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A key theme that keeps coming up in conversation with identity leaders: application onboarding at scale is slowing down IAM roadmaps. 

Whether teams are onboarding their first 20 applications into SailPoint Identity Security Cloud (ISC) or migrating hundreds from an ageing IdentityIQ (IIQ) environment, the pain points were consistent —  too many custom requirements, not enough skilled resources, and inconsistent onboarding processes across business units. 

At ProofID, we’ve seen this challenge play out across industries. But one customer story in particular, Nelnet, highlights what’s possible when you bring structure, repeatability, and real-world experience to SailPoint onboarding. 

Nelnet: Onboarding Applications 2× Faster with a Factory Model

Nelnet is a diversified financial services and technology company operating across loan servicing, fintech, education software, renewable energy, and communications. With such a broad portfolio, they needed an identity platform that could scale, with consistent governance across thousands of identities and hundreds of applications, and the flexibility to support both cloud and legacy systems.

 

ProofID partnered with Nelnet through two major SailPoint programs: 
  • Initial implementation of SailPoint IdentityIQ (IIQ)
  • Migration from IIQ to SailPoint Identity Security Cloud (ISC) 
Across both phases, we successfully onboarded and migrated 50–75 applications, each with different integration patterns, owners, and governance requirements. The result: application onboarding completed in half the time expected, with consistent quality — and a repeatable model Nelnet now uses internally. 

The Pain Point: Complex Apps, Limited Resources, Slow Progress 

Many organisations experience the same challenges Nelnet faced: 
  • Custom and legacy applications with no ready-made connectors 
  • Inconsistent onboarding processes across teams 
  • Data quality issues that cause delays and rework 
  • Stakeholder bottlenecks during testing and validation 
  • Pressure to show value quickly as budgets tighten and program visibility increases 
Identity leaders frequently echo these frustrations. SailPoint provides a powerful platform, but without a disciplined onboarding approach, progress slows — and executive support wanes. Nelnet needed to move fast. So, we introduced a new approach. 

The Factory Model: ProofID’s Blueprint for Scalable Onboarding 

Instead of treating each application as a bespoke, standalone project, we use a factory model to create a production-line approach to SailPoint onboarding. It’s structured, repeatable, and engineered for scale. 

How the Factory Model Works 

1. Standardised Onboarding Templates 

Each application type—OOB connectors, SaaS apps, JDBC, REST, custom on-prem—uses a prebuilt template optimised through dozens of deployments. 
 
2. Application Categorisation 
We classify applications based on complexity, integration pattern, provisioning needs, and governance risk—allowing predictable timeframes from day one. 
 
3. Parallel Workstreams 
Multiple onboarding “pods” work in parallel, increasing throughput without sacrificing quality. 
 
4. Clear Roles & Responsibilities 
Business owners, technical SMEs, and QA teams follow a consistent RACI model to eliminate confusion and delays. 
 
5. Automation & Tooling 
Where possible, we automate entitlement ingestion, account aggregation, configuration steps, and workflow deployment using SailPoint APIs and scripts. 
 
6. Tracking & Measurement 
Dashboards track cycle times, exceptions, and readiness—making bottlenecks visible instantly. 
 
This model is how we doubled Nelnet’s speed—and why organisations across banking, fintech, and higher education are adopting the same approach. 
 

What This Looks Like in Practice: Timeframes You Can Count On

Using Nelnet as an example, typical onboarding timelines through the factory model included:

Out-of-the-Box (OOB) Connectors
Active Directory, Azure AD, Workday, ServiceNow, Salesforce
10–14 business days

SaaS Apps via SCIM/REST/SaaS Connectors
Zoom, GitHub, AWS, Google Workspace
14–21 business days

Legacy or Custom On-Prem Applications
Internal HR systems, databases, mainframes
20+ business days, depending on customisation and provisioning complexity

These aren’t best-case estimates—they’re real timelines delivered for Nelnet and consistently achieved across other ProofID programs.

Accelerating Onboarding in SailPoint ISC

Migrating to or scaling within SailPoint Identity Security Cloud presents new opportunities to speed up onboarding. At Nelnet, we leveraged:

  • Prebuilt configuration templates for faster setup
  • APIs to bulk-load applications, connections, and entitlements
  • Governance Groups to simplify policy and certification scale-out
  • Lifecycle Events & rules to automate provisioning flows and reduce manual admin

The result is a cloud-native onboarding engine that scales as your program matures—without reinventing the wheel each time.

Why This Matters for Identity Leaders Today

Identity teams are under pressure:

  • Talent shortages persist
  • Regulatory demands are increasing
  • Attack surfaces continue to grow
  • Boards want measurable progress, fast

Large-scale application onboarding is where programs win or lose momentum.

The organisations that succeed are the ones who adopt industrialised identity—repeatable, predictable onboarding at scale, powered by a partner that understands both SailPoint and enterprise complexity.

Ready to Accelerate Your Application Onboarding?

If large-scale onboarding is a blocker, we can help.

ProofID has deep SailPoint expertise across both IdentityIQ and Identity Security Cloud, with a proven track record delivering complex onboarding for global enterprises.

Let’s cut timelines, reduce rework, and give your identity program the momentum it needs.

How Modern IGA Programmes Should Deliver Value

Ideally, a modern IGA programme functions as a living business control system. It should not be a static compliance exercise but a dynamic capability that reduces risk and streamlines operations.

The primary value drivers include:

  • Automated Lifecycle Management: eliminating manual provisioning for joiners and leavers.
  • Risk Reduction: ensuring "least privilege" access to sensitive data.
  • Audit Confidence: providing immediate proof of compliance during reviews.
  • Operational Efficiency: freeing up IT service desks from routine password resets and access requests.

When working correctly, the platform acts as a bridge, translating business decisions into technical enforcement.
ProofID
ProofID
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