How Sugar Identity Helps You Manage Your CRM's Data Security

‘Security’ is one of those buzzwords we hear every day in multiple contexts:

“Is your home secure enough? You should buy our home security cameras!”

“Ensure your financial security by investing with our top team of financial managers!”

“Does your company have adequate data security measures in place? Use our software to prevent breaches!”

When it comes to the security of data in your Customer Relationship Management system (CRM), you may be thinking that the unique usernames and passwords set up by your team members are enough to safeguard your curated list of prospects and active opportunities. And generally, you’d be right.

But at Highland, we’ve found that the effort to maintain all those unique usernames and passwords can be a hindrance for our sales team, who just want to get into the CRM, log their activities, and get out as quickly as possible. After all, their highest value is in the facetime they spend with prospects and customers, not in the time they spend on data entry.

Many organizations are implementing Single Sign-On, enabling their Sales Team and all team members to access multiple web-based applications with a single username and password. This approach reduces the onus on your Sales Team to recall yet another password specific to Sugar. Sales Leaders can work with their IT department to implement Single Sign-On. When used alongside SugarIdentity, teams can further centralize user access management.

How A Single Sign-On Benefits Sales Leaders

1. Streamline new user set up. 
   Grant access to multiple corporate systems in one place when you add a new hire. You can further tailor CRM access within Sugar by adding the Roles and Teams you’ve always used.
2. Reduce risk at the point of staff turn-over. 
   When a team member leaves, your company has risk exposure that this individual could still access web-based applications and take some of your proprietary data with them. With centralized access management governing Sugar, as well as other corporate systems, departing user access can be terminated with one click.
3. Reduce reliance on sticky notes and other insecure methods for remembering passwords. 
   When your team members only have to remember one password to access all corporate systems, they will rely less on jotting passwords on sticky notes or re-using the same password for multiple applications. This reduces the risk that an unauthorized person may use those passwords to access your sensitive data customer and prospect data.

Here’s a look at how we operated BEFORE Single Sign-On: 

Here’s how we’ve streamlined our process AFTER implementing Single Sign-On:

So, you’ve recognized how your team would benefit from implementing a Single Sign-On process. But how do you get there? 

What Does It Take to Transition to Single Sign-On?

1. A tool for authentication and authorization. 
   Typically, an organization will select one of the popular, well-regarded tools available to govern authentication (a user is who she says she is) and authorization (this user has access to the application she is trying to log into). Highland’s CRM team has supported multiple clients in the transition to using Single Sign-On (Microsoft Active Directory, Ping Identity, OneLogin, Okta, etc.). 
   You and your IT leaders can read more about available options.
2. SugarIdentity. 
   SugarIdentity rollout has been seamless for our clients so far. CRM end users will experience very little change when logging in to Sugar. CRM admins will quickly learn the new steps to set up new hires or inactivate team members who leave the company. 
   Read more about SugarIdentity.
3. Coordination across teams. 
   Rolling out a User Access tool and SugarIdentity will take coordination across your IT department, Sales, procurement, and likely other decision-makers. Some organizations can manage this effort themselves, while others have sought Highland’s assistance to consult and manage through the steps to set up a fully connected test environment, then align the steps to roll out these changes across their “live” systems. Preparing all team members for the coming changes is a critical element of success. The impact that timely, clear communication and ongoing coordination of these efforts cannot be underestimated. 
   Read about Highland’s approach to values-informed project management. 

If you think it may be time to step up security measures while making access to Sugar even easier for your team, please contact me to discuss your goals. At Highland, we are always looking forward to the opportunity to be of service!