Why Higher Education IAM Automation Shouldn’t Forget UX

We recently asked IT leaders in higher education to share their thoughts on identity and access management (IAM) automation via a survey conducted with Pulse. The questions touched on their goals, progress so far, anticipated benefits, and more. For many of these questions, the results matched the trends we’re witnessing in IAM for higher education. However, a few categories had some surprises, among them, end-user experience (UX).

While only 13% of higher education IT executives cited the improvement of end-user
experience as the main benefit of IAM automation, two-thirds rated the influence of UX over the IAM roadmap as at least a 4 (on a scale of 1-5). End-user experience isn’t driving IAM automation, but it still has plenty of pull when it comes to automation. Understanding its influence can help higher education better incorporate UX into automation plans moving forward.

Incorporate UX into Higher Ed Automation Plans

Reputation Is Everything

Most end users may not be a decision-maker at any colleges and universities, but they’re still certainly stakeholders when it comes to identity and access management. Whether it’s a student needing to reset their password from home or a new research project that requires specific entitlements, the process needs to be seamless, simple, and secure.

Clunky processes can create frustration for the end-user (at best) and serious system vulnerabilities (at worst). It’s also worth noting that ultimately when it comes to IAM processes, the opinions of end-users can and do influence those who make the decisions.

Amplified by Remote Access

While remote access has always played a role in UX, the pandemic has made it a priority. Our survey reflected that 98% of those surveyed said UX improvement has risen in importance following the mass work-from-home migration and the broad swath of resources being accessed remotely. Remote access has also added another dimension to UX with IT teams needing to account for how remote students and faculty can reach support (for password problems or more serious issues) when the need arises.

Lighten the Load

While the end-user is the focus of UX, higher education IT teams will also reap some of the benefits. Seamless, simple, secure IAM that’s easy to use and incorporates support solutions that users can access remotely, will ultimately remove many of those tasks (password resets, permission updates, etc.) from the IT team’s to-do list. Fewer user issues mean less problem solving for your IT team, freeing them to focus on more strategic initiatives — further improving processes, application development, or whatever innovation is next.

User Experience Smart From the Start

UX may not be the driving force for higher education IAM automation, but IT leaders still need to keep its impact and influence in mind when plotting out their identity and access management roadmaps. When higher education IT leaders incorporate UX into IAM automation strategies from the start, they can stay ahead of any complications and ensure IAM automation benefits all stakeholders. Learn more about the many benefits of identity and access management automation in our free resource: Higher Education IT Leaders Are Looking to Complement Access Governance With Automation.