The Keystone of Automation:
Why Identity Management is Your First Step Towards Scaling your Business
The Challenge of Scaling: A Reality Check
Paint a picture: owner of a defense contract company, let’s call him Dan, standing at the helm of his burgeoning empire, a new acquisition under his belt, and a vision for economies of scale.
But as he ventures deeper into the thicket of expansion, a noise arrises in the forests, the sound of the service platforms and systems across operations he had entrusted…the screeching sound of growth.
With a new company absorbed into his fold, the dream of a streamlined empire seemed more like a pipe dream, awash with the reality of unorganized systems showing their cracks under the pressure of growth.
Envisioning Operational Efficiency
Dan, ever the strategist, took to his whiteboard, armed with markers as his soldiers, drawing bubble diagrams that looked more like war plans. He envisioned a command center, a parent company orchestrating a ballet of shared services among its subsidiaries. As Dan’s empire doubled and then tripled in size, so did the visibility of its operational drag, those inefficiencies that gnaw at the edges of profit.
How did Dan find himself in this quagmire? Well we know it goes: at the heart of every sprouting business is a customer with a need, and voila, we have a solution that fits the bill. This exchange—the very crucible of commerce—sparks the creation of operations, a veritable Big Bang birthing departments to handle the explosive demands. In our quest for efficiency, we reach for those off-the-shelf service platforms, the stalwarts of standardized business tools. We rally the troops, arm them with training, and set forth into battle.
The Pitfalls of Disparate Service Platforms
Trust is placed in these platforms, believed to be the chariots driving our business processes towards the promised land of productivity. Yet, as our empire grows, spurred by rapid expansion and fresh conquests, the foundational cracks begin to widen. Initially, these platforms are the wind beneath our wings, but as we soar higher, their limitations become glaringly apparent. No longer the cohesive force we imagined, they morph into isolated citadels, each speaking its own dialect in a Babel of data silos.
This fragmentation is the clarion call for automation. Not the laborious, manual toil akin to loading a cannon ball by ball but the sleek efficiency of an automated artillery system, like the Sweden “Archer”—every process meticulously analyzed, every action seamlessly integrated.
Our aim then needs to be… harmonize separate departmental systems, synchronize data to amplify the collective value, all the while silencing operational noise.
Dan needs Automation….
Automation: The Game Changer for Defense Contractors
So let’s talk automation. Not the kind that has robots replacing your morning coffee ritual, but the kind of automation that acts as the backbone for scaling up, particularly in the defense contracting sphere. This isn’t just about making things easier; it’s about scaling operations in a way that decreases operational drag, decreases biz op turnover rate & produces a “Can do” attitude for your team, when eyeing the next acquisition or venture partnership.
In the world of defense contracting, where service-based companies often wrestle with fixed profit margins outlined by their contracts, the mantra is efficiency. Sure, you can throw around the term ‘economy of scale’ like confetti, but applying it? That’s where the rubber meets the road. It requires a Herculean effort in streamlining every cog in your operational machine, from cherry-picking the perfect service platform to adopting a bird’s-eye view that sees beyond the siloed departments.
I’m not just talking about making big plays like acquisitions, dabbling in venture partnerships, or hitching your wagon to larger contract vehicles. While these moves can bulk up your input, the real game-changer is amplifying your output through operational synergy. And here’s the kicker: it all begins with getting your digital ducks in a row through automation, we believe starts with syncing identities data.
Identity Management: The Foundation of Effective Automation
What data needs to be consistent throughout these service platforms for them to shine… Employee Identity data. In the grand opera of business automation, identity management is the unsung hero.
You’ve got Billy in accounting who’s also William in HR but goes by “SnakeEyes” in IT. Without an automagic synchronized identity management system, automating even the simplest tasks is just going to produce an avalanche of help desk tickets when scaling up.
What we’re talking about here isn’t just assigning usernames and passwords; It’s ensuring that when Billy logs in, the system knows which Billy it’s dealing with and what tools, attributes and permissions he needs do his job efficiently.
Leveraging Microsoft Tools for Enhanced Business Efficiency
Now, onto the heavyweight contender in the ring of business efficiency: Microsoft tools. Microsoft’s suite of tools, from Power Automate to Azure, is like a Swiss Army knife for the modern business.
Imagine deploying a battalion of power automate flows, each one designed to streamline operations, cut through red tape, and boost efficiency. Those workflows need to understand that when “J-Dawg” submits a report, it’s actually Jack from accounting, not Jack from HR.
The magic of synchronizing your business identities is about setting the stage for a symphony of automation that knows each player, each instrument, and how to bring them together in perfect harmony. With cidarity smoothing out the identity wrinkles, Dan can finally leverage his Microsoft arsenal to its full, glorious potential.
The Journey from Fragmentation to Integration
The journey from chaos to harmony, from disjointed to streamlined, Dan’s story is a testament to the power of automation built on identity synchronization in charting the path to efficient scaling. It’s a reminder that in the digital age, the right tools for one department, sometimes lead to fragmented capabilities in the the next department… but the lifeblood of both of these information systems starts with the employee’s identity data.
Enter cidarity, ensuring that every piece of the identity puzzle fits perfectly, enabling the full might of each service platforms shines and automation tools have the stage set to propel your business forward.
Singular foundation, ready for growth
From chaos to clarity, from inefficiency to automation, it starts with a singular, secure identity… with cidarity