BMC’s tips for planning an identity management rollout

Last week, I told you about a Webinar, “Identity Management as a Lifestyle vs. a Project,” that my friends Phil Becker and Ian Glazer were putting on. The thrust of their presentation could be summed up as: once the implementation and rollout of the identity product has occurred, what else needs to be done? If you made notes, you might want to compare with what another identity management provider recommends for consideration after implementing an identity management project.

But as the good folks at BMC software point out, you need to start planning before the implementation so that you can be ready once the rollout is complete.

BMC suggests that the key to being successful during an identity management deployment is in the preparation for the project itself. Develop a concrete plan with a clear timeline, set attainable milestones and objective acceptance criteria. Doing this can lead to early success, which can help lead to better corporate backing and team alignment. Also, BMC believes that it is key to invest in training on the identity management system, environments and the fundamental technologies that you will be using.

There is more prep work for you during the roll out. BMC thinks that while the identity management solution is an enabling technology, it should not drive your business process. BMC recommends that you focus on the identity management lifecycle process as the key, while keeping the ‘customer’ engaged in the roll out. That is, allow for your end users, internal champions, and other stakeholders in your project to review the progress, interfaces, business process flows and milestone deliverables in order to retain the initial buy in that existed at project kickoff time.

If you’ve done all that, then the identity management lifestyle will gather its own momentum and continue long after the project is complete. Sound advice, I think.