Sunwater: Revolutionizing identity management with ADManager Plus

Business challenges

• Identity and access management (IAM): Sunwater grappled with an array of IAM-related issues that jeopardized the internal audit processes and the efficient management of vendor accounts.
• Reporting difficulties: The organization faced persistent challenges in conducting audits for expired accounts and unutilized licenses, a problem that hindered administrative productivity.
• Reporting difficulties: The organization faced persistent challenges in conducting audits for expired accounts and unutilized licenses, a problem that hindered administrative productivity.
• Task streamlining: The need for a robust system to streamline service desk tasks and enhance management reporting was evident.
• Delegation roadblocks: A lack of automation in the system posed difficulties in efficiently delegating tasks.
• Usability issues: The organization was seeking a more user-friendly Active Directory (AD) management solution to overcome navigational challenges.

The Problem

Sunwater's difficulties originated from its struggle to maintain an effective AD environment, crucial for its complex, network-driven business model. Primarily, the water service provider grappled with significant IAM challenges. These challenges extended to managing vendor accounts, which were vital for Sunwater's various operations, and meeting internal audit requirements. An efficient IAM system was not just a necessity for smooth internal processes but was also pivotal for the security and accountability of the company's extensive network.

Reporting issues posed another major challenge for Sunwater. Specifically, the organization consistently faced obstacles when conducting audits for expired accounts and underused licenses. These inefficiencies weren't mere administrative setbacks, but they also risked compliance issues, which could have profound implications for a service provider of Sunwater's stature.

The need for task streamlining was evident as disjointed service desk operations led to productivity loss and caused delays in issue resolution. An absence of a unified system to manage tasks and improve reporting resulted in operational inefficiencies and hindered effective decision-making.

Sunwater also experienced delegation roadblocks due to the lack of automation in its system. In a dynamic business environment, manual delegation posed significant challenges to speed and efficiency, which eventually affected service delivery.

Finally, usability issues with its AD management solution added to the hurdles. A system that was supposed to facilitate operations ended up causing navigational challenges, thereby diminishing the overall user experience.

As stated by Jordan Ung, system analyst at Sunwater, the AD environment became a cause for concern. "IAM and reporting was always a challenge," he shared, underlining the critical areas of struggle for Sunwater. The extensive range of these challenges necessitated a comprehensive and robust solution, which led Sunwater to consider the implementation of ADManager Plus.

The outcome

Using ADManager Plus marked a significant milestone in Sunwater's AD management journey. By addressing the long-standing IAM issues and providing a major boost to its auditing and reporting capabilities, ADManager Plus proved to be an invaluable tool in managing vendor accounts and meeting internal audit requirements. Ung elaborated, "The scheduled reporting in ADManager Plus was extremely helpful."

Moreover, ADManager Plus streamlined service desk operations and revolutionized management reporting, ultimately enhancing productivity. Its robust automation capabilities were particularly beneficial in improving delegation tasks and operational efficiency. The stellar support team received significant commendation from Ung for their prompt and effective assistance.

Despite acknowledging some navigational challenges within the tool, Ung provided a comprehensive positive assessment: "Great overall product." His intent to recommend ADManager Plus was evident, giving it a maximum score of 10 and an overall experience rating of nine.

As an integral component of the ManageEngine AD360 suite, ADManager Plus continues to strengthen its commitment to empowering organizations like Sunwater. By simplifying the organization's IT processes and augmenting its operational efficiency and resilience, ADManager Plus exemplifies the transformative potential of comprehensive IT management.

About ADManager Plus:

ManageEngine ADManager Plus is a comprehensive, web-based solution designed to facilitate Windows AD management and reporting. With its user-friendly interface, it enables AD administrators and help desk technicians to navigate complex tasks with ease. Whether it's AD object backup and recovery, user account provisioning, or stale account management, ADManager Plus can handle it. In addition, its exhaustive list of AD reports are indispensable for satisfying compliance audits. It also aids administrators in managing and reporting on their Exchange Server, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Active Directory environments, all from a single console. To learn more about ADManager Plus, visit manageengine.com/ad-manager.