Identity Automation: More than just saving time

Automation in identity management can speed up daily operations and free up time. This is a fact and is especially important when convincing finance or management of the usefulness of new tools.

At the same time, real identity automation is not primarily a shortcut; it is a fundamentally different operating model.

Manual identity management relies on people, exceptions, and the good memory of a few responsible individuals. Automated identity management relies on rules and data. That shift changes more than it seems at first glance. It changes how access is delivered and what is visible, measurable, and repeatable within the organization.

Manual processes are not inherently problematic; however, as the number of users to manage and regulations to comply with grows, their complexity makes them slow, resource-intensive, and sometimes dangerous.

Manual access works until complexity and scale take over

As an organization’s identity efforts grow, a similar pattern usually emerges in most organizations.

  • Manual account creation and access grants. Performed by the IT department, in multiple systems, with variations depending on who performs the tasks.

  • Multiple request channels. Ticket systems, chat messages, email, or requests at the coffee machine create stress, fragmented processes, and inconsistent records.

  • Varying approval routes. High-volume work, combined with unclear policies, leads to copied user profiles and audit gaps.

  • Offboarding becomes a mess. Checklists, spreadsheets, and a general memory exercise of “did we remember everything” become the norm for offboarding, often leading to forgotten access paths that are open for extended periods of time before being discovered.

Even with the best intentions, manual identity management quickly becomes time-consuming, error-prone, and difficult to audit. Identities are treated as a single request rather than as part of a lifecycle, and incidents require extensive detective work to piece together who had access to what, why, and who granted it.

Image
Image

Event-driven automation changes the model

Automating the identity lifecycle shifts from a human-driven, case-by-case process to one in which most cases are policy-driven.

Access is governed by rules and data rather than individual decisions; outcomes become consistent, exceptions fully visible, and evidence easier to produce.

However, automation also exposes every gap in the organization’s identity management. That is not necessarily negative, but it must be taken into consideration and accounted for when switching models.

Switching from manual identity management to an automated strategy also means that employees and managers must become accustomed to a more stringent, process-driven approach to access requests. This human side is worth keeping in mind as well and can be largely mitigated with well-executed self-service portals.

From the “why?” to the very real “how?”

Automating identity management can speed up processes, eliminate manual errors, and produce auditable data. This way, identity management can evolve into identity lifecycle management and become truly manageable, even in large organizations under regulatory pressure. It also speeds up daily operations for everyone involved while increasing compliance and security.

However, there are many steps to take on that road. If the strategy is not clearly defined, there are just as many pitfalls to fall into.

During the Identity Festival in Aarhus on the 3rd and in Copenhagen on the 5th of March, experts from Pointsharp and the IAM group will lead a very hands-on session on this exact topic. They will cover the steps required for a successful transition to automated identity lifecycle management, potential setbacks, and how to proceed step by step rather than in a single, time-consuming, and resource-intensive project. If you are not there in person, our experts will also go through these steps in our Experttalks on the 24th of February.

Mark your calendar today and look forward to learning how the switch from manual to automatic identity management works in practice.

Image