How a five-year partnership turned identity bottlenecks into research breakthroughs
A world-leading pharmaceutical company, racing to develop life-changing treatments for chronic diseases, watched brilliant researchers sit idle for days. Not because of complex scientific challenges, but because they couldn't log into the systems they need to do their work.
Their rapid growth, fuelled by cutting-edge research and global expansion, had created an unexpected barrier to progress: their identity and access management (IAM) system had become a bottleneck rather than an enabler.
External consultants – the specialists bringing critical expertise to breakthrough research – were spending precious days waiting for system access. What should have been a seamless onboarding experience had become a frustrating maze of manual processes and delayed approvals.
The impact rippled beyond individual frustration. Research timelines stretched. Collaborative momentum stalled. Most critically, the administrative burden was pulling core researchers away from the work that mattered most – developing treatments that could change lives.
Our approach began with a fundamental question: How do we turn security from a gatekeeper into a gateway?
Working alongside the client's team, we launched a comprehensive five-year programme designed to reimagine how people connect with the tools they need. Rather than simply patching existing processes, we examined the entire onboarding experience through the lens of the researcher, the consultant, and the administrator.
The breakthrough came through developing a proof of concept using Okta that demonstrated what seamless access could look like. But technology was only part of the story. The real transformation happened in how we approached the human elements – understanding the daily workflows, the collaboration patterns, and the moments where security could enable rather than impede progress.
Our team worked closely with researchers, IT administrators, and security specialists to design a system that felt intuitive rather than bureaucratic. Every feature was tested against a simple criterion: Does this help brilliant people do brilliant work?
We didn't just implement a system; we built capabilities within the client's organisation. Knowledge transfer sessions, collaborative problem-solving workshops, and ongoing support ensured that the improvements would continue evolving long after our formal engagement.
From Days to Minutes: New researchers now gain system access in just five minutes – transforming what was once a multi-day ordeal into a brief pause before meaningful work begins.
Simplified Oversight: Access control monitoring became streamlined and transparent, ensuring compliance whilst preventing unauthorised access without creating administrative burden.
Research-First Focus: By eliminating time-consuming access requests and approvals, researchers can dedicate their expertise to core business activities rather than administrative tasks.
But perhaps most significantly, we've seen a cultural shift. Security is no longer viewed as an obstacle to overcome but as an infrastructure that supports innovation. The onboarding experience now reflects the company's values – efficient, thoughtful, and designed around the people who make breakthroughs possible.
The positive feedback from early users became a catalyst for wider adoption. When people experience technology that genuinely makes their work easier, enthusiasm spreads naturally through an organisation.
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