More red tape to hinder our business – another layer of unwanted checks and processes or
…. is this the opportunity that we have been waiting for to get our house in order?
If we run our GDPR project successfully what are the additional positive outcomes:
1. Cyber Security
The opportunity to re-evaluate how secure our IT assets are, how up-to-date our employee training is and to check that we carry the suitable levels of insurance to protect us from 21st Century Cyber related threats. This is the real opportunity to take Cyber Security to the ‘top table’
2. Core Values and Data
Most companies core values will talk about honesty, respect, customer-centred approach, but have we always aligned these values to our policies surrounding data? We might always have intended to do the right thing and we might always have used data for the purpose it was intended for, but this is an opportunity to sell how we respect an individual’s data rights. A clear privacy notice, backed up by a clear privacy policy and reinforced by employee to customer interaction sends a very positive message about the sort of organisation you are.
3. Relevant Data
Is your CRM congested with ‘out of date contacts’? Do simple search strings bring a plethora of unwanted results? GDPR provides an opportunity to really think about your data retention policy. Clean, relevant data improves the efficiency of your operations, reduces processing times and increases server capacity. Think carefully about what rules you can automate and how your front-end employees can work to keep information up-to-date and relevant whilst extending the individuals consent to remain part of your plans.
4. Integration (Single Customer View)
Subject-Access-Requests and Deletion requests are complex where the Data Controller needs to identify disparate data sources on multiple systems. This is an opportunity to lock down rules on non-core systems (email and other data outside of core systems should run automatic deletion rules). It may also be the opportunity to identify ‘off the shelf’ SaaS platforms to replace expensive legacy or bespoke systems. Integration of these systems.
5. Efficient in Marketing Activities
Is now the time to evaluate marketing activity? Unwanted email and newsletters sitting across millions of mailboxes. In terms of ‘Return on Investment’ is there a better and more targeted way of delivering personalised thought leadership to our customers. Wetherspoons just deleted its entire email marketing database (http://www.wired.co.uk/article/wetherspoons-email-database-gdpr). That’s an eye opener, if the populous is not interested in cheap beer then what hope have professional services companies got in producing effective email marketing collateral!
Marshall Wolfe conducts a simple three-day SME audit to assess your ‘current state’ against GDPR requirements. You will be presented with a list of prioritised actions. We also provide c-suite overviews to Corporates and can support specific GDPR work-streams.
