How do you properly delete personal data?
Created with AI.
Deletion in a CRM system is rarely a one-click process. This guide shows you how to do it without destroying records you are legally required to retain.
- 6 steps
- Total time: 2 h
- Preparation: 1 h
- Result: A documented deletion that is legally valid
Required tools
- Dynamics 365 — With permission to delete entries.
- Defined retention periods — What needs to be preserved, and for how long.
Before you delete
1.Determine what needs to be preserved
Invoice documentation is subject to statutory retention requirements. If you delete it, you will be violating the Bookkeeping Act while trying to comply with data protection regulations.
2.Find all the places
The contact, activities, cases, emails, attachments in SharePoint, and any marketing lists. If you only delete the contact, everything else remains.
3.Consider anonymization instead of deletion
Replace the name and contact details with a placeholder, and retain the transaction. This allows you to keep the accounting records and reports without retaining the person's data.
Complete and document
4.Delete in the correct order
Delete the underlying records first and the main record last. Doing it in the opposite order results in reference errors, and a partially completed deletion is worse than none at all.
5.Check the result
Search for the name and email address afterward. If anything comes up, the job isn't finished.
6.Document that it was done
Who requested it, what was deleted, when, and what was retained and on what grounds. This is the documentation you will need if anyone asks later.
Discussion
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