Entitled to Nothing: How to Evaluate an IGA Solution Before it Evaluates You!

Executive introduction

In an era where access is everything and audit season is always just one calendar alert away, Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) isn't a "nice-to-have" — it's a "why-didn't-we-start-this-yesterday." But choosing the right IGA solution is like online dating: everyone looks good on paper, but not everyone plays well with your HR system.

This guide delivers the key considerations, traps to avoid, and a checklist that would make your compliance officer smile (or at least stop emailing you in all caps). Whether you're replacing a legacy tool, running from spreadsheet-based governance, or just trying to stop Karen from having access to everything, this whitepaper is for you.

What is IGA, really?

Identity Governance & Administration is the part of your security stack that ensures the right people have the right access to the right resources — and, importantly, don't have access to the wrong ones. It's the watchful librarian of your digital ecosystem. When done well, IGA enables:

• Policy-based access decisions
• Lifecycle management (joiner/mover/leaver)
• Access certification and recertification
• Segregation of Duties (SoD) enforcement
• Audit readiness without aspirin

When done poorly, it enables… lawsuits.

Top things to consider when evaluating an IGA solution

Before you sign anything, let's get serious (but not boring). Here are the real-world factors that separate "we passed the audit" from "we passed out during the audit."

1. Access governance that works

Does the solution support access policies based on roles, attributes, and rules — and can it explain them to your auditors without diagrams that look like abstract art?

Governance is the soul of IGA. Without clear, enforceable policies, you're just assigning access based on vibes. Business roles should map to entitlements — not your best guess after two lattes.

Otherwise…

Expect inconsistent access, privilege creep, audit findings, and that sinking feeling when your CEO's assistant ends up with domain admin rights because "they needed calendar access."

2. Lifecycle automation

Can it automatically provision and deprovision access as users join, move, or leave? Or are you manually revoking VPN access three months after someone's gone?

Joiner-mover-leaver automation reduces human error, speeds up onboarding, and eliminates the dark magic of spreadsheet-driven provisioning.

Otherwise…

People leave the company — their access doesn't. Congratulations, you've created zombie accounts. Bonus points if they're later involved in a data breach.

3. Access certification

Can you run campaigns to review access rights, track completion, and remind managers they still haven't certified Dave's rights in the finance app?

Regular certification keeps entitlements current and ensures users don't accumulate risky access over time. It's basically spring cleaning — for permissions.

Otherwise…

Over-provisioning becomes the norm. When auditors come knocking, the only thing you'll be certifying is your regret.

4. SoD policy enforcement

Can the system detect and prevent toxic access combinations (e.g., creating and approving your own invoices)?

Segregation of Duties (SoD) ensures no single person can complete risky transactions end-to-end. It's basic fraud prevention — but for your digital systems.

Otherwise…

You'll have users who can wire funds and approve themselves. At that point, you don't need an IGA — you need an internal investigation.

5. Integration capabilities

Does it play well with your HR system, directories, and apps? Or is it more of a "you figure it out" situation?

The value of IGA hinges on how seamlessly it connects to the systems that feed and enforce identity logic. Without integration, governance is blindfolded.

Otherwise…

Your IGA becomes a siloed, underutilized tool. You'll spend more time writing middleware than actually governing identities — and no one wins there.

6. Reporting & audit readiness

Can it produce reports that make your auditors nod approvingly instead of sighing deeply?

Visibility is everything. You need to track who had access, why they had it, and whether it was appropriate — all in a format that doesn't require pivot-table wizardry.

Otherwise…

You'll be manually exporting data from six systems at 2 a.m., praying your Excel formulas work and your compliance team never finds out.

7. UX for humans

Are the dashboards and workflows usable by real people — not just the one engineer who built the workflow engine?

Adoption hinges on usability. If your reviewers can't navigate a certification, or if admins need to Google every click, your IGA project will collapse under its own weight.

Otherwise…

You'll end up with half-completed access reviews, admins hoarding tribal knowledge, and a support queue full of "how do I approve access again?" tickets.

Evaluation checklist

Closing thoughts

Identity governance isn't just a compliance checkbox — it's the foundation of modern access control. And while there are plenty of vendors promising the moon, your job is to find one that actually delivers… and doesn't set your GRC program on fire in the process.

So remember: in IGA, less entitlement is more control. And when your next auditor shows up, may your access be certified, your policies enforced and your inbox blissfully quiet.