Quite recently, the GDPR introduced the Records of Processing Activities (ROPA) requirements for better monitoring organizations on how they process private data and make better use of it.
Before the GDPR was created, organizations didn’t have organized guidelines about using and sharing personal data, so data privacy risks were far more challenging to manage.
When creating your ROPA, you can see different types of data being saved and updated at other times and locations, making it impossible to identify which records are the most complete and accurate.
it allows your organization to scope its data collection activities in one place. You may find out that several teams are handling similar or the same processing activities in multiple areas of your codebase.
Collecting the necessary data for ROPA can help improve the effectiveness of your business process. Setting up a ROPA will help set up the process for staying up to date with it and improving internal communication within your organization.
Even if the GDPR doesn’t require you to complete a ROPA, it’s still considered a great way to prepare for any adaptations you’ll need to make as privacy laws change.