Automated access management at Jörg Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG

Satisfied Access Manager customer since 2019

“The BAYOOSOFT Access Manager turns a labor-intensive access management into a real self-runner and takes an enormous amount of work off our shoulders in the IT department,” praises Andreas Wittmers, System Administrator Data Center / IT, “It is a super tool to fulfill the issues of file permissions, data protection and data security in one go.”

With the first joint factory in the Czech Republic, the cooperation of Mecanindus with the family business Jörg Vogelsang began in 1999. In 2003, the Mecanindus-Vogelsang-Group was founded when Mecanindus acquired the business shares in the German company. The group now produces connectors and fasteners for more than 1,000 international customers at six locations in Europe, China, and the U.S.

Complex manual access management as an interim solution

Initially, there were no defined processes for access permission management at Jörg Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG. In the course of an audit, the question of IT approvals arose, which had to be painstakingly searched out individually. Andreas Wittmers, System Administrator of Data Center / IT, and his colleague worked out a manual process for permission assignment and documentation. This mainly consisted of an authorization form, which the folder sponsor completed, and IT as part of the application process. Then, it was filed in a folder by IT and transferred to an Excel spreadsheet by form number. Thus, traceability could be guaranteed anytime, and the search for the corresponding permission assignments was accelerated.

The folder sponsors were the departmental managers who knew which permissions would be issued to which employees in their area. However, after the employees filled out and submitted the form, it was not uncommon for quite a while to pass before the approval was completed. Sometimes employees sent the document to IT first instead of the folder sponsor, so the latter’s approval was missing. It also happened that forms disappeared during the approval process or were left with folder sponsors or IT because of other higher-priority issues. Hence, employees sometimes had to wait up to two weeks for authorization approvals. The process was lengthy, cumbersome, rigid, and annoying.

Finding the right software solution by coincidence

By coincidence, during an internet search, Andreas Wittmers came across the software solution of the Darmstadt-based software manufacturer BAYOOSOFT GmbH, which has been active on the market since 2001. A Windows Pro article about automated access management, in which the BAYOOSOFT Access Manager was mentioned, caught his attention. There was no project and no specific search for a suitable software solution. However, the BAYOOSOFT tool reproduced their manual process one-to-one, so it quickly became apparent that this had to be examined more closely. No sooner said than done, the evaluation began. A brief look outside the box proved unhelpful, as other tools did not precisely map the process they had designed themselves or contained far too many features that are irrelevant in day-to-day work.

After a product presentation and the accompanied test installation, Jörg Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG purchased the software solution from Darmstadt. The data protection officer reviewed the Access Manager features during the test phase. Glad that the product review was positive, and the approval for procurement was given by him promptly. “The BAYOOSOFT Access Manager mapped our process perfectly in its web workflow. I was amazed,” Andreas Wittmers recalls. This increased the access assignment workflow and the transparency and traceability of assigned permissions.

The implementation of the BAYOOSOFT Access Manager

The implementation of the BAYOOSOFT Access Manager went quickly. Both IT and management saw the potential of the software solution from Darmstadt, so the approval process for the required budget was shortened. The digitalization of their specially designed manual process was to take place immediately so that IT would be relieved of the burden of access management promptly. For this purpose, Jörg Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG added the Go Live package, in which a solution engineer from BAYOOSOFT GmbH assisted the IT department. The productive system was set up on the previous test system and expanded within the company.

“Our cooperation with BAYOOSOFT Support was perfect. The installation worked excellently, there were best practice tips at all times that made it easier to get started, and appointments could be made and implemented promptly with the primary contact person,” Andreas Wittmers praises the cooperation. As part of the introduction, the data managers were gradually taught by IT about the functions of their role as the Access Manager during a 1:1 training session. For employees, the end users, there was a brief guide on the intranet on how to apply for permissions. Integration into the daily work routine was quick thanks to the intuitive handling, and everyone involved is getting along very well with the software solution.

Everyday work with the BAYOOSOFT Access Manager

The central component, Self Service Portal, integrates end users, data owners, and folder sponsors directly into the access management process, so permission requests can be processed and documented without IT. “BAYOOSOFT Access Manager is a nice self-starter. It takes an enormous amount of work off our shoulders in IT so that we can concentrate on other issues,” reports Andreas Wittmers. This software is used for classic file server management and third-party management, the organization of memberships in already existing AD security groups. It can be used, for example, to manage authorizations for VPN connections, which are increasingly needed in times of the Covid-19 home office. “In the days of Covid-19, the Access Manager helped us tremendously in setting up the home office. Employees could apply for access themselves and only needed assistance setting up the VPN connection,” says Andreas Wittmers.

The advantages for Jörg Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG through the use of the BAYOOSOFT Access Manager are as follows:

Time savings in the access assignment process
Reduction of effort in the day-to-day work of the IT department
Reliability and permanent availability of documentation
Increased transparency of permissions
Compliance with the need-to-know principle
Optimal cost/benefit ratio

In summary, it can be said that the use of the BAYOOSOFT Access Manager relieves the IT department enormously in its day-to-day work. Audit-compliant documentation is guaranteed at all times without IT intervention. The software solution runs error-free and includes all the features that IT wanted in this area. “BAYOOSOFT Access Manager runs out of the box, makes everything verifiable and auditable, has an excellent cost-benefit ratio, and is a super tool to fulfill the topics of file permissions, data protection, and data security at one go,” praises Andreas Wittmers, “I would definitely recommend Access Manager to anyone at any time.”

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Modules in Use: Fileserver Management, 3rd Party Management