GDPR: How your hire business will need to adapt

The new legislation coming into force on 25th May 2018 is going to have an impact on the way all rental businesses trade in the future. With tight regulations and stricter data protection rules, hire companies across the globe who trade in the EU will be taking greater precautions and making procedural improvements that will change the way we trade. 

What is GDPR?
By definition, GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It will affect all businesses offering goods or services to consumers in the EU. In brief, it means that we are all going to have to adhere to much stricter and safer ways of storing and using personal data. 

Consider this…

1.    A prospective customer phones you, enquiring about a piece of equipment they would like to hire. You take their details and add them onto your database.
2.    You pass these details on to another member of the hire team to process their enquiry.
3.    This item of equipment is assigned to the new client and a delivery date and drop-off location is selected. 
4.    Your transport team deliver the piece of equipment to the client and acquire proof of delivery. 
5.    At the end of the day, the transport team arrive back at the office and drop off all of their proof of delivery signatures. 

Can you spot which points of this transaction will need to change to accommodate GDPR? 

Once the new GDPR comes into force, you will need to:
-    Gain permission to take and store their data in your hire database
-    Keep track of when and how you obtained their data
-    Ensure your employees understand the importance of data protection
-    Create strict processes for storing and handling personal data

Essentially, it all comes down to getting a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in terms of collecting and using personal data, and then making sure you are storing and using it appropriately. 

While there are some easy steps that you can make to ensure you are adhering to the GDPR, you do need to make sure that you are taking action now to make sure that by 25th May, you are ready for the new rules to come into place. 

The MCS White Paper looks in more detail at what the new GDPR means and offers 6 easy ways to help you take the first step towards meeting the General Data Protection Regulation. Download your free copy here.