3 Quick Steps To Kill Your IDM Project Fast.
ATTENTION CIO’S, EXECUTVIES AND IT MANAGERS! DO NOT READ THIS! - It’s hard being the smartest person in the room, and to help keep it that way, you need to Kill IDM!
You want to Make sure these projects that automate your most time consuming tasks never take hold! If they do, you may have to put your newly found time and attention to other projects. You might even need to learn a new skill like virtualization, unified storage, or dare I say it... "cloud computing"! "shudder".
Everyone already knows the benefits of Identity and Access Management, from simple automation of administrative tasks like self-service password retrieval, to security features like account provisioning and deprovisioning, Single Sign On (SSO), and Secure Authentication. Even executive management like CIO’s, CFO’s, and many other kind of “EIEIO’s” know at least something about IDM, so how can the evil self-proclaimed IT genius ensure that these projects die a quick death? Behold!
Step One: Neglect to define your “End State Goals., also known as “Ready, Shoot, Aim!”
A very important step in a successful Identity Management Project is the proper planning and declaration of your “End State Goals”. Basically your End State Goals are just that. What do you want the State of your project to be in at the End of the project? This step is done by successful IDM specialist so that everyone knows what methods to deploy, what products are best fit, and how much of the project can be done in a budget cycle. By keeping the end goals unclear, your IDM project is posed at the edge of the rooftop waiting for your push!
Step Two: Avoid getting a project champion from an Executive Team member
Although executives may sign off on a project, if you don’t have at least one Executive Team Member that really understands the benefits of what is being done and why, including the strong believe and determination to champion the project in executive settings throughout the process, you will essentially be planting land mines in the project for the duration. Executives that don’t understand, and don’t have a peer to discuss at their level will see dollars that could go to their pet project being eaten up. Executives hate this, and will help derail the project at every step. A great way to stab your IDM project in the neck!
Step Three: Hire your IDM contractor by low bidder only (like a commodity. It works for pencils right?).
IDM may be easy for a competent IT engineer to install, but installation is not the most important part of an IDM deployment. You can’t just throw technology at it and hope it works, BUT many do it. Many vendors have some very smart generalist who can give a good dog and pony show for the execs and quote a low ball price, but do they have a IDM/IAM core competency? If they do, quickly pass them by and focus on non qualified low bidders.
Remember if they can read the manual on the plane ride and click “Install” that’s all your really need. You will look like you are saving tons of cash, while the contactor sits on the vendor support line figuring out the product install. Meanwhile the correct methodology will be missing so when it blows up, you can blame the vendor and the contractor. There is nothing like a remote controlled detonator to kill your project from afar.
If you want to ensure that your Identity Management project will completely bite the dust costing your company millions of dollars but potentially giving your cushy position plenty of work and false appearance of being the company IT Deity, make sure to follow these steps with a passion. Just make sure someone else takes the blame and step in just in time with a blueprint showing “this is how we always did it”, and you will be sipping coffee locked in your air conditioned data center (conveniently with no cell reception of course), enjoying the good life!
PS, If you are a CIO or IT Executive, and you would like to avoid these mistakes, use these guidlines to spot an IDM Killer. You can also follow these steps.
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Auther, Marc Potter