Topic starter
14/05/2026 6:12 pm
TL;DR: Eve Maler argues that identity teams should operate like product owners, not ticket-takers, because identity now serves protection, personalization, payment, and people at once, according to Saviynt. The shift reframes metrics, stakeholder expectations, and service design, making governance a product problem rather than a queue-management problem.
Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by Saviynt: “Eve Maler on why identity teams need to stop thinking like ticket-takers”.
Key questions
Q: How should identity teams move from ticket queues to product ownership?
A: Start by defining identity as a service with users, outcomes, and service levels.
Q: Why does a ticket queue model fail for identity governance?
A: A queue model optimises throughput, not service quality.
Q: How do you know if identity is being run like a product?
A: Look for clear service ownership, defined user journeys, outcome-based metrics, and prioritisation that reflects stakeholder needs rather than only request volume.
Practitioner guidance
- Define identity as a managed service Document the identity product’s users, journeys, service boundaries, and ownership model so the team can prioritise outcomes instead of tickets.
- Replace queue metrics with outcome metrics Track measures such as time to access, error rate, user friction, and business enablement alongside security and compliance measures.
- Map the Four Ps to programme goals Separate protection, personalisation, payment, and people into explicit objectives so stakeholders can see which outcomes are being balanced in each decision.
Bottom line: Identity teams that operate as ticket queues optimise throughput, but not the broader service outcomes modern identity programmes are expected to deliver.
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This topic was modified 6 days ago by NHI Mgmt Group
This topic was modified 4 days ago 2 times by NHI Mgmt Group
14/05/2026 6:13 pm
Identity teams are becoming product organisations whether they admit it or not. Once identity supports security, personalisation, payment, and user experience, ticket handling is too narrow to describe the job. The operating model has to shift from request fulfilment to service ownership, with clear outcomes, service boundaries, and accountability. That is an IAM governance change, not a workflow tweak.
A question worth separating out:
Q: What should identity teams do when identity serves both security and business goals?
A: Separate the objectives explicitly and document the trade-offs. Identity teams should make it clear when a decision is optimising protection, personalisation, payment, or user experience, because those goals can conflict and need visible governance.
👉 Read our full editorial: Identity teams must move from ticket queues to product ownership
This post was modified 6 days ago by NHI Mgmt Group