SailPoint project management best practices and red flags

In today's digital age, efficiently managing identity security is more critical than ever.

As organizations increasingly rely on automated systems and integrated technology solutions, the need for robust, streamlined processes becomes paramount.

This article encapsulates, at a high level, the key insights you can explore further with one of SailPoint's free introductory training: Identity Security Project Management Tips available now on Identity University.

From planning and data standardization to change management and ongoing commitment, we'll cover essential tips to guide your project towards success.

Best Practices:

1. Plan to require and help the business define their processes clearly and with sufficient standardization to be automated.
2. Plan to help the business get agreement from many different groups and user types with different expectations and objectives.
3. Plan to require and help the business verify data quality and standardize their data sufficiently to support automation.
4. Remind the business that change management communication to their organization is necessary so that people are not blindsided by the go-live.
5. Encourage the business to fit their processes to best practices rather than customizing or extending the tool to fit their current processes.
6. Expect that all the integrations will take a lot of time to configure and test, and budget enough time to do so.
7. Plan to train the operations team on how to monitor confirm that all data load processes ran or diagnose problems if they didn’t.
8. Remind the business that deploying this product means signing up for an ongoing commitment. The solution becomes part of their required infrastructure, requiring high up time and updates when something in their business changes (e.g., business processes, applications).

Red Flags:

Complex Processing During Account Aggregation

• Concern: Account aggregation must be swift to handle large data volumes and numerous applications efficiently. Daily aggregation is essential for critical applications, but incorporating complex external lookups for each account can hinder timely completion.
• Recommended Approach: Opt for preprocessing outside the aggregation process to streamline data preparation. Consult a SailPoint expert for tailored advice before proceeding with complex processing integration.

Complex Processing in Certification Projects

• Concern: Certification projects involving intricate processing to determine access requirements and create certification data structures can be time-consuming, particularly in organizations with numerous identities or accounts. This complexity may raise audit concerns regarding the integrity and completeness of the process.
• Recommended Approach: Seek simpler methods for certification processes to ensure auditability and efficiency. Engaging with a SailPoint expert can provide insights into more straightforward approaches.

Mismatch Between Requirements and Platform Functionality

• Concern: Requirements often stem from experiences with previous tools, leading to a misalignment with SailPoint’s capabilities. This misalignment may result in unnecessary complexity and the potential for inefficient custom coding.
• Recommended Approach: Dive deeper into the underlying needs behind the requirements. Collaborating closely with process owners can uncover more straightforward solutions that leverage SailPoint’s functionality effectively.

Pre-User Acceptance Test Data Validation

• Concern: Validating identity and access data before User Acceptance Testing is crucial. Incorrect data can lead to impactful errors, such as misinterpreted hire or termination dates, affecting access management.
• Recommended Approach: Incorporate data review steps in the project plan for data and use case owners. This ensures accuracy and relevance of the data used in SailPoint, preventing issues before they arise.

Use of Unsupported Interfaces

• Concern: Relying on deprecated or unsupported interfaces poses a risk for future upgrades, especially with SaaS solutions like IdentityNow, where upgrade timings are controlled by the service provider.
• Recommended Approach: Stick to supported interfaces. When using unsupported interfaces is unavoidable, document and communicate the associated risks to management.

Inadequate Hardware or Software

• Concern: The success of Identity Security projects depends on compatible hardware or software interfacing with critical applications. Under-scoped components pose significant risks to solution performance.
• Recommended Approach: Ensure all hardware and software meet SailPoint’s scoping guidelines. Identify and communicate any compromises to management as potential risks.

Production Testing of Provisioning

• Concern: Testing provisioning processes in a production environment is risky and can disrupt employee access or application functionality due to incorrect configurations.
• Recommended Approach: Favor sandbox environment testing. If production testing is necessary, clearly communicate the risks to management.

Exceeding Account Assignments per Identity

• Concern: Assigning an excessive number of accounts to a single identity is against SailPoint’s design, potentially leading to system performance issues.
• Recommended Approach: Adhere to SailPoint’s recommendations for account management. Discuss unique cases with a SailPoint expert to find appropriate solutions.
  • SailPoint’s recommendations for managing service accounts, or any situation where you might think about assigning hundreds of accounts to one identity, are available on Compass here: Managing Service Accounts in IdentityNow | Managing Service Accounts in IdentityIQ

In a nutshell:

Successfully deploying an identity security solution like SailPoint requires careful planning, understanding of best practices, and commitment to ongoing maintenance and adaptation. By clearly defining business processes, ensuring data quality, and aligning with SailPoint’s capabilities, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture.

Remember, the journey does not end at go-live; it evolves as your business does. Continuous improvement, regular updates, and engagement with SailPoint's expert resources and training programs are crucial to ensuring that your identity security infrastructure not only meets today’s needs but is also prepared for tomorrow's challenges.

Further Resources:

• Craft your program strategy
• Program staffing considerations
• Identity University Training Paths
• Identity Defined Security Best Practices