Document Data Inventory Flows
Data Inventory Maps
Data Flow Diagrams
Data Flow Diagrams
To understand the lifecycle of personal data within your organisation and effectively identify the flows of personal data, organisations are encouraged to document the personal data handled using diagrams and charts such as data inventory maps or data flow diagrams, as shown below.
DATA FLOW DOCUMENTATION
1. Data Inventory Mapping
Personal data is more difficult to track than physical products. Hence, keeping a complete account of sensitive information that flows through your business can often prove to be challenging.
What is Personal Data?
At the highest level, a personal data inventory is exactly what it sounds like: a record of all personally identifiable data housed within your organization, on your website or with your affiliates. It’s likely that your organization has more personal data than you’re aware of.
Personal Data includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Name
- Address
- NRIC/FIN/Passport number
- Telephone number
- Bank details
- Income details
- Medical information
Obviously, that’s a lot of information that can be considered Personal Data. Hence, the need for a comprehensive data inventory.
One of the first steps in compiling your inventory should be identifying all of the places where personal data lives within your organization. That includes not just in physical files, but also electronic data stored on your computers/servers, and data recieved by affiliates who may collect data for you. This is a tedious and voluminous task to undertake, and there’s a strong chance that some data will slip through the cracks. This is where you may require expertise from a Personal Data Professional.
What is Personal Data?
At the highest level, a personal data inventory is exactly what it sounds like: a record of all personally identifiable data housed within your organization, on your website or with your affiliates. It’s likely that your organization has more personal data than you’re aware of.
Personal Data includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Name
- Address
- NRIC/FIN/Passport number
- Telephone number
- Bank details
- Income details
- Medical information
Obviously, that’s a lot of information that can be considered Personal Data. Hence, the need for a comprehensive data inventory.
One of the first steps in compiling your inventory should be identifying all of the places where personal data lives within your organization. That includes not just in physical files, but also electronic data stored on your computers/servers, and data recieved by affiliates who may collect data for you. This is a tedious and voluminous task to undertake, and there’s a strong chance that some data will slip through the cracks. This is where you may require expertise from a Personal Data Professional.
2. Data Flow Diagram
A well-made Data Inventory Map will allow you to track how your organization gathers data and how that data flows once it is in your system. Data mapping tools exist, or you can start with a simple spreadsheet that includes the following:
- The source of your data
- Why it’s being collected
- Each person or team in your organization that touches it
- Plans for its deletion or retention once the data has served its purpose
- The source of your data
- Why it’s being collected
- Each person or team in your organization that touches it
- Plans for its deletion or retention once the data has served its purpose
