Randstad is the world’s leading talent company. Thanks in part to SITS|Traxion, tens of thousands of employees across 39 countries now have secure access to the data and knowledge they need to do their jobs. Randstad can rely on one solution, one security standard, and one uniform approach to access management. “As a user, you should feel comfortable and supported right away.”
Over the past few decades, Randstad has steadily grown into a global leader in the HR services industry. Every year, Randstad places two million talents. That work is carried out by nearly 45,000 employees, mostly intermediaries and recruiters. Randstad’s impressive growth stems from the vision of founder Frits Goldsmeding. Back in 1960—when permanent jobs were still the norm—Goldsmeding saw the potential of temporary labor and founded Randstad. Today, the company is active in 39 countries across five continents.
Randstad’s rapid growth is partly due to the autonomy granted to individual countries. These countries—operating countries or “Markets”—operate independently and can make their own choices in many areas, including software. Although this autonomy fueled Randstad’s success, it also introduced certain limitations.
Erwin van der Meulen, Head of Global Application Management, is responsible for the rollout, management, and security of the systems Randstad uses globally. “Until recently, everything was set up locally,” he explains. “Maintaining such a diverse landscape is challenging. We’re now gradually changing that. We’re moving towards one harmonized way of working, also in terms of IT. In the global market we operate in, we prefer one way of working and one solution to a problem, rather than 39 different ones.”
Securing the knowledge, personal data, and other information Randstad works with was one of the main challenges. How do you keep the sensitive data of millions of talents, tens of thousands of employees, and countless clients safe within a fragmented system landscape with thousands of applications? The staffing firm needed one solution, one security standard, and one uniform approach to access rights management. Van der Meulen: “What rights do new employees have when they join Randstad? What should they be allowed to access based on their profile? And what not? We needed one uniform, automated, and user-friendly process for Identity Governance and Access Management. As a user, you should feel comfortable and supported right away—having immediate access to all the knowledge and data needed for your job.”
“SITS|Traxion is a knowledge-intensive organization. They understand procedures, roles, access rights, and identities. But they also excel in business consulting and development. On top of that, they’re simply great people to work with. That’s a big plus.”
– Erwin van der Meulen –
Randstad turned to SITS|Traxion for help. No one knows Identity Governance & Access Management (IGA), Identity & Access Management (IAM), and Privileged Access Management (PAM) like SITS|Traxion does. With SITS|Traxion, Randstad found a partner for business consulting and crafting a clear roadmap—as well as for rollout and support. “You need specialists for a project like this,” says Van der Meulen. “People who truly understand what Identity, Governance, and Access Management entails and can translate that to a complex organization like Randstad. SITS|Traxion is a knowledge-intensive organization.
They understand procedures, roles, access rights, and identities. But they also excel in business consulting and development. On top of that, they’re simply great people to work with. That’s a big plus.” Initially, SITS|Traxion played a key role—together with Randstad Global—in shaping a global IAM vision and strategy. Once that strategy and its frameworks were crystal clear, Randstad needed a strong solution to support that policy worldwide. SITS|Traxion guided the selection of the right solution. Randstad chose SailPoint for its extensive IAM capabilities. Previously—also with SITS|Traxion’s help—they had already implemented two-factor authentication. With SailPoint, employees now access all the apps they need for their work using just one account.
Some Markets use up to 100 or even 200 applications. Linking all of them would be unmanageable. Van der Meulen: “That’s why we asked SITS|Traxion to connect at least Google Workspace, the local HR system, and the local Active Directory to SailPoint in each Market. These are the essential components you need to track when a new employee is ‘born’—after which they are assigned the correct access rights based on their profile.”
The implementation of these three systems took place in three phases per country. In the first phase, SITS|Traxion assessed exactly what needed to be done. This was followed by the build phase, during which the Market’s systems were connected to SailPoint. Finally, the aftercare phase began, during which additional systems could be integrated if needed. Van der Meulen: “We handled it country by country. As the build phase began in one country, we were already launching the assessment questions for the next.”
“You have to engage with each Market to understand which systems they use and what’s needed to connect the core components. Despite time zone and cultural differences, SITS|Traxion really made that connection well”
– Erwin van der Meulen –
Van der Meulen looks back fondly on the close collaboration between Randstad and Traxion. “You have to engage with each Market to understand which systems they use and what’s needed to connect the core components. Despite time zone and cultural differences, SITS|Traxion really made that connection well. You need cultural sensitivity to have those conversations with the Markets.”
Randstad is now reaping the benefits of its global IAM system. SailPoint currently manages 50,000 identities centrally. This results in major efficiencies, convenience, and cost savings. Van der Meulen: “When a manager registers you, the system ensures you get an account on time and access to the essential systems. When you leave the company, your account and access rights are terminated in time.”
The likelihood of employees gaining unauthorized access to data or systems is now very small. “If someone does try, we spot it much faster. We now have far better control over our data. It’s become much easier to report clearly on role separation and system security.” This is especially useful during tenders. “The IGA implementation has commercial value as well,” says Van der Meulen. “We’ve built a solid foundation and are ready for the next phase—step by step, we’re working towards a fully harmonized application landscape.”
Are you ready to discover the full potential of Identity & Access Management and Privileged Access Management? Our team of experts is ready to answer all your questions and support you every step of the way towards a successful and secure IAM solution.
You can reach us at sales.nl@traxion.com or by calling 0418 – 653 883. We are happy to assist you!
Not sure where to begin? Start with our IAM Discovery, a thorough maturity assessment designed to give you a complete picture of your current IAM environment and a roadmap for the future.
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