Why You Should Automate Your Organization's Access Request Process

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Access request processes are designed to ensure that your organization's data is safe and secure while also adhering to the rules and regulations set forth by the company's compliance department.

If the process isn't automated, it can lead to unnecessary overhead and costs due to inefficient workflows, repetitive tasks, and manual documentation procedures.

Automating access request processes not only streamlines workflows but can also help protect sensitive data from potential cyber threats, minimize IT troubleshooting issues, improve regulatory compliance management, and streamline business processes overall.

Here are five reasons to automate your organization's access request process.

1. Reduces SLA times

A big advantage of using an automated system is that it can streamline your process and provide better customer service. As part of a human-based process, individual employee requests need to be managed and tracked by hand.

With automation, all employee requests are sent directly to IT with a few simple clicks, leaving your employees free to get on with their jobs. When it comes time for approvals, you can use pre-defined rulesets to automatically approve access based on the requestor's department or location.

2. Improves Customer Service

If a customer makes an access request, they will likely have questions. An automated process allows users to view status updates and progress on their requests, ensuring that clients get all of their questions answered quickly.

Customers will be happier with an automated process, but your team won't need to spend time doing repetitive tasks like handling these requests or re-entering information manually every time a customer asks for something new. Instead, you can focus on more important tasks like growing your business.

3. Decreases Clerical Errors

An automated system removes clerical errors from your organization. Human error can occur in any system and work environment, regardless of how diligent and careful a person is. Having an automated process will significantly decrease these mistakes. 

Using an automated system ensures that mistakes are minimized and corrected at much more affordable prices than having employees fix them after they happen. In addition, should human error cause greater problems within your business, it may affect relationships with other departments and companies who need access to certain information or systems within your organization or company. Minimizing potential problems allows for greater productivity and efficiency in your business in many different ways.

4. Provides For Complete Audit Trails

Using automated access request processes, you can ensure that you have complete audit trails and that any previous activity associated with your organization's resources will be known. This means you can track who accessed what and when.

It also means having an audit trail to show auditors, clients, or other interested parties why certain requests were granted or denied.

You'll never have to guess how many people had access to which information and why it was given out. And by automating your organization's access request process, it will be much easier for you to know when someone needs a new login or if their information needs updating.

5. Boosts Productivity

The main reason organizations need to improve their access request processes is that they lead to higher productivity. Efficiently processing requests will improve satisfaction and retention rates and reduce paperwork.

With a streamlined process, employees can spend more time on core tasks and less time on mundane compliance-related activities. It also gives managers more time to focus on strategic priorities rather than being bogged down with operational details such as updating HR systems, arranging training sessions, or handing out necessary credentials.

Automating access requests in Jira Service Management

Multiplier is a plugin for JSM that helps IT teams streamline access request workflows.

It can automatically discover which third party apps are connected to your Identity Provider, embed an app store on your JSM portal and automate approval workflows (e.g. routing an access request to a requestor's manager or the application owner).