Automated Authorization Management – Efficient User Management through Intelligent Process Automation

For a software provider in the field of industrial automation, SPIE AUTOMATION developed a customized solution for the semi-automated management of user accounts and permissions in Active Directory. The project’s goal was to significantly reduce manual effort in user management, integrate verification mechanisms, and enable project managers to independently and compliantly manage their employees’ permissions – directly embedded within the existing software environment.

Challenge and Objective

The customer’s initial situation was characterized by a high manual effort in user management. All accounts were created and maintained by the IT department in Active Directory. Users had to be manually created with all required fields, without any control ensuring that all data was completely and correctly entered. Permissions had to be individually searched for and assigned – a process that was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. Role-based control or automated validation did not exist until now.

The project’s goal was to modernize and automate this process. The new solution was intended to ensure that all necessary information is checked during user creation and that rights can only be assigned by authorized persons. Two user groups were defined: project managers and employees. Project managers should be able to manage their employees’ permissions themselves in the future – but only if they are authorized to do so as supervisors. In this way, the efficiency, traceability, and security of user management were to be significantly increased.

Solution

The implementation was carried out by SPIE AUTOMATION’s software development department in close coordination with the customer. Initially, all requirements were meticulously recorded and prioritized in an agile development process. Subsequently, a modular system concept was developed, characterized by high flexibility and deep integration. The core of the solution is a REST-based interface for managing AD accounts, which enables direct communication with Active Directory. Through this interface, users, groups, and permissions can be automatically queried, validated, and updated. An integrated verification logic ensures that new users are only considered valid if all required fields are correctly filled. Furthermore, a role-based rights management system was developed, distinguishing between two levels: project managers and employees. Project managers can add or remove permissions for their team members. This relationship is automatically checked by the application, thereby preventing unauthorized changes. A particular challenge was the integration into the existing software environment. Thanks to the technical expertise and flexibility of the development team, a robust and future-proof solution was created that seamlessly integrates into the existing system landscape.

Benefits

With the new solution, user and rights management will be significantly more efficient, secure, and transparent in the future. The IT department is considerably relieved, as it is now only responsible for the initial creation of new users. All further permission changes can be made directly by project managers – within the rules and verification mechanisms defined by the system. The integrated validation ensures that erroneous or incomplete user accounts are a thing of the past. At the same time, the process becomes traceable, auditable, and saves the company valuable time.

These SPIE AUTOMATION Strengths Were Applied

About our client
Our client is an internationally active technology company in the industrial sector. With decades of experience, the company is one of the established partners for technologically demanding applications in various industrial sectors.

Industry
Automation Technology

With the semi-automated user management, we have created a solution that significantly increases efficiency, security, and transparency. Project managers can now manage permissions independently and compliantly – a noticeable gain for daily operations and a real relief for IT.