepts such as the right to erasure and subject access requests, organisations need to be prepared to perform a sizeable review of how personal data is collected, stored and used. This can be quite a tall order given many have such elaborate data environments.
When considering data, organisations tend to focus on their main enterprise system or CRM database. However, it is important to appreciate that GDPR’s scope extends well beyond these, and concerns personally identifiable (PII) data that is stored on platforms such as Microsoft Exchange, Sharepoint and OneDrive - for instance, CVs stored within a user’s inbox, or marketing lists that are stored locally. So-called unstructured data, it is estimated that information of this nature accounts for more than 70-80% of all data in organisations, and poses the biggest challenge to manage.
Whilst authorisations surrounding the ability to perform data extracts can be tightened up, pragmatically the risks can only be mitigated with a deep-rooted awareness of GDPR amongst your team. However, ‘data discoveries’ shouldn’t be viewed with total dread. The concept of ‘lawful basis’ provides organisations with the opportunity to streamline their data by reviewing what they are storing and the rationale behind its collection. In addition, an organisation that has a firm grip on its data strategy can further increase trust and credibility in the marketplace by being transparent with its customers as to how personal data is handled.
Our comprehensive four stream approach to GDPR was developed through collaboration with its clients, and has it’s grounding in Sysdoc’s eight areas of specialism including process excellence and transformational change. With regards to your data challenges we can assist with the following services:
- Data Audits: Thorough assessment of your organisations current databases, records, third party agreements and archives, enabling you to identify where personal data is stored across your network.
- Intuitive Training: This is provided in a variety of formats, including innovative gamification options.
- Compliance Readiness Assessments: These provide an indication of the GDPR maturity of your organisation.
- Roadmap to Compliance: A programme of activities to progress and improve your compliance with GDPR.
We have a track record of managing change and delivering process excellence at some of the UK’s largest companies. We’d love to discuss your GDPR programme with you and provide some more details on our approach to achieving compliance. For more information, or to arrange an initial discussion, please contact [email protected]
Latest blog posts
See all blog posts It's a Penalty
I’ll never forget my first encounter with It’s a Penalty at an event at the Brazilian embassy in London in 2015. I met a young lady called Rose who told her powerful story of exploitation and her journey to safety.
My time at Sysdoc
Sysdoc has always felt like a big family to me. There is no hierarchy at Sysdoc – you can call anyone in the organisation to ask for help or to gain their thoughts and opinions without any hesitation. Because we are a smaller business, we all know each other and as a result I feel my learning and growth has happened at a much faster pace than I could have imagined.
Buyers ... Should they work with female suppliers?
McKinsey & Company found that companies with a higher representation of women in executive positions are more likely to outperform their competitors. "Delivering Through Diversity, 2017"