GDPR & MES: How to Manage Production Data Securely
In today’s increasingly connected manufacturing landscape, data is the beating heart of every operation. From machine performance to operator activity, production tracking, and quality control, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) collects and manages a vast amount of real-time information.
But with great data comes great responsibility—especially under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
While GDPR is often associated with marketing and customer data, it also applies to personal data collected within industrial environments. This includes information about operators, shift supervisors, traceability logs with names or IDs, access records, and even biometric data in some cases.
So, how can companies ensure their MES platforms are compliant with GDPR without compromising performance or efficiency?
Let’s dive into the key considerations.
🔍 1. Understand What “Personal Data” Means in Manufacturing
The first step is understanding that GDPR doesn’t just affect customer-facing systems. If your MES captures:
Operator names or initials
Employee IDs linked to actions or logs
Access credentials or badges
Biometric identifiers (e.g. fingerprints for access control)
...then you are processing personal data, and GDPR applies.
🛡️ 2. Limit Data Collection (Data Minimization)
GDPR mandates that companies only collect data that is strictly necessary for a defined purpose. This principle—called data minimization—should guide how your MES is configured.
Ask yourself:
Do I really need full names, or are anonymized IDs sufficient?
How long do I need to store this data?
🔐 3. Control Access and Permissions
Implement role-based access controls within your MES. Only users who truly need access to personal data should have it. Audit logs should record who accessed what and when.
Make sure:
Login credentials are unique and secure
Admin rights are limited and traceable
Data is protected against unauthorized internal access
🔁 4. Ensure Traceability Without Violating Privacy
MES systems often provide powerful traceability functions—linking people to processes, batches, and machines. This is essential for quality and compliance, but you need to balance traceability with privacy.
Consider using pseudonymization—assigning internal codes instead of direct names—to ensure operators can be identified when necessary, but not exposed unnecessarily.
🧹 5. Define Clear Retention Policies
GDPR requires that personal data not be kept longer than necessary. Your MES should support configurable data retention periods and automatic deletion or anonymization of old records.
Ask your MES provider:
Can the system automatically anonymize data after X months?
Is there a way to export and erase personal data upon request?
🔒 6. Encrypt and Secure the Data
Whether your MES is on-premise or cloud-based, it must ensure that stored and transmitted data is protected. This includes:
Encryption at rest and in transit
Secure APIs and data connectors
Regular security audits and updates
✅ 7. Work with GDPR-Aware Vendors
Finally, partner with solution providers who understand GDPR and offer features to support compliance. At SkyMes, GDPR-readiness is built into the system, offering:
User-level access control
Custom data retention policies
Audit logs and traceability
Modular data management tools
Compatibility with secure cloud hosting
🚀 Turning Compliance into Competitive Advantage
While GDPR may seem like a constraint, it’s actually an opportunity. A compliant, secure MES builds trust, reduces risk, and shows your clients and employees that you take data protection seriously.
By embedding privacy into your production technology, you’re not just ticking boxes—you’re leading the way in responsible innovation.
📩 Want to learn more?
If you’d like to see how SkyMes helps manufacturers stay compliant while boosting efficiency, we’d be happy to schedule a free demo.
➡️Contact us at info@metalya.it