Why Should You Implement Automated User Provisioning?

Automated user provisioning is the process that lets managers in organizations grant access to websites, apps, systems, and data to the employees. Automating user provisioning makes it highly convenient for IT managers to manage access control regardless of company size.

Given the number of apps and websites we use daily, automated provisioning becomes a critical aspect for any business. They reduce tedious allocation processes and improve operational efficiency.

Besides enhancing speed and efficiency, provisioning automation has become a critical element for businesses for numerous reasons. In this post, check out why companies must implement automated provisioning tools, regardless of their size or niche.

The Need for Automated User Provisioning

Manual processes are tedious and highly inconsistent. Suppose you have hundreds of workers in your organization and don’t have provisioning software for granting access. 

How time-taking and frustrating will it be for your managers to grant access and controls to each employee?

Automated user provisioning is critical to keep you ahead of your competitors. How? When you automate provisioning processes, you don’t need to worry about managing ad hoc requests and security features. Hence, your IT team can perform identity and access management with the least effort. Automating the process also greatly secures critical assets of the organization.

Likewise, there are numerous other reasons to add provisioning tools to your organization. However, the most important ones to focus on are below.

7 Reasons You Should Implement Automated User Provisioning

1. Streamlining Account Management

Whenever you hire a new employee, they will get an account that will be their identity throughout their journey with the company. Typically, each employee receives the following credentials to their name:

• Username
• Email ID
• Home Directory
• Access to Specific Apps and Websites

Thanks to provisioning software, managing access to different apps can be easier without manually setting permissions for each new hire. This is especially important when the same employee receives a promotion. In that case, you may want to grant more access or take some permissions back from the worker.

Likewise, you will need to delete permissions and block email access when the employee leaves the company. With automated provisioning software, you can streamline the process of provisioning users. A one-click change in the tool will update the relevant access privileges of the employee. 

2. Bulk Request Handling

Automated user provisioning tools are specialized to handle ad hoc requests. The actual purpose of these tools is to ensure that managers and other users generate permission requests. Suppose a new employee needs access to a specific app for a special project. The software should allow you to create requests independently.

These requests then reach the concerned department and personnel without needing human interference. Also, it provides unified communication benefits because the process is transparent and straightforward.

Essentially, the idea is to bypass the manual request process. It then becomes seamless to manage permission access automatically.

3. Better Operational Accuracy

One of the key automated provisioning benefits is accuracy. Manual data entry is prone to human-induced errors, leading to severe consequences for an organization. For example, you might grant undue access to an employee, which increases the risk of information leakage and misuse of resources.

In automated provisioning, users are given specific attributes according to their position. Moreover, it removes the need to manually enter the name and ID every time. Hence, it can dramatically improve the accuracy of resource allocations and reduce the chances of errors.

An automated system will always map resources according to job roles based on specific attributes. Hence, it means higher accuracy which boosts system security.

4. Seamless Onboarding Experience

Automated provision is all about seamless onboarding. Every user can access resources appropriately without needing to consult their managers, send emails, and wait for permission grants.

As a result, it can help with employee retention as they enjoy predefined services from the first day. For example, when a new hire enters your organization, they will already have access to operating systems, printers, Wi-Fi, servers, necessary apps, and websites.

Given that the manual processes for these services can be time-consuming, an automated provisioning process can create a good first impression on your employees.

5. Boost Your Company Productivity

You can save precious hours with the bulk provisioning option that provisioning tools offer. Assigning roles and granting permissions to hundreds of users can now be done with a single file upload. As a result, admins can spend time on more productive activities and save company resources.

Everything from managing internal breaches, access control, permission delays, etc. can be managed with an automated tool. So, there is mental relief and an opportunity to explore new things for your IT admins and staff.

6. Ensuring Compliance with Provisioning Software

Many companies incorporate automated provisioning as part of their compliance strategy. Regulatory authorities are keen on provisioning and de-provisioning requirements. These include instant username assignments while hiring and termination of permissions when they leave.

Likewise, other essential features like multi-factor authentication, disk encryptions, and automated security can be fulfilled by deploying an automated provisioning tool for your organization.

7. Organizational Security Regulation

Since most of your resources are protected with strict permissions and role-based authentications, your company data becomes pretty safe. As a result, you can secure critical data from internal and external threats.

For instance, an unverified grant of privileges to an outsider will expose your resources. Your accounts and company information can be compromised. The data could get used for criminal activities.

Automated provisioning tools prevent such cyberattacks and invaders, keeping the users limited to their assigned roles.

Conclusion

An automated provisioning tool can provide a comprehensive solution throughout the employee journey. From onboarding employees to managing their accounts after they leave. More importantly, they relieve your managers from having to answer user queries. 

Most modern-day businesses are moving toward automation. This is not only because of the time and effort that automation can save. Provisioning tools have indirect monetary benefits, too. 

They can make a small IT team powerful enough to manage an organization with hundreds of employees. This way, you save thousands of dollars from having to hire extra members for user provisioning and management. 

Therefore, it is inevitable to deploy provisioning automation to guarantee your company’s success.