Most identity programs weren't designed to deliver wide-reaching business outcomes.
They were built instead to tick compliance boxes. Compliance boxes that are increasingly divorced from operational and security needs and that are no longer sufficient on their own.
Today, identity lives at the intersection of security, compliance, and the business. And when the workflows connecting those functions don’t align, even the most advanced IAM tools fall short.
At Clear Skye, we recently published a new white paper:
It identifies five common gaps holding identity programs back — and lays out a new path forward based not on new platforms, but better alignment.
Here’s a quick preview:
The Real Reason Identity Fails: Misaligned Workflows
The biggest IAM challenges—slow onboarding, spreadsheet audits, policy violations—aren’t just technical issues. They’re symptoms of a deeper operational misalignment.
Take the joiner/mover/leaver (JML) process. It typically spans IT, HR, Facilities, and Security — each using their own tools, dashboards, and workflows. End to end automation is impossible when processes are disjointed.
If identity is siloed from the systems and teams around it, you’ll always be chasing compliance instead of driving outcomes for compliance, security and the business.
The Solution: Build Identity Into the Business Process Itself
Our research shows that when identity is embedded into the systems your teams already use—like ServiceNow—it becomes easier to align approvals, enforce policy, and prove compliance.
You don’t need another tool.
You need identity to live where the business lives.
In fact, organizations that unify identity with their IT business application platform (like ServiceNow) see:
Join Our Upcoming Webinar: A Deep Dive Into SoD (Separation of Duties)
One of the most critical areas of identity policy is Separation of Duties (SoD). But traditional approaches often add friction and rely on disconnected tools.
That’s why we’re hosting a 45-minute webinar on August 14 to show how Clear Skye’s new SoD engine helps teams enforce policy.
In the webinar, we’ll show how Clear Skye’s SoD engine delivers:
· Greater Rule Precision: Detects toxic combinations across both entitlements and organizational data (e.g.,department-based restrictions), making it easier to define and enforce policy.
· Simplified Policy Management: Separates business activities from technical entitlements, reducing the volume and complexity of rules needed for effective governance.
· Broader Governance Coverage: Supports not just toxic combinations, but required ones too (e.g., prerequisite training),unlocking more proactive and flexible policy enforcement.
Final Thoughts
Identity programs succeed when they’re aligned with how the business actually works.
That means rethinking IAM as more than a tool—it’s a process.
And that process needs to be embedded in the systems where work already happens.
