GDPR and the Manufacturing Industry – are you complying with the law?

If you are an individual or organisation operating in the manufacturing industry and you store and use personal data, then you need to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Since the introduction of GDPR in 2018, individuals and companies must follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles,’ which ensures that personal data is kept secure and not used in an unlawful manner. 

Of course, GDPR regulations don’t just cover the manufacturing industry, but apply to all individuals and companies that handle personal data. 

However, data protection is often overlooked in the manufacturing industry, as individuals or companies may think they only hold minimal information about their clients and customers. 

Heavy fines can be the result of non-compliance. 

We’ve put together this handy guide to help you understand GDPR in manufacturing and ensure your company remains compliant.

Why is GDPR in manufacturing important?

Like many businesses across the world, meeting the demands of your customers and earning profit margins can be a tricky business. 

As a manufacturer, you need to be innovative in your approach and prepare in advance for future markets. 

To get ahead of competitors, manufacturers often seek to analyse data to gain valuable insights into trends, supply chains and even skilled employees for recruitment purposes. 

This is where GDPR in manufacturing comes into play. 

You may need to comply with GDPR in manufacturing for a variety of purposes, including: 

• Gathering personal information on a particular supplier
• Conducting behavioural trends of prospective customers 
• To manage employees or to recruit experienced welders and fabricators  

From contact numbers, bank details, or more specific data like ethnicity, gender, and location, eventually, within your production line, you’ll need to find a way to store and use some form of data.

What can I do to ensure I am not breaching GDPR in Manufacturing?

Understand the type and amount of data being collected

This is vital for organisations, including manufacturers, to understand just how much data they are dealing with and what type of data that is. 

Without knowing how the data is being processed, you will lack control and can easily slip into breaching GDPR in manufacturing.

Keep your privacy policy updated and relevant

Your privacy policy statement should be widely available on your website and should include how you collect and use user’s data. Ensure that you keep it up-to-date.

At Cleaver Fulton Rankin, we have a team of expert manufacturing solicitors, who are multi-disciplined across specialist areas including data protection and GDPR. 

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