Even a casual reading of the press stories around GDPR reveal the focus on the onerous fines that will be levied the moment a firm is prosecuted for falling foul of the legislation. Much has been made of the 99 articles within the GDPR framework and as with all new regulatory frameworks – every man and his cousin seems to be a GDPR consultant who will help you navigate the treacherous waters.
But, just for an instant, what if the waters are not treacherous? That GDPR is not another stick to beat business with but a ladder to propel business to higher levels of productivity and increased business?
What if we stopped looking at GDPR as something negative and looked at it as a positive?
In an era where data has become more precious than oil and individuals have increasingly swapped privacy for ease of access I believe GDPR is a step in the right direction to readdress this skewed balanced.
In my day to day work I read a lot of company reports and investment prospectuses - literature that proclaims that the customer is at the centre of what the business does.
“The Customer is No 1” has almost become a cliché. But if that is truly the case then GDPR should be welcomed with open arms by those who safeguard against the misuse of customer data.
In a world where “trust” in people, in institutions, in technology, has decreased any piece of legislation that helps a company increase the trust between their customer and themselves is something to be welcomed is it not?
So, for all those companies that handle customer data let’s stop thinking about GDPR as a negative and look at it as another way to engage with our customers in a more meaningful way.
Companies that ensure their customer’s data is used in an appropriate and respectful manner will rise to the top. Those that don’t will not. It really is that simple.
I can’t wait for 25th May 2018.
What about you?
Bharat Sarollia
Divisional Manager
IT & Finance Division
Anglo Technical Recruitment
