Premier beauty brand adopts next-gen user directory and device management

Background

Our client is an award-winning supplier of beauty and personal care products that has been growing as fast as the popularity of its premier brand. 

To accommodate that growth, our client understood the need to improve security for its expanding international fleet of computers, all while empowering the People Experience team to streamline operations.

Challenge

Rapid growth is exciting, and naturally every brand dreams of being en vogue and in demand. But that same growth may outpace existing infrastructure and challenge any organization to support and manage the increased demands on a lean IT team. Our client’s leadership team embraced that challenge by looking for next-generation tools to modernize the company’s IT infrastructure.

With a larger, more dynamic team, our client sought tighter controls around application access and data storage to ensure that everyone has access to the tools and equipment they need while minimizing the chances of compromised data.

Several industry-wide developments helped draw the outline of what our client needed, including cloud-first platforms, security systems centered on identity verification, integrated device management, and the seamless integration of third-party services into user directories.

Macktez further defined our client’s need for a solution that would:

• Allow management of a diverse mix of hardware and software.
• Streamline the process of onboarding and offboarding employees and their associated devices.
• Enhance security by implementing robust user authentication and device management policies.
• Improve IT support efficiency by enabling remote access and management of end-user devices.
• Facilitate a smooth transition for end-users with minimal disruption to their daily workflows.
• Be flexible enough to grow and change with the organization as it moves forward.

Solution

With a blend of Mac and Windows devices across multiple departments and international geographical locations, our client needed an efficient way to handle user authentication and device management from a central platform.

Macktez first performed a discovery phase: we reviewed the Active Directory, domain controllers, and other systems in place; audited dozens of web applications in use to determine single sign-on requirements; met with stakeholders from our client and its parent company; and specifically reviewed the implications of our client’s culture of BYOD on security.

What we found was an Active Directory environment governed by a single on-prem domain controller with no redundancy and a “hybrid join” dependency that was already deprecated by Microsoft. Security groups were not consistently used, and Intune was not in use for device management. Additionally, policy updates could be received by remote workers only if they connected to VPN.

In conversations with our client’s in-house IT leadership, Macktez recommended a comprehensive project to modernize their user directory with JumpCloud, a cloud-based cross-platform directory for user and device management. JumpCloud would allow our client to embrace “work-from-anywhere in the world” without sacrificing security, by integrating user authentication for several critical platforms (Microsoft, Google, Zoom, Slack, Amazon Web Services, HR, and more) and device management with JumpCloud’s cloud directory.

Macktez developed a project plan and training schedule, then collaborated with our client’s in-house IT team for individual user and device enrollments. Our solution included:

• Automated enrollment and binding of new Windows PCs to JumpCloud, including pre-configuration, software installation, and user provisioning.
• Detailed migration procedures for both Windows and Mac devices, including data backup, user profile transfer, and application setup.
• Comprehensive end-user support through scheduled appointments and remote assistance.
• Establishing key dates and milestones, with regular after-action meetings to address issues and ensure project progress.
• Maintaining detailed user trackers and documentation to monitor progress and ensure data accuracy.

Results

By successfully executing this directory modernization, Macktez enabled our client to efficiently manage and secure its IT infrastructure — thereby supporting continued growth and maximizing operational effectiveness.

Overall project benefits included:

• Enhanced security: Implemented strong user authentication and device management through JumpCloud, reducing security risks and improving data protection.
• Streamlined IT management: Centralized management of user identities and devices simplified IT operations and improved efficiency.
• Improved IT support: Enabled remote access and management of end-user devices, allowing for faster issue resolution and reduced downtime.
• Standardized environment: Established a standardized hardware and software environment, simplifying maintenance and reducing compatibility issues.
• Secure user onboarding/offboarding: Streamlined the process of adding and removing users and their associated devices from the network.
• Minimized user disruption: Provided comprehensive support and phased rollout minimized disruption to end-user workflows during the transition.

International support: Successfully managed the enrollment and integration of international office devices, extending the benefits of the project globally.