GDPR. It’s all over the news. G** D@m% PR. Nearly everyone’s flustered by it. And, if you’re not already sick of hearing about it, your company’s probably still scrambling to duct-tape together a last minute patch to comply with the requirements. Which, let’s be honest, probably makes you even more sick of hearing about it…

But when you’re out of time, what’s a quick fix you can use to bring your compliance function up to speed?

“Legal workflow automation offers a number of effective ways to enforce data protection policies and security to meet the GDPR or other regulations – or simply avoid the embarrassment and brand damage arising from other privacy protection snafus,” our friends at ThinkSmart state in their recent blog post.

While in their post, they poke fun at Zuckerberg, Facebook isn’t the only company indecently exposing themselves to brand damage from privacy issues.

A big part of the problem? Improper (and inefficient) data governance.  

“Under the GDPR, data governance becomes a major priority,” the blog post states. “Legal preparedness has to be the first order of the day, in both avoiding legal pitfalls of GDPR and being ready to respond to litigation when (not if) it happens.”

A workflow automation solution can help legal teams form their SWAT unit for GDPR.

One example?

“In the case of GDPR, people are going to want to be removed from your database under their right to erasure,” the blog continues. “So by using an automated online form to accept their request, you can kick off a workflow that verifies their identity, triggers a purge of their personal data, and notifies them when it’s complete.”

Imagine that. A response to GDPR that’s taken care of for you. Automatically.

Legal workflow automation not only promises to reduce the number of apologetic emails corporate legal teams may be required to write, but also ensures that customers feel heard and taken care of – a competitive advantage that can be priceless to your brand’s identity.

Not to mention, a workflow solution can minimize GDPR risks, since it gives the legal department the autonomy to enforce compliant processes both within its own department, and (as demonstrated by NetApp) to promote legal best practices throughout the entire enterprise.

“Workflow automation systems that automatically archive workflows and their attached assets and documents ensure you’re able to rest easy – well – somewhat easy – if regulators come to call,” the blog mentions.

With autosaved audit trails, companies can prove compliance to regulators when it comes to handling personal data. And a good workflow automation system can automatically generate any reports and audit logs you need to back your compliance claims up.  

If you’re tired of cursing the day GDPR was born (and looking for a solution) be sure to check out this post on “5 Ways Legal Workflow Automation Empowers Data Protection.”