{"id":4006,"date":"2023-11-07T09:49:11","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T14:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indigoconsulting.ca\/?p=4006"},"modified":"2024-01-31T18:20:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T23:20:32","slug":"the-ultimate-iam-adoption-roadmap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indigoconsulting.ca\/fr\/blog\/the-ultimate-iam-adoption-roadmap\/","title":{"rendered":"La feuille de route ultime pour l'adoption de l'IAM : D\u00e9lais, incontournables, erreurs et plus encore"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"Adopting IAM can provide a wide variety of benefits for any organization, such as improved security, cost-effectiveness, and streamlined compliance reporting. However, upgrading to IAM from legacy processes and technologies is no small undertaking.<\/span><\/p>

You can go it alone or work with an IAM consultant agency to help develop and deploy your new IAM solution. Most organizations choose to bring in the experts since adopting IAM affects almost every system and user throughout the organization.<\/span><\/p>

Whichever way you\u2019d like to go, we\u2019ve put together the ultimate roadmap to help you understand all the moving pieces involved in adopting IAM. Keep reading to learn the steps to take and mistakes to avoid for a successful implementation.<\/span><\/p>

Typical Timeline for IAM Adoption<\/b><\/span><\/h4>

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a framework of processes and technologies<\/span><\/a> focusing on securing and streamlining how organizations manage identities. Adopting IAM can help your business become more cost-effective, secure, compliant, and even productive \u2014 but it\u2019s not a simple, short-term project.<\/span><\/p>

Every organization\u2019s timeline for IAM adoption will look a little different. However, even though some steps may vary, the overall adoption timeline has more in common than not. We can still discuss the typical timeline for IAM adoption to help understand the scope and depth of the project.<\/span><\/p>

Each step in adopting IAM falls into a larger category, which we\u2019ve added in parentheses. The three overall phases are Design, Delivery, and Operations. These phases have several individual steps to complete before moving to the next, and some of them may look different based on your organization.<\/span><\/p>

So, let\u2019s dive into what your timeline may look like as you move forward with adopting IAM.<\/span><\/p>

1. Pre-Engagement (SOW Agreement, RFP Response)<\/strong><\/p>

The first step of adopting IAM is typically a Request for Proposal (RPF) with a specific service provider or an IAM consulting agency. This stage comes before entering into any formal agreements and helps the provider evaluate your needs and then create a proposal for how they can meet them.<\/span><\/p>

A Statement of Work (SOW) agreement is another crucial phase that details the specific deliverables, timelines, and tasks that will be carried out. The SOW can be considered the terms and conditions of the agreement between you and the vendor.<\/span><\/p>

This phase can take some time as you contact different consultants or vendors, work through the details, and agree to proceed. You\u2019ll have a contract in place before proceeding to step two.<\/span><\/p>

2. Discovery, Current State, & IAM Maturity Assessment (Design)<\/strong><\/p>

Designing your future IAM program begins after you\u2019ve signed a contract with a consultant agency. Your chosen consultant will conduct a thorough analysis of all existing systems and the current state of your IAM practices or your current methods for managing identity, access, and authentication.<\/span><\/p>

A crucial element of this step is identifying the best solutions for your specific use cases after we understand your current workflows and processes. The consultant maps out existing processes, assesses the overall maturity of existing IAM programs, and takes the initial step to create a roadmap for moving forward.<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s common for companies to want to learn more about IAM, including best practices and solution recommendations, before moving to step three. It\u2019s a necessity for your teams to have a firm grasp of both the how and why behind IAM.<\/span><\/p>

3. Architecture & Release Planning (Design)<\/strong><\/p>

The last step in the design phase involves building out a theoretical map of what your future IAM program may look like. Your chosen consultant will explain how the chosen solutions will integrate with your existing processes and systems.<\/span><\/p>

An ideal roadmap provides granular details about each solution and its implementation. You\u2019ll understand any involved resources and timelines before moving forward.<\/span><\/p>

The goal of this step and the design phase overall is to create and convey an actionable plan for your organization. Every stakeholder will be able to understand and sign off on the plan before any solutions are implemented.<\/span><\/p>

4. Implementation & Development (Delivery)<\/strong><\/p>

Next, you move into the delivery phase. The consultant works behind the scenes to develop and implement the agreed-upon architecture. The right consultant will configure and customize specific to your needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Plenty of testing takes place in this phase due to the complexity of IAM solutions and the uniqueness of your existing tech stack. That does not mean it\u2019s deployed but is implemented in a test environment to make sure all the moving pieces are operating as expected.<\/span><\/p>

Essentially, this phase transforms the theoretical plan into a working, tested solution ready. Generally speaking, your involvement will be minimal in this phase, but you should receive updates as the project progresses.<\/span><\/p>

5. Deployment and Environment Propagation (Delivery)<\/strong><\/p>

With your IAM solution built out and tested, the next step is to deploy the new solution across the different environments throughout your organization.\u00a0 Every organization\u2019s tech ecosystem is unique, so the timeframe and complexity of deployment will vary.<\/span><\/p>

For many medium-sized organizations and enterprises, deployment requires a series of incremental stages with thorough testing along the way. It\u2019s crucial to ensure the developed solution works as expected to maintain security and ease of use at every checkpoint.<\/span><\/p>

Once deployed, most consultant agencies will take a back seat role in the production environment. You\u2019re now in command of your IAM program, and it\u2019s vital that you have the right teams in place for ongoing management. Depending on the agency, you may still have minimal contact for additional training or support issues.<\/span><\/p>

6. Support & Training (Operations)<\/strong><\/p>

A reputable IAM consultant agency won\u2019t just deploy and leave \u2014 they\u2019ll make sure your teams are ready to take over. This phase focuses on providing training and support to your teams, which may also happen before deployment.<\/span><\/p>

Training can include workshops, guides, documentation, or any other materials to help your teams understand how to use and support the new IAM program.<\/span><\/p>

Many consultants also offer ongoing support to address any questions or issues that may arise as you start using the new tech stack and processes in daily operations.<\/span><\/p>

7. Managed Services (Operations)<\/strong><\/p>

Alternatively, you may opt for managed services to have the agency take complete ownership of the solution for your company. <\/span>Indigo Consulting is also a Managed Service Provider (MSP)<\/span><\/a>, so we\u2019ll stay involved and manage IAM operations.<\/span><\/p>

An MSP will be responsible for the day-to-day management and maintenance of your new IAM solution. A vital component of this service is ensuring your IAM program continually meets your needs.<\/span><\/p>

Some organizations choose to go the MSP route over handling these responsibilities internally. Others would instead train in-house personnel and manage everything themselves. It\u2019s up to the specific needs and available resources of each organization.<\/span><\/p>

8. Product Lifecycle & Upgrade Migration (Operations)<\/strong><\/p>

The last step is an ongoing process to ensure your IAM tech stack and processes are current. You may need to plan for additional upgrades and migrations beyond the initial deployment. If you choose an MSP, they\u2019ll handle these processes, but otherwise, they\u2019re your responsibility.<\/span><\/p>

Additionally, updates for vendor solutions, changes in compliance requirements, and evolving best practices may necessitate modifying your IAM program. It\u2019s crucial to have an internal team or third-party MSP to keep your program current.<\/span><\/p>

Typical Deployment Models to Consider<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>

Choosing your deployment model is a significant decision that impacts many aspects of development and implementation. So, let\u2019s break down the standard deployment models to consider when making this decision:<\/span><\/p>