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Identity Management Consulting: 4 Things To Consider When Selecting a Vendor

Selecting the right Identity Management Consulting firm to aid your company's Identity Management initiative can be absolutely critical to your success. Unfortunately, when Identity Management initiatives fail, they tend to fail big - primarily because of the pervasive nature of the technology and related business processes. Here are a few things to consider before making that critical decision of which firm to work with:

1. The Identity Management Roadmap: Most Identity Management initiatives are not seeking to solve a single identity management problem, but rather looking to comprehensively manage identities in their corporations, often times even manage the identities of partners and clients. If this describes your initiative, then you should be prepared for a long road ahead, typically spanning years rather than months. A good Identity Management Consulting Firm will have experience aiding corporations in your vertical defining an Identity Management Roadmap, taking into consideration your business objectives, technical objectives, as well as a healthy understanding of how various identity management components interact. The Identity Management Roadmap will ensure commitment to the identified objectives and prevent scope creep.

2. It's More Than Just Identity Management Software: The most common mistake made by organizations is to treat the project as just technology. Identity Management is primarily about automating business processes related to managing digital identities. The right firm should have real-life experience in Business Process Management (BPM) as it relates to identity management workflows. Firms with this experience will make the difference between simply installing software and putting a true overall solution for your organization that will actually be utilized.

3. But Don't Forget About the Identity Management Software: Eventually, after analyzing existing processes, optimizing them, mapping the processes to technology and putting together a solid identity management architecture, ultimately you need a firm that understands the specific Identity Management Software that you have selected to implement. Look for a company that has numerous implementations, and validate that by following up on more than 1 or 2 references. Ask references the tough questions, such as regarding difficult technical problems they were able to solve, the quality of their consultants, and the efficacy of their implementation methodology.

4. What About Supportability?: The most often overlooked aspect of an Identity Management project is post-implementation support. Once the Identity Management infrastructure is in place, who will support it? The Identity Management Consulting firm should ask the right questions regarding your organizations capability in regards to post-implementation support, and take that into consideration when proposing a solution. Firms that offer an Identity Management Managed Services offering should be given special preference, due to their obvious expertise in aiding organizations manage Identity Management systems at the time its needed the most - once they have gone live.