Do you have a GDPR compliant lost property system in place? Probably not.

Many companies use a manual logbook or digital spreadsheet to keep track of their lost property. But did you know that this has to be GDPR compliant?

What is GDPR?

Firstly, GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. This is a European legislation giving individuals more control over their personal data. Therefore, anyone that has any activity on ‘European soil’ must make sure their practices are GDPR compliant.

As the name suggests, GDPR protects all personal data used for any activity. Thus, any information that can identify an individual: name, email address, postal address, phone number or even photograph, must be protected.

Ultimately, it gives a blanket set of rules that should simplify all regulations for businesses and individuals alike.

GDPR paperwork

Why does my lost property system have to be GDPR compliant?

There is a misconception that GDPR is just an IT issue. However, that is far from the truth. GDPR has broad-sweeping implications for whole businesses.

The internet has dramatically changed the way we all communicate. Despite this, many processes still haven’t been digitalised. As a result, lost property policies fall outside of important digitalisation projects.

Most organisations will manage their lost property in two ways:

1. Keep it simple. Paper and pen. Or a logbook to be a bit more organised.

2. Digital spreadsheets can be easier to manage, with a bonus of extra desk space.

Apart from these systems being time-consuming and cumbersome, they’re unlikely to be GDPR compliant.

GDPR operates “tech neutrality”; it doesn’t matter where you store personal data. Whether it’s on a spreadsheet, logbook or even on a napkin, structured personal data must be stored in a GDPR compliant way.

What’s more, tough penalties are in place for those who don’t comply with GDPR. Fines of up to 4% of global revenue or €20 million, whichever is greater! In 2019, Google were fined an eye-watering €50 million for failing to comply with GDPR.

I store lost property safely. Why is this not enough to be GDPR compliant?

So, it’s a normal day at the customer service desk and you have an upset customer enquiring about a lost item.

What’s the first thing you do? Bring out your logbook?

If the answer is yes, this book is now visible to unauthorised eyes. Thus, offering other customer data in plain sight.

However, you can’t blame your customer. It’s human nature to glance at the information in your book. After all, they’re nervous to get their item back quickly.

Lost property customer service desk risk of GDPR compliance
Lost property logs hold a lot of personal data. Anything from item descriptions (the contents of a wallet or prescription medication) to every other enquiry. Therefore, this information must be protected from the wrong eyes.

GDPR rules state that organisations must ensure personal data is gathered legally and under strict conditions. Hence, hand-crafted lost property systems do not have appropriate safeguards in place to protect personal data from misuse and exploitation.

How can I make my lost property process GDPR compliant?

NotLost can take the headache out of GDPR compliance. Although the introduction of GDPR rules have created challenges for businesses, it has also created so many opportunities. For example, this is an opportunity to streamline current processes. This is a chance to implement best practices, ensuring that all employees work together more efficiently, also minimising the risk of facing the frightening GDPR fines.
Lost property in bag

The NotLost platform combines various features that comply with GDPR rules and creates a streamlined system for your staff and customers. Simple and secure lost property procedures help improve customer experience.

Plus, it retains the trust of your loyal customers. Focus your attention on the larger compliance tasks and trust NotLost to provide a GDPR compliant lost property solution.

Achieve GDPR compliance with NotLost 

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