I have been implementing and/or managing identity-related projects for over ten years now and I can say from experience that the biggest problem with any identity management project can be summed up in one word - EXPECTATIONS.
It does not matter whether you are tackling an identity project for compliance, security, or cost-reduction reasons you need to have proper expectations of what can be realistically accomplished within a reasonable timeframe and those expectations need to be shared among all team members and stakeholders.
Projects that fail to achieve a customer's expectations do so because those expectations were either not validated or were not shared between all parties involved. When expectations are set (typically in a statement of work), communicated (periodic reports), and then reset if necessary (change orders), then the customer is much happier with the project results.
Here are a few lessons I have learned over the years. While they have general applicability to major projects, in general, they are especially true of identity-related projects.
1) Projects MUST be implemented in bite-sized chunks.
Identity projects are enterprise-wide projects; you should create an project roadmap that consists of multiple "mini" projects that can demonstrate an immediate ROI. The joke is, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." To achieve success with identity projects, you should implement them one bite at a time and have demonstrable/measurable success after each bite.
2) The devil is in the data.
Using development/test data that is not representative of production data will kill you in the end and cause undue rework when going into production. Use data that is as close to production as possible.
3) Start with an analysis phase BEFORE scoping the entire project.
I HIGHLY recommend that the first project you undertake is an analysis. That will define the scope for which you can then get a better idea of how to divvy up the project into multiple bite size chunks and then determine how much (and how long) each chunk will take. This allows you to effectively budget both time and money for the project(s).
Note: If a vendor gives you a price for an identity implementation without this, then run the other way. They are trying to simply get their foot in the door without first understanding your environment. If they say that the analysis phase is part of the project pricing, then get ready for an extensive barrage of change orders to the project.
4) Get everyone involved.
Keep in mind that these are enterprise-wide projects that affect multiple business units within your company. The project team should contain representatives from each organization that is being "touched" by the solution. This includes HR, IT, Help Desk, Training, and above all, upper-level management (C-level).
(The following items apply if you are using external resources for project implementation.)
5) Find someone who has "been there and done that".
Ask for references and follow up on them. More and more companies say that they can implement identity-related projects just because they have taken the latest course from the vendor. This is not enough; if training alone could give you the skills to implement the product, then you would have done the project yourself. You need to find someone who knows where the pitfalls are before you hit them.
6) Let the experts lead.
Don't try to manage an identity management project unless you have done so before - more than once. I have been involved with customers who have great project managers that have no experience with identity projects - yet they want to take ownership of the project and manage the resources. This is a recipe for disaster. Let the people who have done the implementation lead the project and allow your project manager to gain the knowledge for future phases.
7) Help build the car, don't just take the keys.
Training takes place before, after, and during the project. Don't expect to simply take "the keys" from the vendor once the project has been completed. You need to have resources actively involved throughout the project in order to take ownership. Otherwise you not be able to support the product (or make changes to it) without assistance from the vendor. Ensure that you have your own team members actively engaged in the project - side by side with the external team. To do this, you have to ensure that they are not distracted by other work-related tasks.
Submitted By: Bill Nelson
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