AVL’s IAM Journey: Enhancing Security and Efficiency
“After successfully managing our internal identities on an automated IAM platform for more than a decade – and thereby realizing security enhancements as well as cost savings – we decided in 2018 to take the next step and modernize the management of external identities,” recalls Andrea Schlagbauer, IAM Process Manager at the AVL Group. “Our existing solution at that time was very focused on customer contacts and our online shop, which simply no longer reflected the real requirements: Our goal was to equally engage customers, suppliers, applicants, and other information seekers, providing them with a seamless, robust, and compliance-conform user experience.”
From Complexity to Clarity with All Stakeholders at the Table
Given the profound impact a new identity platform would have on the Group’s entire value chain, the project team first brought all affected stakeholders to the table and enlisted the consulting and technology experts from iC Consult. The latter initially advised AVL on selecting a robust IAM solution as part of the project and were then responsible for implementation and operational support.
Together, a broad requirements catalog was created:
- The solution should consolidate all external identities into a centralized, secure, and compliance-conform Identity and Access Management platform.
- The first phase should focus on six clearly defined processes, including the management of Joiners, Movers, and Leavers, the automation of Identity Lifecycle Management, and the handling of passwords.
- All these processes should be largely automated and represented through a modern self-service portal.
- To ensure timely implementation, the solution also needed to be capable of smoothly integrating the existing customer data.
Based on the requirements catalog, the IAM experts from AVL and iC Consult analyzed the CIAM solutions available on the market. However, it quickly became apparent that the common solutions could not adequately cover the desired range of functions. “The flexible and complex workflows would have been difficult to implement with a classic Customer Identity Management solution – and considering the broad target group and the high degree of automation, such a solution would have reached its limits,” reports Ulrich Domröse, SVP Identity and Access Management, iC Consult GmbH. “But with AVL, we had a client who thought pragmatically and out-of-the-box – and was willing to boldly explore new paths with us. Therefore, we shifted our focus from CIAM more towards IAM, and quickly found suitable solutions in that area.”
IAM Solution Despite CIAM Use Case
The project team eventually opted for a manufacturer whose holistic solution supports modern Access Management and robust IGA functionalities, combining all these components in a consistent, seamlessly integrated platform. This enabled AVL to map all six defined core processes – and ensure sustainable operational efficiency and compliance through comprehensive automation of workflows.
In view of the high level of integration, the solution still had to be adjusted in many areas – from the development of suitable interfaces to the connection of AVL’s broad partner landscape. “iC Consult supported us with great commitment during this preparatory phase, meticulously testing all eventualities and thus setting the stage for a successful implementation and migration. This was a valuable relief for us – not only because the team brings a lot of experience to this type of project, but also because it allowed us to fully concentrate on our own core competencies internally,” explains Michael Helmlinger, IAM Team Leader at AVL.
Extensive Self-Service Functionalities
The go-live ultimately went smoothly, even though the extremely ambitious schedule was proactively relaxed a little in view of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new, centralized authentication platform has been running smoothly from day one and is very well received by customers and partners. For queries and emergencies, a helpdesk is available to users at all times, which is also supported by iC Consult specialists if necessary – but due to the extensive self-service functionalities, only a few people make use of this service.
Looking Ahead: Sustaining Growth with Strategic IAM
Accordingly, Andrea Schlagbauer’s conclusion is entirely positive: “The IAM solution has now been used very successfully at our company for around two years. During this time, we have implemented some new processes and improved workflows in detail, but we did not have to make any major revisions. The fact that iC Consult actively supports us in the daily operation of the solution is, of course, also a valuable help for us. Like probably every IT team, we are also very busy with our daily business. With iC Consult, we now have the assurance that identity handling is always in good hands, allowing us to fully concentrate on our strategic tasks.”
