#1. Project teams don’t need constant access
There are instances when contractors and project-based users may need intermittent or short-term access to systems and tools. Once a project is complete, or there is an off-period, internal shared services teams need policy management tools that allow them to pause or secure access easily.
Use case example
Let’s say your organization works with a consultant who needs access to certain files during regularly scheduled collaboration times once a week. The ability to grant access to necessary internal systems only during those windows will reduce the time it takes for everyone involved to get what they need. It will also prevent sensitive information from being shared externally, which often also means it’s permanently accessible outside your system’s control. It also will prevent cyber attackers from accessing company systems through inactive user accounts.
Industries that frequently use project-based teams could be:
- Staffing firms
- HR consulting
- Business consulting
- Healthcare
#2 Offboarding and workforce reduction cause sudden vulnerabilities
Perhaps your organization has frequent turnover or periodic workforce reductions. Whether team members are coming and going frequently or an underperforming quarter requires personnel reduction, offboarding can happen quickly. The problem is created because internal shared services teams often don’t have complete IAM controls in place.
Use case example
Consider an instance where your organization provides a legacy service that the company decides is no longer aligned with strategic objectives. When closing down unused systems or reducing department workforce, many vulnerabilities in identity and access management are created. IAM policy management needs a swift way of ensuring all unnecessary access is turned off immediately with tools like bulk lock-out that can be done in a few keystrokes.

Sudden workforce reduction could happen when:
- Poor economic conditions slow growth and earnings
- There’s high turnover in fast-paced departments
- An internal breach occurs, and damage control is needed
- Products or services are reduced, or departments are eliminated
#3 Balancing system maintenance and downtime is too complicated
Onboarding and offboarding aren’t the only instances in which access needs to be turned off or paused. Every organization has security and update maintenance needs that can require lockouts for certain systems and applications. This requires IT to communicate clearly with all users about what access will change, when, and for how long. Both planned and emergency maintenance need policy management to make downtime easier for IT and users.
Use case example
Imagine your security team gets a breach alert and needs to perform systems checks and deploy a resolution strategy. There’s likely no time to communicate and provide user support for logging out of systems and applications without increasing vulnerabilities in identity and access management. The IT team needs a fast way to instantly lock all accounts and secure systems.
Every industry using software tools needs strong downtime IAM policies, including:
- Banking and finance
- B2C companies
- Crypto platforms and projects
- SaaS and B2B companies