Know every processor and sub-processor that touches your data
Vendor status drifts apart the moment a contract changes
Under GDPR Art. 28 you are accountable for every processor and sub-processor that touches personal data, and you have to be able to show it. But vendor status usually lives in spreadsheets, procurement tools and email threads that drift apart the moment a contract changes.
Sub-processor relationships are the hardest part. A processor swaps a downstream provider, your records don't catch it, and DPO contacts go stale. When an audit or a data subject request lands, you cannot say with confidence who processes what, in which role, under which agreement.
The failure mode is quiet: a widening gap between what your register says and what your supply chain actually does.
What you can do with the Vendor & Third-Party Register
- Classify each vendor by GDPR role — processor, controller, joint controller — in the data model, not free text.
- Keep vendor and DPO contacts separate and current in one master record per third party.
- Link multiple representatives to a vendor for accurate points of contact.
- Mark and track downstream sub-processors so changes surface in your records.
- Version every vendor type change through a draft, active, review and inactive workflow.
- Share vendor records across companies in your group from a single source.
What it delivers to your program
- Answer "who are your processors?" in minutes — role is a structured field, so you filter instead of searching across systems.
- Keep sub-processor records current — downstream tracking removes the manual reconciliation that lets records go stale.
- Defend your Art. 28 position with versioned role classifications and a full change history per vendor.
- Cut duplication across entities — group sharing means one maintained vendor record, not one per company.
- Always know who to contact with separate, maintained DPO and representative details.
Built for compliance
DPMS helps you evidence the specific obligations that govern your third-party register — mapped to the article and control, never to "the GDPR."
| What DPMS does | Maps to | How |
|---|---|---|
| Records processors and their role in processing | GDPR Art. 28 | GDPR role classification per vendor, with downstream sub-processor tracking |
| Documents categories of recipients of personal data | GDPR Art. 30(1)(c) | Master vendor records linked into your processing activities |
| Evidences control over the supplier register | Aligned with ISO 27701 | Status workflow, versioned type changes and create/update audit trail |
Why Priverion
Unlike general-purpose GRC tools, the vendor register lives inside one unified privacy and InfoSec platform. The role you assign a vendor — and the sub-processors you track against it — flow into your ROPA and risk records without re-keying. Role is built into the data model rather than a free-text label, so a "processor" is queryable, reportable and consistent across every entity in your group. That integration is the part competitors can't easily copy.
Questions DPOs ask before a demo
Does it distinguish processors from controllers and joint controllers?
How does it handle sub-processors?
Can we manage vendors across multiple group companies?
Is there an audit trail on vendor changes?
Explore related capabilities
Ready to bring your third-party register under control?
