Why Finding a Partner — Not Just a Vendor — is Critical to Data Privacy Management

Viewing privacy as a partnership

We’re in the age of SaaS; software that helps with any business need or goal is just a click away. Want help managing your content solutions? There’s a CMS for that. Need deeper customer engagement? Here’s a CRM. But what happens when software alone isn’t enough?

When it comes to managing data privacy, you should be looking for a partner. Let me explain. Consumers are beginning to understand the profound impact of companies cataloging and capitalizing on their personal data. Now, more than ever, consumers are asking companies to share what they know and delete their data. 2022 saw a 72% increase in the total average volume of data privacy requests compared to 2021, according to DataGrail’s Privacy Trends 2023 report. People want a say in how their information is used, and businesses must be able to comply with those requests. Traditional SaaS solutions may seem inexpensive and easy to use, but they often need to catch up when it comes to achieving long-term goals. 

While many SaaS vendors on the market offer compliance checkups, compliance doesn’t guarantee security or brand loyalty. You can be 100% compliant and still experience an event leading to a loss of customer love. You may think you understand where all company data is housed, and you likely even audit those locations regularly. However, more often than not, data lives in other places across your systems. This doesn’t even begin to account for data that sits with your vendors and partners. 

These are the kinds of complex issues requiring support from human experts, not just an easy-to-use platform. 

Data privacy for 2023 and beyond 

Instead of being compliant and reactive, savvy corporations are strategizing around a more mature idea of what security looks like. This means mitigating risk before compromising events occur. These companies know that “set-and-forget” privacy solutions may seem easy and cost-efficient, but don’t account for ever-changing regulations and security threats.  

So, what does this mean? It’s time to find a partner, not just a vendor. Someone who can help you regain control of your data. Someone who understands that data privacy is a human right — something as important to your business as it is to your employees and customers. Someone who doesn’t just automate your privacy strategy but helps you predict challenges hiding around the corner. 

Data privacy shouldn’t be hard. The right partner will offer a product that’s easy to implement and use. They’ll offer something most SaaS solutions don’t: A team of privacy experts. You have a right to know exactly what’s happening in your internal systems, what third-party apps are using your data, and how they’re using it. They’ll have a pulse on new regulations and rulings that may impact your program. A tool alone can only do so much and won’t automatically evolve as the world shifts. Building an effective data privacy program to mitigate risk, comply with regulatory requirements, and build trust with customers requires an in-depth approach only achievable with the confluence of humans and technology. 

DataGrail: The partner you can trust

At DataGrail, our goal isn’t just to give companies an easy-to-use platform to simplify, automate, and scale their privacy programs — it’s to be a privacy partner. We want to use our years of expertise to help you handle your data and take the guesswork out of privacy risk, so you can make informed choices benefitting you and your customers.

What sets us apart from other vendors is simple: When you work with us, not only do you have access to the DataGrail platform, but you’re paired with a dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) and team. Our CSMs know the data privacy industry inside and out. They’ve seen the landscape evolve (see: the addition of regulations like GDPR and CCPA) and understand customer needs will shift from year to year as regulations change and grow. Market complexities and changes are exactly why you can’t simply “plug-and-play” your data privacy solution — you need to plug and iterate.

Additionally, our customers gain access to Privacy Basecamp, our Slack community where users share insights and input, and where we navigate the landscape together as a group. We want to hear from you about product additions and changes you’d like to see. Customer feedback is an integral piece of our product roadmap, and we know not every organization has a full-time privacy team. 

Regardless of whether data privacy is the sole function of your role, our #1 goal is to make your life easier and your privacy work faster. It’s why we prioritize customer feedback and constantly make ongoing product improvements.

If you’re ready to future-proof your data privacy with a partner you can trust, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.