Role modelling for Identity Governance
Role Ready
From entitlement chaos to a role model that runs.
An IGA platform is only as good as the role model it runs on. Role Ready builds your model with a hybrid of role engineering and role mining: data proposes the roles, the business decides them. The result is automatic assignment, documented ownership, and a model that lasts – also after the project.
The challenge
Without roles, every access is a manual decision
Manual assignment doesn't scale, and role models built the wrong way end up in one of two traps: roles too broad, which over-assign, or too many roles, which no one dares touch. Meanwhile, NIS2, ISO 27001, and GDPR require you to document why an access was granted.
- Waiting time and errors: new employees wait for access, leavers keep it too long, and every assignment depends on who remembers what.
- Role explosion: more roles than employees. The model has become harder to understand than the entitlements it was meant to simplify.
- No one is accountable for the access: without ownership and attestation, the auditor can't get an answer to who approved what – and why.
The hybrid method: data proposes the roles from below, the business decides them from above – and they meet in the validated role model.
How it works
Data proposes, the business decides
Role Ready combines two approaches that fail on their own but work together. Top-down, the business draws the roles from job functions, teams, and locations. Bottom-up, role mining derives candidate roles from the actual assignments. The business validates the result – because it is the business that will own the roles afterwards. Four phases, four decision points.
- Phase 1 – Foundation
Scope and clean the data foundation. Orphaned accounts and entitlements without owners are removed before they become roles.
- Phase 2 – Design
Top-down drafts meet bottom-up candidate roles in one combined model with a naming standard and role architecture.
- Phase 3 – Validation and governance
The business decides the content; ownership, approval chains, attestation, and segregation of duties are established.
- Phase 4 – Pilot and operations
The model is implemented in your IGA platform, the effect is measured, and operations are handed over.
The result
A model that runs
Role architecture and naming standard
A documented standard that also covers the roles you create tomorrow.
Validated role model
Business roles, system roles, and assignment rules, ready for the platform.
Governance design
Ownership, approval chains, attestation plan, and exception process.
Operations and rollout plan
Pilot lessons and metrics for the rest of the organization.
The principles
Four principles that keep the model alive
- As few roles as possible. 80/20: the role model covers most needs – the rest is requested with approval. Chasing 100% is what creates role explosion.
- Roles speak business language. A role is named after what it gives access to. The manager who approves must be able to understand the name.
- Every role has an owner. Content, approval, and attestation always have someone accountable – never no one.
- Rather under- than over-assigned. What's missing is requested and delivered in minutes. Over-assignment requires a documented risk assessment – and is never accepted for highly sensitive entitlements.
Why IAM Group
Built by specialists who have seen models fail
- Specialized in Identity & Access Management. It's all we do.
- Vendor-neutral method. The model is built for your platform, not for a specific product.
- We have seen role models fail – and we know how 80/20 discipline keeps them alive.
- Deliverables you can use from day one – ready for management and audit.
Our view
A role without an owner is access nobody dares remove.
That is why we build the role model together with the people who have to approve it afterwards, not in a spreadsheet beside them.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does it require a specific tool?
No. The method is vendor-neutral and builds on your IGA platform's data. An analysis tool (IVIP) can accelerate the role mining part, but it is not a prerequisite.
We haven't chosen an IGA platform yet – can we start?
Then IGA Ready is the right step first: needs mapping, market evaluation, and a product recommendation. Role Ready takes over once the platform is chosen.
We already have roles – do we start over?
No. Existing roles enter as candidates and are validated on equal terms. What works is kept; what has become overgrown is cleaned up.
Does the whole organization have to join from the start?
No. We start with a pilot area, measure the effect, and roll out from there. That is part of the method.
What does it cost?
Pricing is Time & Materials. We give you a concrete estimate after an initial conversation, so you know what to expect before you begin.
Materials
Download the material
Share it with colleagues or management – brief or in depth, depending on who's asking.
One-pager: Role Ready
The hybrid method, the four phases, and the deliverables – on one page.
Whitepaper: Role Ready
An in-depth walkthrough of the principles, the role architecture, and the governance design.
Ready to get started?
A no-obligation meeting about your platform and data foundation is the fastest way to find out whether Role Ready is right for you.