How WhatsApp compromises your cargo inspection quality and security
The most popular communication tool, Whatsapp, is becoming more and more popular in the workplace. Because the application is free and easy to use, it has become an attractive ad-hoc solution for companies communicating internally and externally. However, this popular channel can risk your company's data security. So, why is WhatsApp not a good fit for professional users?
GDPR Compliance
You probably have heard of those four letters; if not, GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. According to the GDPR, businesses protect customers and staff's data. There are reasons why WhatsApp might bring some risks to your business.
- WhatsApp permanently keeps phone numbers, names, and all contact information on its servers. You can't guarantee your customers and suppliers that you can eliminate all their details, as required by the GDPR.
- WhatsApp users are required to share their contact list, and under the GDPR, companies must have permission from people whose data they store.
The WhatsApp end-to-end encryption illusion
End-to-end encryption sounds safe, but WhatsApp can collect all your work-related data plus your personal info, such as payment and transactions, time zone, and IP address.
Another pitfall to WhatsApp privacy is that encryption is gone when you back up your phone to Google Drive or iCloud.
Information is hard to find
Imagine you have done a couple of inspections, and by the end of the day, you have to create a report and send it to your supplier or customers.
How to get all the correct pictures and information from WhatsApp? It’s a hassle, right? All the inspection data is mixed up with messages. Finding the necessary information is difficult, and some may not be traceable anymore.
Do employees like to use WhatsApp at work? Say goodbye to your personal life.
No, they don’t. WhatsApp is usually the chosen communication channel at work, but it invariably crosses the line between personal and work life.
You want to text your partner to discuss the dinner without having to scroll through several chats with your colleagues and superiors.
Can your messages really be deleted? Maybe not.
WhatsApp released its ‘delete for everyone’ feature in 2017 but not even the app’s official FAQs provide such accuracy:
“Recipients using WhatsApp for iOS may still have media you sent saved to their Photos, even after the message is deleted from the WhatsApp chat.
Recipients might see your message before it's deleted or if deletion wasn’t successful.
You won’t be notified if deleting for everyone wasn’t successful.”
It sounds contradictory. Basically, this feature won’t save you from spelling mistakes or embarrassing mixed personal and professional messages.
Unwanted invites to group chats – how to leave without needing to explain yourself? You can’t.
Anyone can add you to a group chat without asking for your consent. WhatsApp doesn’t provide a way of leaving a chat group a la French exit without being noticed. So, you better stay.
What should you use instead of WhatsApp?
If you are tired of using WhatsApp to communicate with your co-workers and customers about your shipments and longing for a more efficient and secure way to handle your shipments, then you need Cargosnap.
Cargosnap
is a secure and easy-to-use app that lets your supply chain visibility in one place without changing your process. With Cargosnap, you can:
- Take pictures and create checklists within minutes and make them automatically available to your team
- Share your files with your team and customers in real-time and show them how secure their cargo is
- Store your data in the cloud for up to 7 years and have peace of mind that your inspection information is securely stored
- Get faster information flow and improved customer service
- Gain insights into your inbound and outbound logistics processes and optimize them
| Feature | Cargosnap | |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | Partial | Full |
| Backup | Cloud-based | Cloud-based |
| Data retention | Permanent and unerasable | Up to 7 years |
| Data access | Limited and hard to find | Unlimited and easy to find |
| Data sharing | Manual and time-consuming | Automatic and real-time |
| Data management | Unorganized | Structured |
Make visual cargo inspections and create reports within minutes, knowing that your information will be securely stored in the cloud.
But don’t just take our word for it. See how Cargosnap has helped Neele-Vat, one of the leading logistics providers in Europe, to get rid of endless WhatsApp messages and digitally transform their operations. Read the case study here.
