The Myth Behind Modern IGA Deployments

Identity is no longer just a security layer—it’s now central to everything an organization does. From onboarding employees and enabling partner collaboration to powering seamless customer experiences, identity touches every part of the digital enterprise. And yet, despite this reality, Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) is still too often treated as a technical problem to be solved with connectors and scripts.

That mindset is a myth. A dangerous one.

Identity: More Than Just Security

Yes, identity is critical to security—controlling who gets access to what is foundational to any cybersecurity strategy. But identity is more than just a gatekeeper. It directly affects user experience, business agility, compliance posture, and even brand trust. In short, identity is a business enabler.

Unfortunately, many organizations fall into the trap of viewing IGA strictly through the lens of IT. As a result, they try to “solve” identity with a single project—led by the security team, implemented by IT, and measured by checkboxes. But this narrow approach fails to account for the reality of modern IGA.

IGA Is Not a Project—It’s a Program

Think of IGA not as a one-time project, but as a living program that evolves as your organization evolves. A well-known quote says, “Success is a journey, not a destination,” and the same is true of IGA. Roles change, applications shift, compliance demands evolve, and new user populations emerge. An IGA solution that works today may be misaligned tomorrow if it isn’t designed with adaptability in mind.

Rethinking IGA means accepting that the most successful deployments are those that treat IGA as a cross-functional business program—one that includes stakeholders from HR, compliance, operations, customer support, and even marketing. These are the people who live and breathe the business processes that IGA needs to support.

Where Technology Fits—And Where It Doesn’t

There’s no denying that technology plays an important role in scaling IGA. Manual processes simply can’t keep up with today’s identity volumes and velocity. Modern IGA platforms offer powerful features: automated provisioning, policy enforcement, analytics, role mining, and more.

But here’s the catch: all the advanced features in the world mean nothing if they’re deployed without business alignment.

Too often, IGA programs get bogged down in the how—connectors, mappings, transformations—without first answering the why. Why are we automating this process? What business outcome are we trying to achieve? What risks are we mitigating? If your integrator or vendor partner isn’t asking these questions, they’re just throwing technology at the wall and hoping it sticks.

Misaligned Expectations = Failed Deployments

When IGA deployments go sideways—and many do—the finger-pointing begins. The vendor’s product didn’t perform as promised. The integrator didn’t configure things properly. The business didn’t articulate their needs. The IT team didn’t communicate upstream. The truth? All of the above. But the party that stands to lose the most is you—the organization.

Failed IGA programs cost money, time, credibility, and in some cases, security. Poorly implemented identity controls can create gaps that expose you to audit failures or even breaches. And the worst part? Most of these failures are avoidable.

A Better Way to Start: Strategy Before Systems

Here’s the tactical advice no one gives you before starting an IGA initiative: slow down and do the groundwork. Before you touch technology, get your business context in order.

Start by asking:

• Identify – Who are the identities you're managing (employees, contractors, customers, partners)?
  
  
• Understand – What relationships do they have with systems, data, and business units?
  
  
• Engage – Who owns these relationships? HR? Risk? Line-of-business managers?
  
  
• Define – What are the real-world use cases, access policies, audit requirements, and future plans?
  
  

Only after those steps are complete should you move on to:

• Select – Choose technologies that align with your business needs, not just your IT checklist.
  
  
• Partner – Work with implementation partners who understand your industry and can translate business needs into technical execution.
  
  
• Roadmap – Build a phased, realistic implementation roadmap with early wins to build momentum.
  
  
• Implement – Execute in manageable chunks. Validate. Celebrate success. Adjust. Repeat.

Why Most IGA Projects Fail

In our experience, the root cause of failure isn’t the technology—it’s expectations. Too often, business leaders expect instant results. IT expects plug-and-play integration. Vendors expect to retrofit your business processes into their product model. And nobody spends enough time aligning all three perspectives.

Final Thoughts

The myth that IGA is just another IT project needs to be retired once and for all. It’s time to view IGA as a strategic business enabler—one that deserves executive sponsorship, stakeholder alignment, and long-term commitment.

Well, you’ve taken the first step just by reading this article. Now take the next one: reframe your identity program not as a solution you buy, but as a capability you build. With the right mindset, the right stakeholders, and the right roadmap, IGA can transform from a compliance necessity to a competitive advantage.