Situation
PIA DYMATRIX does not conduct traditional marketing campaigns itself. “We use our own software solution to help our clients target their customers effectively,” explains Tobias Schmidt, Head of Security and Compliance at PIA DYMATRIX. This involves setting up automation workflows that ensure the end customer is reached with the right information at the right time. PIA DYMATRIX uses content produced by its sister companies to send fully automated emails, surveys, push notifications, SMS messages, and even traditional letters to customers. This enables PIA DYMATRIX’s clients to run a relatively large number of campaigns with relatively little staff effort.
“Since we always work with personal data through our communication-focused channels, data privacy is our top priority,” Schmidt continued. “For this reason, we also use the Akarion Compliance Cloud (ACC), particularly as part of our journey toward ISO 27001 certification. In addition to data privacy, the ACC also allows us to demonstrate information security. This is a requirement of our clients: no project is launched without addressing the GDPR and information security.”
Solution
What challenges can be addressed with the AKARION GRC Cloud? “It is important to our customers to have all fundamental security settings and guarantees in one central location,” explains Tobias Schmidt. This was not the case before implementing the GRC Cloud. Instead, individual pieces of information had accumulated across various departments. “The GRC Cloud is the central element to which the decentralized systems are linked. This helps us immensely in locating necessary information.”
Creating structures and ensuring clarity is a personal priority for him, Schmidt explains. And for the customers as well. The topic of GDPR is now unavoidable. From PIA DYMATRIX’s perspective, it makes sense to bring data privacy and ISMS together.
Result
Thanks to the implementation of the AKARION GRC Cloud, PIA DYMATRIX has become about 15 percent faster in its data security processes. However, this is not yet complete, according to Schmidt. “I hope that in the future, after receiving the ISO certification, we will achieve savings of up to 25 percent.” After that, many steps that currently still have to be performed manually would be eliminated.
The decision to choose AKARION was made following a joint market analysis with its sister company, UDG. The main reason for the selection? The AKARION GRC Cloud offers more than just the ISMS; PIA DYMATRIX also wanted data privacy included in the package. The same goes for risk management and auditing. “The overall package was simply the right fit,” says Tobias Schmidt.
The fact that AKARION offers a cloud solution also fully met PIA DYMATRIX’s requirements. “It’s a general policy for us that new systems are now only operated in the cloud,” says Schmidt. “This relieves our staff of the burden of maintaining operations and software.” Working in the AKARION GRC Cloud is simple and intuitive to implement. Challenges arose from tools that had been set up before the GRC Cloud was deployed.
However, Schmidt concludes that the collaboration with AKARION has been thoroughly satisfactory so far. And this partnership is, after all, continuing to grow.
