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Businesses are now facing increasing subject access requests (SARs) as privacy regulations become more stringent. A subject access request is a formal request from an individual to a business or organisation, asking for information about the data that is held on them. In January 2022, the MoJ faced a £17.5m GDPR fine over a subject request backlog. SARs can be time-consuming and labour-intensive for businesses to fulfill, but with the right document and content management system, the process can be expedited significantly, reducing the risk of your business facing a large fine.
Traditionally, businesses have managed SARs through manual processes, such as searching through paper records or electronic files to identify and retrieve information. This can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if the requested information is scattered across multiple locations or departments.
Owen Hammond, Head of Presales, added: “The importance of compliance is at an all-time high and only continues to grow with the increasing pressure on organisation to comply with various regulations that are continually changing in response to a rapid move towards digital. With the technology available to us now, the burden of compliance doesn’t always have to land on employees.”
With a document and content management system like MDI Cloud, however, SARs can be fulfilled more efficiently. A document and content management system is a software tool that helps businesses organise and manage their electronic documents, allowing them to store, track, and retrieve information quickly and easily.
Enhancing SAR Fulfillment with MDI Cloud
Here are some ways in which a document management system can quicken the SAR process for businesses:
Centralised Storage
With a document management system like MDI Cloud, all relevant documents can be stored in one centralised location, making it easier to locate and retrieve the information required to fulfill a SAR.
Advanced Search Capabilities
MDI Cloud has advanced content search capabilities that allow users to search for specific documents or information quickly and easily. This can save time and reduce the risk of missing important information. Using the “AND” function in MDI Cloud, you can search for multiple keywords at a time to make it even easier to find the document you require. Additionally, MDI Cloud supports OCR (Optical Character Recognition), enabling full content searches, including handwritten documents.
Automated Workflows
A document and content management system like MDI Cloud can automate many of the processes involved in fulfilling a SAR, such as identifying relevant documents, redacting sensitive information, and notifying the relevant parties. This can significantly reduce the time and effort required to fulfill a SAR. Documents can be added to a workbench where an AI assistant and automated redaction tools can identify personal data and redact it efficiently.
Increased Security
MDI Cloud can also help businesses comply with data privacy regulations by providing enhanced security features, such as access controls and audit trails. This can help ensure that personal data is protected and only accessed by authorised personnel.
Streamlined SAR Process with MDI Cloud
The process of handling SARs with MDI Cloud involves the following steps:
Full OCR Content Search: Clients perform a comprehensive OCR content search to find documents containing the information required for the request. The OCR technology can search through both printed and handwritten documents.
Document Addition to Workbench: Identified documents are added to a workbench within MDI Cloud.
AI-Assisted Redaction: The AI assistant and automated redaction tools are run across the entire dataset to identify and redact any personal data.
Email Basket: Redacted documents can then be added to an email basket to be sent out together from within the system.
With the right system in place, businesses can fulfill SARs more efficiently, freeing up time and resources to focus on other important tasks. MDI Cloud not only streamlines the process but also ensures compliance with data privacy regulations, reducing the risk of hefty fines and enhancing overall data management.
Interested in how this process works? Get in touch today for a demo.
