How One IT Team Saved $1M Annually by Automating Employee Onboarding and Offboarding

How a Large Retail Organization Saved Over $1M Annually by Automating Onboarding: A Conversation with Their VP of Technology

When we first connected with the IT team at a large, multi-location retail organization, they were facing a challenge many companies still struggle with: onboarding and offboarding employees was entirely manual. The process was time-consuming, error-prone, and expensive. For a company with thousands of employees across dozens of locations, this wasn't just a nuisance — it was a significant operational burden.

I recently sat down with their VP of Technology, Charlie, to reflect on our work together and share insights that might help other IT teams — whether you're supporting a retail network, a distributed workforce, or a fast-growing team — rethink how identity automation can transform your operations.

Loralee: Charlie, let’s start at the beginning. What did your onboarding and offboarding process look like before automation?

Charlie, VP of Technology:
Before we brought in Identic, we had five full-time team members responsible for user provisioning and deprovisioning. That meant manually creating or disabling accounts across dozens of platforms — point-of-sale systems, internal tools, email, and vendor portals. Every new hire or departure triggered a flurry of manual steps.

It wasn’t just tedious. We were introducing risk — delayed access, forgotten deactivations, and unnecessary permissions lingering long after someone had left. And with our constant hiring and turnover, we felt like we were stuck in a loop.

Loralee: That sounds like a huge resource drain. What made you finally start exploring automation?

Charlie:
We had just opened another batch of retail locations and were onboarding staff weekly. The volume made it clear we couldn’t scale our existing model. We were losing hours — if not days — every week just to account setup.

We needed to shift our IT team's focus to higher-value work — projects that improve security, support the business, and future-proof our infrastructure. That’s what pushed us to explore a smarter approach.

Loralee: Once we kicked off the project, what stood out to you about working with the Identic team?

Charlie:
It felt like you understood our world right away. We didn’t have to rebuild our systems or wait for months to see results. Your team jumped in, mapped our workflows, and started automating quickly — even the difficult apps that don’t have APIs or traditional integrations.

We’ve worked with other vendors who promise automation and deliver complexity. Identic delivered automation and simplicity.

Loralee: That’s exactly what we aim for. What were the most meaningful outcomes from your perspective?

Charlie:
We went from five people manually provisioning accounts to zero. That alone saved us over $1M per year in labor and opportunity cost.

But beyond the cost savings, we gained control. We now have full audit trails, real-time metrics on provisioning, and automated alerts if something’s off. It’s no longer a black box — I can walk into an executive meeting and answer exactly who has access to what, and why.

Loralee: That’s music to an IT leader’s ears. What advice would you give to others who are still handling provisioning manually?

Charlie:
First, assess how much time and money you're really spending on this. It’s easy to overlook, but it adds up fast — especially if you're scaling or have high turnover.

Second, don’t wait until you have a perfect process. Start with one workflow and improve from there. Identic integrated with what we already had — no major disruption, just results.

And finally, if you're trying to scale your business or your team, automation isn’t a luxury. It’s a prerequisite.

Loralee: Couldn’t agree more. Thanks again, Charlie. It's been a privilege working alongside your team.

Key Takeaways for IT Leaders

• Automate early. Manual provisioning doesn’t scale — and introduces avoidable risk.

• Focus on the hard apps. The ones without APIs are often the ones creating the most friction.

• Integrate with what you already use. The right platform won’t force you to rip and replace.

• Measure ROI — and visibility. Audit trails, accountability, and cost savings are all built-in.

Ready to see how this could work at your organization?
Schedule a 30-minute automation strategy call with Identic »