Application onboarding, the process of familiarizing users with a new application, ensures seamless integration with existing systems. It facilitates efficient and effective use within the organization’s security policies.
By leveraging Identity and Access Management (IAM) services, organizations optimize their application onboarding processes. Additionally, investing on IAM services maximizes the value of software investments.
Organizations might use thousands of different applications based on the various needs of the organization and plans for future growth. Of course, application selection should be based on how well it aligns with the organization’s goals and existing infrastructure. However, consideration should also be given for how it will fit into the various roles, security policies and relevant regulations and standards.
Here are the key steps involved in application onboarding and how IAM services can streamline the process:
Installation and Configuration: Tailoring the Application to Your Organization
Installing the application on relevant devices and configuring it according to the organization’s requirements forms a vital step in the onboarding process. Application onboarding service plays a critical role in this stage by allowing administrators to define user roles and permissions, as well as customize the application’s settings, ensuring that users have the appropriate level of access and functionality.
Furthermore, implementing Identity Governance and Access (IGA) processes plays a vital role in application onboarding. IGA ensures that users have the appropriate level of access, maintains security, and facilitates compliance with relevant regulations and standards. By implementing robust identity governance processes and controls, organizations can streamline their onboarding processes. Strong IGA also minimizes potential risks associated with user access to applications and resources.
Integration: Seamlessly Connecting New Applications to Existing Systems
IAM services can also help organizations ensure that their new applications communicate and interact seamlessly with existing systems and infrastructure. By setting up APIs, data pipelines, or other integration mechanisms, organizations can create a cohesive ecosystem that supports efficient and effective use of the new application.
Data Migration: Safeguarding Data Integrity
If necessary, organizations must migrate existing data from other systems or formats into the new application. An IAM services team can assist with data cleansing, mapping, and validation to ensure data integrity and consistency throughout the onboarding process.
Training and Support: Empowering Users with Knowledge and Resources
Providing users with training materials, documentation, and resources helps them understand the application’s features and functionality. This forms an essential component of successful onboarding. IAM services can provide the support needed, to address questions, troubleshoot issues, and assist with any challenges that arise during the onboarding process.
By providing a consistent user experience and interface across applications, IAM services make learning and adapting to the new application easier for users. This simplifies training and support efforts, accelerates user adoption, and reduces the impact of change on productivity.
Testing and Validation: Ensuring a High-Quality User Experience
IAM platforms can also facilitate User Acceptance Testing (UAT), performance testing, and security testing. Doing so ensures that the new application is functioning correctly, meets the organization’s needs, and enables your enterprise.
By simplifying the management of user access, streamlining the testing process, and enhancing security during the testing phase of a new application rollout, IAM tracks user activities, access history, and application performance. This information can be used to identify potential issues, bottlenecks, or inefficiencies in the application, enabling continuous improvement and optimization.
By leveraging IAM during UAT, organizations can ensure a more efficient, secure, and comprehensive testing process, increasing the likelihood of a successful application rollout.
Workflows: Increased Productivity with Simpler App Onboarding
Automating and streamlining various processes related to user access, authentication, and authorization enables one of the strongest KPIs of IAM. These practices, key components of the ideal IAM program, significantly enhance application workflows. By improving the efficiency and security of these processes, IAM services contribute to a smoother user experience and better overall application performance.
Consider developments like Single Sign-On (SSO), automated user provisioning and deprovisioning, centralized access management and enhanced security and compliance. By leveraging these technologies organizations optimize their application workflows, reduce manual tasks, and ensure a smoother, more efficient user experience.
Change Management: Smoothing the Transition to New Applications
A robust change in management strategy is necessary to facilitate a smooth transition from old systems to new applications. IAM services significantly contribute to these change management efforts. They provide a comprehensive approach to managing user access, roles, and permissions, and ensure a secure and compliant environment.
Change management enabled by IAM services can support organizations to maintain a consistent approach to access control across all applications, old and new. This consistency reduces the risk of unauthorized access and ensures a smoother transition as users adapt to the new application. This in turn minimizes disruptions and potential security risks.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Continuously Improving the Onboarding Experience
Organizations must continuously monitor the application’s performance, user adoption, and overall success. IAM services help collect feedback from users and capitalize on this information to make necessary improvements, updates, or adjustments to the application or onboarding process. This iterative approach enables organizations to address any challenges, refine their change management strategy, and drive ongoing improvements.
Ongoing Maintenance and Updates: Keeping Your Application Current
Keeping applications up to date by installing updates, patches, and new features as they become available is essential for maintaining their value. IAM services assist with new application integrations and help organizations regularly review and adjust the onboarding process to ensure it remains effective and efficient.
Application onboarding is a critical process that can significantly impact an organization’s ability to derive value from its software. By implementing robust identity access management processes and controls, organizations can streamline their onboarding processes and minimize potential risks associated with user access to applications and resources.
Talk to an identity advisor now and learn how to Simeio can provide you with the best Application Onboarding experience possible.
