With the rise of data privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organizations face increasing obligations to respond promptly and accurately to Data Subject Requests (DSRs) — requests from individuals to access, correct, or delete their personal data. SAP’s Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) plays a crucial role in helping organizations manage personal data throughout its lifecycle while ensuring compliance with such requests. This article explores how ILM supports handling DSRs effectively within SAP landscapes.
Data Subject Requests refer to formal inquiries made by individuals concerning their personal data held by an organization. Common types of DSRs include:
Responding to these requests is mandatory under regulations like GDPR and involves locating, managing, and sometimes deleting personal data from complex SAP systems.
SAP ILM is a comprehensive framework designed to govern data throughout its lifecycle—from creation and active use to archiving and secure deletion. It provides tools for:
ILM ensures data is retained as long as legally required and securely deleted afterward, supporting both operational needs and compliance mandates.
ILM integrates with SAP modules and centralizes data management, making it easier to identify where personal data resides across systems. This capability helps organizations quickly gather data in response to access and portability requests.
ILM enables organizations to archive personal data securely, ensuring it is retained according to legal requirements and company policies. This is vital for managing rectification and restriction requests, as archived data remains accessible but protected.
When a data subject requests restriction or during ongoing disputes, ILM allows "blocking" of personal data. Blocking prevents data from being processed or accessed without deleting it, preserving data integrity for legal holds or investigations.
For erasure requests, ILM supports automated deletion workflows that remove personal data after retention periods expire or upon explicit deletion requests. This ensures compliance with the "right to be forgotten" principle while maintaining audit trails.
ILM maintains detailed logs of data processing activities, including archiving and deletion. These audit capabilities help demonstrate compliance during internal or external audits related to DSR handling.
SAP Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) is a powerful enabler for organizations to comply with data subject requests under stringent data privacy laws. By automating data retention, archiving, blocking, and deletion, ILM helps reduce risks and operational overhead associated with personal data management in SAP systems. Integrating ILM into your SAP data privacy strategy is essential to meet regulatory demands while maintaining efficient and secure data governance.