An activity is an action that occurs in your organization, where processing of information takes place. An activity is always related to an overlying process. One process can relate to several underlying activities. For example, the process of recruitment can have several underlying activities relating to it, e.g. receive job applications from candidates, job interview, etc.
The purpose of documenting processing activities
The purposes of documenting processing activities are to identify which information is processed in specific systems and sent to third parties. It allows your company to assess information and privacy risks and thereby prioritize adequate security measures. The documentation is also required according to privacy regulations and information security frameworks, and enables the company to report on a number of documentation requirements, such as GDPR art. 5, 28, 30, 32 etc.