The 15-year impact of OneLogin on QAD's identity security

Benefits

• Enhanced operational efficiency through unified identity management
• Enabled IT team to focus on strategic initiatives beyond identity management
• Automated workflows for smooth onboarding and offboarding
• Cut access-related tickets and improved user satisfaction

The Story

For over 15 years, QAD, a global leader in enterprise software for manufacturing organizations, has relied on OneLogin to streamline identity management across their global operations.

The challenge of overcoming identity chaos

Initially, QAD sought an access management solution to consolidate its identities and enhance security. They needed a robust solution capable of scaling with their expanding needs, particularly as multifactor authentication and automated workflows were becoming critical. An essential requirement was the ability to connect both on-premises and cloud applications, given QAD’s mix of legacy systems and modern solutions. Throughout this process, prioritizing a seamless end-user experience was paramount.

After comparing the industry’s top solutions, QAD’s director of IT security and architecture, Scott Lawson, chose OneLogin for its comprehensive feature set, superior on-premises support and overall value.

“With OneLogin, you get the same advanced pieces for a better cost of ownership, and once you've implemented it, it's not that fussy,” Lawson said.

The integration of OneLogin marked a transformative shift in QAD's approach to identity and access management. By consolidating authentication processes and enforcing uniform security policies, OneLogin enabled QAD to achieve greater visibility and control over user access rights. OneLogin's flexibility in configuring connectors for QAD’s diverse environments has been crucial to seamlessly support its diverse user base of global employees, partners and contingent workers,

QAD prioritized simplicity for end users, minimizing changes and complexity. "We wanted to favor the end user," Lawson said. They empowered end-user groups to manage access to their own applications with SSO connectors and admin privileges within OneLogin. If a department uses a tool—for example a design tool like Figma—Lawson’s team would be able to allow departments to independently manage access to select tools, while still maintaining visibility and governance over all users. This approach has allowed users to manage access independently, while still ensuring efficiency and security through automation during onboarding and offboarding.

Implementing SmartFactor Authentication

In its 2024 renewal, QAD implemented OneLogin’s SmartFactor Authentication, introducing advanced security features such as compromised password detection and geolocation-based access controls. This addition further enhanced the organization’s security posture by identifying and mitigating risks associated with weak or compromised passwords and unauthorized access attempts.

Seamless integration and onboarding

The onboarding process for QAD's applications was straightforward when using OneLogin connectors for commonly used apps. This ease of integration minimized user friction and ensured a smooth transition to the new system.

Why OneLogin?

A key metric of OneLogin's success for QAD is the enhanced ability to manage user access, providing clear insights into authorized usage. Additionally, OneLogin's total cost of ownership and strong partnership approach contributed to its recommendation by QAD. The platform delivered advanced features at a better cost than other top access management solutions, and OneLogin’s commitment to acting as a partner in QAD's business growth reinforced their choice

“I would recommend OneLogin because they act like a partner of QAD in our best interest. They don't just sell you software and say, ‘see you’. They're going to be more of a partner in the forward movement of your business,” Lawson said.

Additionally, the ability to instantly revoke access through a single point of control has significantly strengthened QAD's security framework, ensuring quick responses to potential threats.

“If a user’s behavior is looking a little shady, we can just turn them off at OneLogin and that's their door – they only have one access point,” Lawson said. “We secured the perimeter to access applications with OneLogin.”

Fostering innovation

By reducing the administrative burden associated with identity management, QAD's IT team has been able to allocate more resources and time towards enhancing product innovation and customer satisfaction, ultimately driving greater business growth and agility.

When organizational changes required a new OneLogin administrator, QAD selected someone with experience in identity management, but no prior experience with OneLogin. Within a short time, the new administrator was fully proficient in using the platform. " I would say that's a testament that OneLogin is easy for an administrator to learn," Lawson said. This smooth transition allowed QAD to maintain robust security while fostering efficiency.