NEWS
MYTHS MYTH #3
OUR DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS ARE GDPR COMPLIANT, SO WE ARE TOO
WE’VE GOT A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB
MYTH #4
RATHER THAN ASKING if a CRM is compliant, the more appropriate question should be: “How can our CRM help us achieve compliance?” And ideally: “How can it help us turn compliance into opportunity?” As with any compliance initiative, your approach needs
to be multi-faceted, encompassing people, processes and technology. In truth, getting your staff on board is the first step to implementing a successful change management project. Training, and if necessary appointing “data champions” across the business, can help to build buy-in and embed the principles and vision of GDPR into the company’s mind-set even before you go about analysing processes and reviewing technology. Simply put, you can splash the cash on all-singing, all-dancing information management tools but if your staff aren’t fully attuned to the new era of data protection and don’t follow the right procedures, technology will not save the day for you. However, as long as you’re putting in the groundwork
with your people and processes, technology solutions such as CRM do play a vital role in supporting compliance. For instance, the software offers the ability to pull together your organisation’s data into one central repository and to support the necessary auditing and indexing work; to automate data processing rules and manage preferences and opt-outs; and to integrate data management across other platforms such as an email system. This is an unmanageable task – not to mention highly risky from a compliance perspective – using traditional spreadsheets such as Excel. Let’s finish with the words of the regulation itself. The
GDPR strongly emphasises that a blend of “technical and organisational measures” is necessary to achieve rigorous standards of data protection. Talk to your software providers and maximise any opportunities to bring efficiency and automation to your compliance processes, but don’t let technology eclipse the vital need to drive “organisational” change at all levels.
www.smeweb.com
THERE’S NO DENYING that bringing your business into line with the GDPR can seem a daunting and complex task but it’s important to bear in mind that the regulation is a step-change; or, in the words of the Information Commissioner’s Office, an evolution from the UK Data Protection Act 1998 and not a complete revolution. For instance, it is likely that you can still justify some direct marketing on the grounds of “legitimate interests”, as long as the rights of the individual aren’t infringed – and that is no different to the existing rules. In many cases, if you already have good data governance practices in place, you are well on the way to complying with the GDPR. What’s new, however, is that the new rules come with
teeth in the guise of potential financial penalties (and the resulting reputational damage), and place greater emphasis on accountability and transparency, particularly when it comes to documenting your decision-making. The stakes have been raised, and you simply can’t afford to neglect your responsibilities or bury your head in the sand. Also, the new regulation does genuinely present a valuable
opportunity to review your commercial practices and learn more about your customers, leading you to improve engagement and potentially shorten your sales cycle. If the result is stronger customer relationships based on trust and authenticity, then that can only be a positive step. The ICO publishes helpful advice for SMEs that can set you on
the right track. But you may find it helpful to consult with external experts who have experience in guiding companies from the outset of their compliance journey. As a company facing exactly the same compliance obligations as you, we decided to take that route. Even as a CRM software provider, we realised that technology is only one element of compliance and it was definitely the right decision for us to bring in specialist consultants. They’ve helped steer us through the necessary data audits, reviews, process changes and policy formulation – helping us to adopt best-practices and ensure that our preparatory work contributes to business process improvement.
Mike Richardson is Managing Director EMEA, Maximizer Software
SME 7
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