Get GDPR Compliant
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is as much an evidence problem as it is a policy problem. Teams fail when controls exist, but proof is scattered, outdated, or inconsistent.
Neutral Partners helps you scope what matters, implement practical controls, and build an evidence package reviewers, customers, and internal stakeholders can trust.
At a Glance
- Best for: Organizations processing EU/EEA personal data (controllers and processors)
- Works with: ISO 27001/27701, SOC 2, and vendor governance programs
- Outcome: A GDPR operating model with evidence for audits, customers, and regulators
- Focus: Lawful basis, DSARs, DPIAs, and third-party/transfer controls
- Common failure point: Policies that don’t match reality (systems, vendors, and actual data use)
If you want a plan you can execute, start with a short working session.
Book a Discovery SessionWhat Is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) defines expectations for how organizations manage privacy and related controls. Compliance becomes durable when you treat it as an operating model: defined responsibilities, repeatable workflows, and evidence that stays current.
Neutral Partners focuses on making the requirements actionable—so the program works in production, not just on paper.
High-impact areas that drive effort
Clarity on the variant and scope prevents rework and helps you build the right evidence the first time.
- Lawful basis & transparency: Your legal basis must match the data flows and disclosures across products, websites, and contracts.
- Cross-border transfers: If you transfer personal data outside the EEA, you need transfer mechanisms and supporting risk assessments where applicable.
Who Needs GDPR
GDPR typically matters when you collect, use, share, or host personal data in a way that customers, regulators, or partners will scrutinize.
- SaaS companies with EU customers: Enterprise procurement will ask for GDPR posture and vendor assurances.
- US firms with EU web traffic: Tracking, marketing, and cookie/consent controls must match practice.
- Processors and sub-processors: Contractual obligations and security measures must be provable.
What GDPR Covers
Most efforts fail when organizations try to “document” their way into compliance without aligning systems, vendors, and day-to-day operations. A practical program ties requirements to the workflows that generate proof.
- Governance & accountability: Roles, policies, training, privacy by design, and oversight cadence.
- Records & risk management: RoPA/processing records, DPIAs for high-risk processing, and risk treatment decisions.
- Rights & incident response: DSAR workflows, breach triage, and notification playbooks with timelines.
- Vendor & transfer controls: DPAs, SCCs, vendor reviews, and evidence of technical safeguards.
Evidence Auditors Expect
Audits and customer reviews move faster when evidence is organized, traceable, and repeatable. Common evidence categories include:
- Governance: policies, roles, training, and management review records
- Operational: request workflows, tickets, reviews, and decision logs
- Technical: configurations, logs, encryption settings, and monitoring outputs
- Third-party: vendor assessments, contracts, and oversight evidence
Rule of thumb: if you can’t prove it with current evidence, you can’t rely on it.
GDPR Roadmap
Move faster by running the work like a program: clear scope, owned controls, and a living evidence library.
Define scope and data flows
Map personal data, systems, vendors, and cross-border transfers. Confirm roles (controller/processor) and applicability.
Run a focused gap assessment
Compare current policies, controls, and workflows to the framework requirements. Prioritize the changes that unlock compliance.
Implement controls and workflows
Deploy operational controls (requests, consent/opt-outs, vendor governance) and harden security safeguards where needed.
Build an evidence library
Create repeatable evidence: logs, tickets, screenshots, reports, and narratives that tie to requirements and can be refreshed on a cadence.
Validate readiness
Do a pre-assessment style review, remediate findings, and package materials so reviewers and customers can follow the story quickly.
Make GDPR a Growth Lever
Compliance becomes a revenue enabler when customers can trust your controls—and you can prove them quickly.
Schedule a Discovery SessionCommon GDPR Gaps
- Data mapping is incomplete: Teams can’t reconcile systems, vendors, and processing purposes.
- DPIAs are missing or shallow: Risk analysis exists, but decisions and mitigations aren’t documented.
- DSAR operations don’t scale: Manual searches, inconsistent identity verification, weak tracking.
- Transfer mechanisms lack proof: SCCs exist, but supporting measures and assessments aren’t maintained.
How Neutral Partners Helps
We help you scope the work, implement what matters, and build evidence that holds up to review—without derailing product velocity.
What We Deliver
- Scope & data mapping: Clear inventories, flows, and role mapping so requirements match reality.
- Policies & notices: Practical disclosures and policy language aligned to product behavior and vendors.
- Workflow buildout: DSARs, opt-outs/consent, incident triage, and evidence capture built into operations.
- Vendor governance: DPAs/BAAs, subprocessor oversight, and shared responsibility mapping with proof.
- Sustainment: A cadence for refresh: evidence routines, metrics, and readiness check-ins.
Proof matters. Since 2017, we have maintained a 100% audit success rate across more than 700 successful audits and assessments.
GDPR FAQs
Do we need a DPO?
Some organizations must appoint a DPO based on activities and scale. Even when not required, you still need clear accountability and escalation.
How long do DSARs take?
GDPR includes deadlines; the real challenge is building repeatable workflows and evidence of timely responses.
What is a RoPA?
A Record of Processing Activities documents what data you process, why, where it lives, and who you share it with—often foundational for everything else.
What’s the biggest compliance lever?
Accurate processing records and vendor controls. They reduce rework across notices, DPIAs, and transfer reviews.