Evonik Industries AG is known to a wide audience as the shirt sponsor of the first division football team Borussia Dortmund. And there is another connection to the home of the BVB: Evonik uses a solution from Dortmund-based otris software for its data protection management. The decisive factor for the switch from a self-developed system to the special solution was DSGVO requirements. Since the beginning of 2018, Evonik has been using the central otris privacy system to organise data protection management within the group.
Data protection in an international group is a challenge. Subsidiaries that operate globally are subject to different data protection laws. Many applications, processes and service providers are used throughout the company and thus generate transnational data flows. Without a process-based data protection organisation that functions according to uniform principles, there is a lack of overview and efficient control options.
Data protection as part of the compliance management system.
At Evonik, data protection is a central compliance issue with high priority. Long before the GDPR, those responsible implemented a system that anchors data protection in all relevant company processes. A database solution developed in-house supported the data protection officer and his team in creating and maintaining the register of processing activities.
The team used another database to map the data protection organisation and documentation. This method worked well, but reached its limits in the course of the changeover to the GDPR. The goal: Replace the old system with a central data protection management software that improves efficiency and overview and offers a way to document documents up to the highest confidentiality class.
Encryption as an important selection criterion.
After a selection process, Evonik decided to use otris privacy for data protection within the group. An important selection criterion: the implementation of an encryption standard within the software, as well as the transfer of the company-specific data protection processes.
Documentation and information management.
Evonik uses otris privacy to map its data protection organisation. This includes documentation on the one hand and processes that control processing on the other. Example: The central documentation is the directory of processing activities (VVT). otris privacy controls the creation of new processing activities and the integration of process owners through predefined process steps. Other aspects that Evonik handles with otris privacy: Documentation of requests, documentation of service relationships, management of sample documents/contracts/formulations, as well as all internal team documentation. In addition to documentation, Evonik also uses otris privacy to manage information, training and appointments relevant to data protection (further training, certificates, publications by the supervisory authorities, news relating to data protection, project work, data protection advice and appointments).
Reporting
Another benefit of central, uniform data storage is the ease with which activities and processes can be evaluated. Evonik uses the otris privacy cockpit for the individual preparation of data material. The system automatically generates reports for internal and external reporting according to predefined parameters. On the one hand, this improves the internal monitoring of data protection activities. On the other hand, the organisation is able to provide information at any time and maintains an overview in terms of accountability.
Current and Future Use
Currently, the five-member corporate data protection team is the main user of the solution. The decentralised data protection coordinators and data protection contacts in the departments also use the system in varying degrees of intensity. The main focus of otris privacy is on the head office and the German companies. The successive transfer of the EU companies to the system is underway.
About Evonik.
Evonik is a global leader in specialty chemicals. The Group is active in over 100 countries and generated sales of €13.1 billion and earnings (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.15 billion in 2019. Evonik goes far beyond chemicals to create value-added and sustainable solutions as a partner to its customers. More than 32,000 employees are united by a common drive: they want to make life better, day after day.
Photo credits:
The photos used were kindly provided by Evonik Industries AG.