CRM systems and GDPR compliance

Is my CRM system compliant with GDPR?

Now that GDPR is here, many businesses turn to their software vendor and ask if their product is GDPR compliant. Any responsible vendor is likely to answer that GDPR compliance is more about internal processes than it is about systems. So it is important that companies first start by reviewing their business processes and policies, which will then inform the system requirements needed to become GDPR compliant.

How can CRM systems help with GDPR compliance?

Once the processes needed to achieve and maintain compliance have been defined, a CRM system is an extremely valuable tool to support your data protection efforts. Most CRM systems have a number of features that allow you to set up processes in line with GDPR. Here are some examples relating to key areas of GDPR:

• • Personal data: Much of the information about individuals that you record in the CRM system is likely to be considered “personal data” under GDPR. Hence, it’s of paramount importance that you ensure that data creation, storing, management and use is done in a compliant manner. It’s not only important to keep the data secure, but you also have to make sure that it’s only kept for as long as it is needed.

• • Consent: CRM systems can usually help you manage opt-ins. Fields can be setup in the CRM database to provide granular opt-in options based on communication type (newsletters, commercial offers, product updates) or communication channel (phone, email, sms, post).

• The right to be forgotten: CRM systems usually allow the deletion of contact records, which will in turn delete all entries and data associated with the record. The deletion can be recorded in the CRM to indicate for example who performed the deletion, and when.

Swiftpage and data protection

At Swiftpage, data privacy and protection is always top of our mind and we are committed to help our users comply with GDPR. Our Act! CRM solutions are highly flexible and offer a wide variety of features that can help users to effectively manage their data processes, privacy and security in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations. In addition to that, our Cloud CRM solutions are SOC 2 certified. This means we successfully undertook a rigorous audit process conducted by an independent agency to demonstrating our commitment to data security.