There is a multitude of reasons that organisations collect data from enabling personalised marketing experiences, improving customer experience, aiding product development and remaining compliant are just a handful but, are you managing and using that data in the way it was intended when first collected?
In this blog we will guide you through 7 crucial steps organisations should take to ensure data collection aligns with the intended purpose, and legal obligations.
1. Understand the Purpose of Data Collection
The first step is to clearly define the ‘why’ behind your data collection process. Whether you’re collecting data to improve customer satisfaction, optimise marketing campaigns, or enhance product offerings, understanding the intended use of the data is essential. Having a clear goal helps you focus on ensuring you are only collecting the most relevant data and avoiding unnecessary collection.
Without this clarity, organisations risk collecting irrelevant or excessive data, which can lead to inefficiencies, increase compliance risks, and waste valuable resources.
2. Align Data Fields with the Purpose
Once you understand why you are collecting data, the next step is to make sure the ‘type of data’ you’re collecting aligns with that purpose. Every piece of data collected should directly contribute to fulfilling the original objective.
Here’s an example:
If your goal is to send personalised marketing campaigns, collecting customer preferences, purchasing history, and demographic details makes sense. However, collecting sensitive data like national insurance numbers or health records for this purpose would be excessive and irrelevant.
By carefully selecting the fields that align with your purpose, you reduce the risk of ‘data creep,’ which is where unnecessary or overly sensitive data is collected without a clear reason.
3. Ensure Data Compliance with Legal and Ethical Standards
The rise of regulations like the UK Data Protection Act (2018) has made compliance with data privacy laws a critical aspect of data management. To ensure that the data you collect is compatible with its intended use, you must consider these legal frameworks.
4. Implement Regular Activity Reviews
Even when organisations have robust data collection policies, the scope of the processing and the data can change over time. Regular reviews of the activities being undertaken help ensure that the data you’re collecting remains relevant and fit for the original purpose.
Reviews also give you the opportunity to uncover inaccuracies, discrepancies, or potential compliance gaps. This proactive step ensures that data remains not only compatible with the initial purpose but also useful and reliable for future decisions.
5. Evaluate Data Quality for Compatibility
Beyond compliance and relevance, organisations need to evaluate the ‘quality’ of the data to ensure it can fulfil its intended purpose effectively. Poor-quality data—whether incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate can derail your efforts and lead to bad decision-making.
6. Maintain Clear Data Governance Policies
Data governance refers to the rules and standards for managing, accessing, and using data. A well-defined governance policy ensures that data collection aligns with organisations objectives and maintains compatibility over time.
7. Engage Cross-Functional Teams in the Data Strategy
Data collection often involves multiple departments—marketing, sales, customer service, and more. Ensure cross-functional alignment by involving relevant teams in the data strategy from the start. This collaboration helps ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page and that the data being collected meets the needs of every department while still remaining within the original purpose.
Ensuring that the data you collect is compatible with the reason it was collected is not just a matter of compliance, by clearly defining its purpose, aligning data collection with that purpose and ensuring compliance, organisations gain access to a high-quality and relevant data source that can provide a competitive advantage and drive both innovation and growth.
The ProvePrivacy platform can help manage and monitor data protection compliance, through the RoPA Module, which helps to identify individual activities and assess them against each of these 7 concerns. Book a FREE demo.
