Time is ticking for global companies to comply with upcoming changes to data protection laws in the European Union—and many are still unprepared, a new survey finds.

In less than four months, on May 25, the General Data Protection Regulation will go into effect for any company doing business in the EU. GDPR broadens the definition of “personal data,” requires that organizations receive explicit consent before processing users' data and includes “the right to be forgotten,” among other major legal changes.

Yet London-based professional services firm EY's third biennial Global Forensic Data Analytics Survey found only one-third of companies currently have a GDPR compliance plan in place. Others were studying GDPR,  had heard of it but had not taken action or had never heard of the new regulation.

“GDPR is a very complex issue and, at the end of the day, you know it's causing companies to revisit where and how they store data and to what purpose,” Todd Marlin, EY's Americas Forensic Data Analytics and Data Science leader, told Corporate Counsel. “It's not a trivial undertaking.”

The survey drew on the responses of 745 executives from 19 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East and the Americas. EY does not have data on how many of the respondents' global companies do business in Europe.

Predictably, respondents in Europe were the most likely to have a plan to comply with GDRP legislation, with 66 percent saying they had one in place. Africa and the Middle East came in second, with 27 percent of executives responding they had a plan. In the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, 13 percent and 12 percent reporting having plans, respectively.

“The low response rates indicating preparation in the Americas and Asia could point to a lack of preparation or awareness of the legislation, or perhaps an incomplete understanding,” Marlin said.

He added that planning for GDPR could be out of the scope of the duties of the individual executive surveyed.

Despite low rates of preparation, global respondents expressed concern over GDPR and the data issues the new legislation will address. The survey found 78 percent of respondents stated data protection and data privacy compliance were a concern.

And it appears that some companies are placing more value on forensic data analytics tools in the months leading up to GDPR's effective date.

Results showed a 51 percent increase in average annual spend on FDA per respondent, compared to 2016's results, with 13 percent of respondents currently using FDA to reach GDPR compliance. Another 52 percent said that they are in the process of analyzing FDA tools that could help achieve compliance.

Companies are seeking more advanced FDA tools, with 14 percent already using robotic process automation (RPA) to manage legal risks and 39 percent more planning to use RPA in the next year. Artificial intelligence is also popular, with 38 percent of executives planning to use AI as an FDA tool in the next 12 months.

“Businesses that adopt FDA technologies can achieve significant advantages, benefiting from more effective risk management and increased business transparency across all of their operations,” Andrew Gordon, EY's Global Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services leader, said in a statement.