To modernize identity governance across its global workforce and reduce manual workloads, Bel Group implemented a holistic IAM platform based on One Identity Manager. Supported by iC Consult as a trusted advisor and implementation partner, the company transitioned its IAM infrastructure from an on-premises datacenter to Microsoft Azure, integrated SAP SuccessFactors and ServiceNow, and established a dual Managed Services model.
The result: secure and efficient identity and permission management enterprise-wide – with automation, scalability, and user experience at its core.
Content
Customer & Project Overview
Customer Profile
Industry: Food
Headquarters: Suresnes, France
Employees: > 12,000
Founded in 1865, Bel Group is one of France’s most traditional food manufacturers. With a strong commitment to innovation, sustainability, and corporate responsibility, Bel produces globally recognized brands such as Babybel®, Kiri®, and La vache qui rit® as well as Materne’s Pom’Potes®/GoGo squeeZ®, while also offering plant-based alternatives. Bel operates 51 subsidiaries and 30 production sites across five continents, reaching nearly 400 million consumers annually.
End-to-end implementation and ongoing operation of a comprehensive Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform based on One Identity Manager. Continuous integration of new use cases and services to optimize identity-related processes across the business.
- One Identity Manager
- SAP SuccessFactors Integration
- Custom ServiceNow Integration
- Microsoft Azure Migration
- Managed Services: Dual-tier Model
Results
Successful rollout of a company-wide IAM platform
Modernized IAM infrastructure hosted on Microsoft Azure, providing a more reliable and flexible operational foundation
Seamless integration with SAP SuccessFactors for HR data automation
ServiceNow integration enabling standardized access self-service
Significantly accelerated onboarding, role changes, and offboarding
Full automation support for Joiner, Mover, and Leaver (JML) processes with improved transparency and traceability
Two-tier Managed Services model for flexible support and innovation
Situation
Digital Ambition Meets Security Requirements
As remote work models emerged and network environments evolved, Bel recognized the need to shift from traditional security models to a modern, identity-driven Zero Trust architecture. The company’s existing systems were not capable of meeting new security, flexibility, and automation expectations.
Key drivers for transformation included:
- Outdated manual processes for onboarding, offboarding, and access management
- A fragmented system landscape with limited integration capabilities
- High administrative workload for managing user permissions
- No centralized self-service interface for identity requests
To address these challenges, Bel sought a partner that could ensure long-term operational support, stability, and flexibility for its growing IAM landscape. iC Consult, newly established in the French market at the time, convinced Bel with a strong architecture based on One Identity Manager and a roadmap aligned with Bel’s digitalization goals.
“Although iC Consult France was newly founded, the team combined local expertise with the deep experience of our German colleagues. That allowed us to deliver a compelling concept quickly.” – Jérôme Meur, CEO, iC Consult France
In 2021, Bel transitioned the responsibility for operating and further developing the IAM platform to iC Consult. Building on the existing implementation, the teams enhanced and expanded the solution step by step, quickly demonstrating strong user-friendliness, security, and automation potential across the company.
Solution
Infrastructure Modernization of the IAM Platform
As part of its IAM journey, Bel modernized the technical foundation of its One Identity Manager environment by replacing the existing on-premises VMware-based server infrastructure with Microsoft Azure. New servers were deployed, and the One Identity Manager database was restored, creating a renewed and more robust platform setup. The modernization was driven by the need for higher reliability and greater operational flexibility, particularly in the areas of backup and recovery.
HR Integration via SAP SuccessFactors
Bel extended the capabilities of its IAM platform by integrating One Identity Manager with SAP SuccessFactors, the company’s long-standing Human Resources Management system. The integration allows employee data to be transferred from SAP SuccessFactors to One Identity through frequent synchronizations, ensuring that account provisioning processes are aligned with employee lifecycle changes.
A major benefit: data between SAP SuccessFactors and One Identity is synchronized bidirectionally. This guarantees that identity data remains consistent across both systems and that access permissions reflect the actual status of employees at all times.
This automation significantly accelerated processes such as onboarding, role changes, and offboarding, while reducing manual effort and error rates. It improves consistency across these workflows and ensures that identity data remains up to date throughout the user lifecycle.
With iC Consult as our trusted partner, we were able to elevate our global identity processes – from migrating to Microsoft Azure and integrating SAP SuccessFactors and ServiceNow to establishing a flexible managed services model. Today, our IAM platform is a true driver of innovation, combining automation, usability, and scalability.
Pascal Durand, Identity Manager, Bel Group
ServiceNow Integration for Automated Access Requests
As part of its broader automation strategy, Bel aimed to integrate One Identity Manager with its enterprise-wide ServiceNow platform.
Since no native interface was available at the time, the customer relied on a custom API developed by an independent external developer before iC Consult took over the platform in 2021. iC Consult subsequently focused on stabilizing, maintaining, and aligning this connector with the overall IAM architecture.
With this foundation in place, a user-friendly self-service portal was introduced that is directly integrated into ServiceNow. Employees, partners, and external users can now submit standardized access requests through a familiar interface. The requests are captured centrally in ServiceNow and then processed according to Bel’s established internal approval and provisioning procedures.
As Pascal Durand, Identity Manager, Bel Group, summarizes it: “Users found the new ServiceNow portal intuitive from day one – proving that usability and smart IAM can go hand in hand.”
The integration became an important milestone for modernizing Joiner, Mover, Leaver (JML) processes and improving transparency and traceability across identity workflows.
Two-Tier Managed Services Model
To support long-term scalability and reduce the operational workload for internal teams, Bel and iC Consult established a flexible, dual-level Managed Services model. This structure combines operational stability with innovation capacity and consists of:
- Fixed monthly services: iC Consult handles the day-to-day operation of the IAM platform, including monitoring, patch and update management, and overall system availability.
- Flexible expert capacity: Bel can draw from a monthly quota of developer or architect hours to implement new integrations, extend functionalities, or connect additional systems.
This model ensures efficient ongoing operations while enabling rapid innovation without complex procurement cycles.
Conclusion
A Partnership of Equals
Throughout the collaboration, Bel and iC Consult established a partnership based on trust, transparency, and shared goals.
The IAM platform now serves as a reliable foundation for secure access governance, efficient user lifecycle management, and scalable innovation. Supported by a strong and scalable platform architecture and a modular service model, Bel Group is well positioned to expand its identity capabilities as business needs evolve.
The joint approach continues to open doors for new use cases and further future improvements across the IAM landscape.