TrUSD

TrUSD – Transparent and self-determined structuring of data use in the company

Duration: 2018 - 2021
Grant: BMBF 

Motivation:
The digitization of the world of work opens up the possibility for companies to collect and evaluate extensive data on a wide variety of work processes. By analyzing this data, work processes can be optimized - for example, the evaluation of walking routes in warehouses can reveal inefficient processes. However, there is also a risk of direct monitoring of individual employees - one example of this is the detailed recording of coffee breaks. In this area of tension, it is important to strike a balance between the interests of employers and employees.

Goals and approach:
In order to be able to adequately represent their interests, employees need information about the data collected by their employer. They also need to be able to express their wishes regarding the handling of their data. In TrUSD, therefore, concepts and tools are being researched that offer these possibilities. As a result, an integrated software solution will be developed, a so-called privacy dashboard. In such a dashboard, the employee can see, for example, that his walking routes are being recorded. He can allow the analysis of this data under certain conditions, such as anonymization.

At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that the efficiency gains gained from data analyses are not lost when the dashboard is used in the company. It must therefore be possible to integrate the software into existing processes. Last but not least, the legal framework conditions, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO), must be taken into account. Of particular importance is the occupational science support, which involves employers and employees as well as their representation from the very beginning.

Innovations and perspectives:
The results of the TrUSD project will enable employees to make informed decisions in the context of company data protection. Employers will also benefit from the comprehensive data analysis and the ease with which it can be integrated into existing processes. For example, inefficiently organized warehouses can be identified through the anonymized analysis of movement data. In this way, TrUSD will enable a balance between the interests of employers and employees.