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1 of 3|Data Governance
video 20 min•Data Inventory
Data Mapping
You cannot protect what you do not know you have.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- ▸ Understand what data mapping is and why it is critical
- ▸ Learn the key elements of a data map
- ▸ Identify where personal data is stored in your organization
The Blind Spot
Most companies have no idea where all their data is. It is spread across CRMs, spreadsheets, email inboxes, marketing tools, and employee laptops. If a user asks you to delete their data, how do you find it all?
Data mapping answers this question. It is the process of creating a visual and written record of the data lifecycle.
What a Data Map Contains
- • Data Source: Where did this data come from? (e.g., website form, mobile app, third-party vendor)
- • Data Storage: Where is it stored? (e.g., AWS database, Salesforce, local server)
- • Data Flow: How does it move? (e.g., API calls, manual CSV uploads)
- • Data Access: Who has access to it? (e.g., Marketing team, HR, external vendor)
- • Processing Purpose: Why do we have it? (e.g., Billing, Marketing, Analytics)
A good data map is a living document. It must be updated whenever a new software tool is adopted or a new process is launched.
📖 Glossary
- Data Mapping
- The process of matching data fields from one source to another, or tracing the lifecycle of data through an organization.
- CRM
- Customer Relationship Management, software used to manage customer interactions and data.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Data mapping reveals what data you have, where it comes from, and where it goes.
- It helps identify redundant data and insecure data flows.
- It is impossible to comply with rights requests (like erasure) without a data map.
📚 Further Reading
- DPDPA Compliance Guide — Legal Galaxy (2024)
Course Author
Shilpi Kulshrestha
Shilpi is a corporate lawyer with over a decade of experience in data protection, company law, and regulatory compliance. She has advised 50+ startups and enterprises on DPDPA readiness, privacy gover...