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Identity and Access Management is Never One-Size-Fits-All

by Bob Giguere | December 13, 2024

Illustration by GCA showing a diagonal column of blue boxes in varying sizes and shades.

Why Each Company Has A Different IAM Solution

It’s incredible how provisioning processes differ at organizations.  You would think that as companies get bigger more of their processes start to merge.  Having worked on many Identity and Access Management (IAM) projects with companies from Health Care to Energy, I can say, first hand, the spectrum of processes are scattered all over the place.  Also, the cadence with which these companies operate is just as broad. At some companies, requirements change every third day whereas others have had business processes locked down for years.

Choosing The Right IAM Solution: Perspective Of A Consultant

From the consultant perspective, identifying the type of company I’m working with is the most crucial part of an implementation.  The end goals are usually the same, but the way to get there is always changing.  It’s kind of like taking a  sailboat across a river where the wind and current continuously change directions. In both instances, crossing a river and implementing an identity governance and administration (IGA) project,  a near constant focus needs to be placed on where we are right now, where we need to go next, and how we effectively get there.

For example, if I’m working with a client that has a team of 10 people involved in decisions, I know I need to be precise and thorough with all of my communications.  Whereas if it’s a small team, I’m working with, I know I can get deeper into the weeds, and I can reduce my precision in communication for speed.  In the end, it doesn’t matter which Gartner IGA/IAM product you are implementing, the hardest part is figuring out how to navigate the project to the other side of the river.