7 Powerful Characteristics of a Strategic IAM Assessment

Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems have revolutionized how IT departments and businesses operate. Historically, companies were guilty of using multiple management tools that don’t interact with each other to manage user access from worker onboarding through separation. While this model can work for smaller organizations, it typically leads to bad data quality, processing errors, and an increase in operating costs as organizations grow. IAM helps organizations integrate their separate HR systems to a central identity store and push user information to other applications, cutting down on manual processes and ensuring that data is shared across each platform. IAM connectors are the bridges between your HR system and downstream applications, allowing them to talk to each other and work together. The end result is an automated system that manages user access to connected applications all by itself.

Developing these integrations is a big pain point for IT departments: it’s that scary stage of a project when there is little structure, a lot of unknowns, and several potential solutions to every problem. Identity and Access Management assessments are a vital first step to help organizations structure their programs and define a successful implementation strategy. 

“Doing the right thing is more important than doing the thing right.” — Peter Drucker

A good IAM assessment goes beyond looking at what is and involves imagining what could be – encouraging the organization to take a fresh view on its challenges, defining a desired future state, and imagining new answers to old problems. The table below compares a project that begins with an IAM Assessment with a traditional IT project approach:

idenhaus-iam-assessment-strategic-benefits

*Adapted from http://blog.mitchcommgroup.com/blake/8-characteristics-of-a-strategic-thinker

Final Thoughts on the Power of an IAM Assessment

An IAM Assessment is the foundation for careful planning and on-going, critical evaluation of progress that is central to the successful implementation of an enterprise IAM system. Taking a user lifecycle perspective during the development of your Identity Management solution will help avoid common pitfalls and improve the likelihood of a successful implementation and end-user adoption. It is important to keep in mind that implementation strategies need to be tailored to the organization and its culture and systems, regardless of whether the plan involves phases or a big-bang approach. By conducting an IAM Assessment, organizations identify gaps in their processes and technology, identify where to make changes, and deliver superlative results to the business.

An IAM Assessment is a quick, expert evaluation of your environment that identifies and addresses the most common issues organizations face when implementing a solution.

This is ideal for organizations that:

  • Are struggling to get their IAM solutions deployed
  • Have a misalignment between their processes and technology
  • Have an immature IAM solution with too many workarounds
  • Companies that want to accelerate their IAM programs

Click here to learn more about the IAM Assessment.

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By going to work quickly to solve the most challenging cybersecurity and identity management problems, Idenhaus takes the pain out of securing corporate information and assets for companies that aspire to maximize their potential in this digital age. Click here to contact us

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