Edit a data collection point

Edit a Data Collection Point

The Edit Data Collection Point screen is where you go to update an existing record that documents a place in your organisation where personal data is collected — whether that's a website contact form, an HR onboarding questionnaire, or an API endpoint. This screen is the central workspace for DPOs, compliance officers, and IT administrators who need to keep their data inventory accurate, linked, and ready for audit. Because data collection points sit at the intersection of ROPAs, assessments, tasks, and workflows in DPMS, changes you make here ripple outward: a status update can trigger a review workflow, a linked DPIA creates a traceable compliance trail, and an updated responsible person changes who receives notifications.

How to open it

• In the left-hand main navigation, click Data to expand the section.
• Click Data Collection Points to open the index list.
• Find the record you want to update and click anywhere on its row to open the read-only detail view.
• From the detail view, click the pencil (edit) icon next to the record name in the header, or open the three-dot options menu (upper right) and choose Edit.

You land on the edit screen at the General tab by default.

Access requirement: You need edit permission for Data Collection Points. If you only have permission to edit records assigned to you, you can still use this screen — but only for the DCPs where you are the responsible person. If you navigate directly to the edit URL without sufficient permission, you will see a "403 Forbidden" page.

What you see

The screen is divided into two main zones. On the far left is a narrow vertical strip containing a small filled circle icon — clicking it collapses or expands the left-hand navigation panel. When the panel is open, it shows the section menu for this record: General, Documents, Tasks, Assessments, Manage Access, Trigger Workflow, and Overview. The currently active section is highlighted in blue. Above the menu you can see the title "Data Collection Point" and, just below it, the name of the specific record you are editing — a useful orientation point when switching between tabs.

The main content area on the right starts with a breadcrumb trail at the very top: the module name "Data Collection Points" (a clickable link back to the list), an arrow, the record name, an arrow, and the current tab name in bold blue. To the right of the breadcrumbs you may see small left and right chevron arrows — these let you jump to the previous or next record in whatever filtered list you navigated from, without going back to the index first.

Below the breadcrumbs, the General tab shows a header strip with the current status, the responsible person(s), and the last-updated timestamp. The form fields — Name, Short Description, Type, and Organisational Unit — appear below this strip. A blue Save button and a Cancel link sit at the bottom of the form. A blue vertical bar along the left edge of the form card is the standard DPMS visual signal that the screen is in edit mode.

In the upper right corner of the content area, users with edit permission see a three-dot options menu and, just below it, a clock icon that opens the activity log.

Working with this screen

Updating general information about a data collection point

This is the most common reason to come here — correcting a name after a system rename, adding a type classification that was missing, updating the description, or changing the responsible person.

• On the General tab, review the pre-populated fields. The Name field contains the current name; click into it to update it. If your organisation uses multiple languages, click the small translation button next to the field to open the translation panel and provide the name in each configured language.
• Use the Type dropdown to add one or more classification tags (for example, "Online Form" or "API Integration"). You can type to search existing tags, or type a new value and confirm inline — any tag you create here is permanently added to the tag library for all DCPs across your organisation, so choose names carefully.
• Click the Organisational Unit field and type to search for the relevant department or team. Selecting a unit ensures this DCP appears in department-level reports and filtered views. If the unit does not yet exist, the selector allows you to create it inline, which will take you to the organisational unit settings.
• Update the Short Description text area to explain what personal data this collection point gathers and why. This text is visible to auditors reviewing the read-only detail view.
• In the header strip, use the Status dropdown to set the current lifecycle stage — for example, changing from Draft to Review when the record is ready for sign-off.
• Click the Responsible Person(s) selector to reassign ownership. You can assign multiple people. This change is saved as part of the form (not immediately) — it takes effect when you click Save.
• Click Save at the bottom of the form. DPMS sends the update to the backend and redirects you to the read-only detail view, where you can confirm all changes are reflected.

If you want to discard your edits, click Cancel or click the module name in the breadcrumb to return to the list without saving.

Heads up: All tabs except General are greyed out and unclickable until the record has been saved at least once with a valid ID. If you are creating a brand-new DCP and find the other tabs disabled, save the General tab first.

Linking documents, tasks, and assessments

The Documents, Tasks, and Assessments tabs let you connect this DCP to the broader compliance ecosystem. Each tab follows the same pattern: a table shows what is already linked, and a search control lets you find and add more.

To link a document or policy:

• Click the Documents tab in the left navigation panel.
• The table shows any policies or privacy notices already attached. Use the search or selection control within the table to find the document you want to attach (for example, the relevant Data Collection Notice).
• Select the document and confirm. DPMS saves the link immediately and the table updates to show the new entry.

To link an assessment (such as a DPIA):

• Click the Assessments tab.
• If no assessments are linked yet, the table shows an empty state. Use the search control to find the relevant assessment — for example, an existing DPIA covering this form.
• Select the assessment and confirm. The link is saved and the assessment entry appears in the table. From here you can also click through to the assessment detail if you need to review it.

To link a task:

• Click the Tasks tab.
• Search for an existing task (for example, a remediation task to update a consent banner) and confirm the link. The task appears in the table so progress can be tracked against this collection point.

Tip: If you navigated to this DCP from an assessment's data-mapping section, the back button and breadcrumb link will return you to that assessment rather than the DCP index. This is intentional — DPMS remembers where you came from.

Setting up or changing access control

The Manage Access tab lets you grant specific individuals or groups read or write access to this particular DCP, overriding the default role-based permissions.

• Click Manage Access in the left navigation panel.
• Use the form to search for users or groups and assign them the appropriate access level.
• Click Save (within that tab's form). DPMS redirects you to the detail view on success.

This is useful when, for example, the Legal team needs to read a specific DCP without having access to all records in the system.

Configuring or triggering a review workflow

If your organisation uses DPMS workflows to formalise the review and approval of DCPs, the Trigger Workflow tab is where you configure which workflow template applies to this record and under what conditions it fires.

• Click Trigger Workflow in the left navigation panel. If you see a "403 Forbidden" message instead of the configuration form, you have edit permission but not the separate workflow-assignment permission — contact your DPMS administrator.
• Select the workflow template from the dropdown (for example, "Annual DCP Review"). The available templates are configured in the DPMS workflow engine by your IT administrator.
• Configure the trigger condition (for example, "when status changes to Review").
• Click Save within the workflow form. Going forward, the workflow will fire automatically whenever the trigger condition is met, notifying the assigned reviewers.

Reviewing an active workflow step (Overview tab)

If you arrive at the edit screen via a workflow notification link — for example, because you are a designated reviewer for a "Review Data Collection Point" step — you land on the Overview tab, which shows the current workflow step and what action is required of you.

• Read the step description to understand what you need to approve, comment on, or reject.
• Use the Save button to submit your response. This button is only visible when the workflow is still active — if the workflow has already been completed or cancelled, the save button is hidden.
• If the workflow is still in progress and you have the right to cancel it, a Cancel Workflow button also appears next to Save.

Checking the activity log

At any point, you can click the clock icon in the upper-right corner of the screen to open the Activity Log drawer. This sliding panel shows a time-stamped history of every change made to this DCP — who changed the status, when the responsible person was updated, and so on. This is particularly useful for auditors verifying that a DCP moved through its lifecycle correctly before a regulatory inspection. Close the drawer by clicking elsewhere when you are done.

Field reference

The following fields appear on the General tab:

• Name — The primary label for this data collection point. Required. Supports multi-language translations via the translation button next to the field. The backend will reject a save without a name.
• Short Description — A free-text explanation of what personal data this collection point gathers and its purpose. Optional but strongly recommended for audit readiness. Also supports multi-language translations.
• Type — One or more classification tags (for example, "Online Form," "Paper Form," "API Integration"). Optional. Tags are drawn from the global DCP type tag library in Compliance Settings; you can create a new tag inline, but note this adds it permanently to the library for all users.
• Organisational Unit — The department, team, or business unit responsible for this collection point. Optional, but essential for filtering, reporting, and role-based access scoping. Selecting a unit updates both the unit's identifier and its display name in the record.
• Status (in the header strip) — The current lifecycle status: Draft, Active, Inactive, or Review, plus any custom statuses your organisation has configured in Compliance Settings. Changed as part of the form save (not immediately).
• Responsible Person(s) (in the header strip) — The individual(s) accountable for this DCP. Supports multiple assignees. Changed as part of the form save (not immediately).

How this connects to the rest of DPMS

Where you come from: You typically arrive here from the DCP index list, from the detail view of a specific record, or from an assessment's data-mapping section. Workflow notification emails and in-app task links can also open the edit screen directly on a specific tab (for example, the Overview tab for a workflow review step).

Where this feeds into: The changes you save here are immediately reflected in:

• The DCP detail view, which is where auditors and read-only users see the record.
• ROPA records that reference this collection point — updated names and statuses appear across those linkages.
• Assessment data-mapping views that show linked DCPs.
• Workflow engine — once a trigger workflow is configured, status changes on this DCP can automatically start review cycles and notify team members.
• Reporting and filtering — the organisational unit assignment and type tags make this DCP appear in the right department-level and category-level reports.

What to do after saving: Once you have updated the General tab and linked the relevant assessments, documents, and tasks, consider reviewing the Trigger Workflow tab if a formal review cycle is required, and check the Manage Access tab if specific people need to be granted access outside of their default roles.

The Organisational Unit and Type tag options on this screen depend on data configured in Compliance Settings. If a unit or tag you need does not appear, ask your compliance administrator to add it there first — or use the inline creation option, keeping in mind that inline tag creation is permanent and global.

Tips & common pitfalls

Heads up: All tabs except General are locked until the DCP has been saved at least once. If you are creating a new record and the Documents, Tasks, Assessments, Manage Access, or Workflow tabs appear greyed out, save the General tab first — the tabs will unlock as soon as the record has an ID.

Heads up: Status and responsible-person changes behave differently depending on where you make them. On the read-only detail view, the status dropdown and responsible-person selector in the sticky header send changes to the backend immediately — there is no Save button. On the edit form (General tab), those same fields are part of the form and only saved when you click Save. Be aware of which mode you are in before making status changes, especially if multiple people might have the record open.

• The back button destination depends on how you arrived. If you opened this DCP from an assessment's data-mapping section, the breadcrumb link and back button return you to that assessment — not to the DCP list. This is by design. If you end up back at an assessment when you expected the DCP list, it means you entered via a data-mapping link.
• Inline tag creation is permanent and global. When you type a new value into the Type selector and create it on the fly, that tag is saved permanently to the DCP type tag library and will appear for every DCP in your organisation. Do not use this for temporary or one-off labels.
• Quick Navigation arrows only appear when you came from a filtered list. The left and right chevron arrows in the breadcrumb row let you step through records without returning to the list — but they only appear when you navigated into this record from a filtered view. If you opened the record directly (for example, from a workflow link), the arrows will not be visible.
• The Trigger Workflow tab requires a separate permission. Having full edit access to DCPs is not enough to use the Trigger Workflow tab. If you see a "403 Forbidden" screen on that tab, contact your DPMS administrator to request the workflow-assignment permission.
• Simultaneous edits can cause silent status update failures. If two users have the same DCP open at the same time and one saves a change, the other user's version of the record becomes stale. If the second user then tries to update the status from the detail header, the backend may silently reject the update. If a status change does not appear to stick, reload the page and try again.