Blackhawk Technical College Case Study

From Complexity to Control: Blackhawk Technical College’s HelloID Transformation with Heartland

Many organizations strive to manage identity and access securely and efficiently. Blackhawk Technical College embraced this endeavor, navigating through outdated code and intricate account provisioning and management processes. This case study explores their journey from these initial stages to the successful implementation of HelloID, highlighting the critical phases and the transformative impact of this identity management solution.

Challenges Before HelloID

Blackhawk Technical College previously used an outdated system for provisioning accounts. The complex, hard-to-understand code led to inefficiencies, requiring a team of external consultants for management. This cumbersome process caused delays for simple changes and incurred significant annual expenses, hindering both operational agility and cost efficiency.

Evaluation and Selection of HelloID

Blackhawk Technical College considered several options while searching for a more effective identity management solution. However, HelloID stood out due to its intuitive interface, ease of use, and competitive pricing. These factors, coupled with its robust capabilities, made HelloID the clear choice for the college. During this process, Heartland Business Systems played a key role as a trusted partner. Their expertise, guidance, and hands-on support were instrumental in helping the college evaluate available solutions and confidently select HelloID as its provisioning platform. Heartland provided both technical insight and strategic direction, ensuring that the chosen solution aligned with Blackhawk’s operational goals and long-term identity management strategy.

“HelloID has proved to be invaluable to our account lifecycle process.“

Joshua Verdin, Infrastructure Manager

Key Product Highlights

Integration and Adaptability: One of the standout features of HelloID for Blackhawk Technical College was its seamless integration with existing systems and software infrastructure. The college successfully integrated HelloID with Banner’s database, Active Directory, and Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory). Additionally, they are in the process of connecting it to other systems, including their ID and badge-printing software. This adaptability has been vital for streamlining provisioning processes and enabling rapid adjustments to user management policies.

Throughout this phase, Heartland Business Systems provided critical support, helping ensure HelloID was properly configured to meet both security and automation requirements. Their hands-on involvement helped accelerate integration efforts and ensured a smooth alignment with the college’s existing environment.

Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity: HelloID has significantly boosted Blackhawk Technical College’s efficiency and productivity. Previously, changes to provisioning took weeks and required a consultant’s assistance, often leading to a trial-and-error approach with minimal quality assurance. With HelloID, these changes can be made in minutes, enabling the college to preview the impact before implementation. This streamlined operations and eliminated the $14,000 per year the college spent on consulting fees for simple changes.

Security Enhancement and Compliance: The college implemented numerous new security features, including changes to user entitlements, groups, and permissions. HelloID simplified the process of updating user entitlements and adding users to the appropriate security groups, while seamlessly controlling conditional access policies, permissions, and access. Joshua Verdin, the Infrastructure Manager, stated, “Without HelloID, it would have probably taken an extra year to implement these new security features.” Additionally, HelloID has enhanced the deprovisioning process, ensuring that all data is transferred to the correct individuals.

Customer Support and Implementation Experience

The implementation of HelloID was smooth and well-supported. In addition to Tools4ever’s support team, Heartland Business Systems played a significant role throughout deployment and beyond. From early planning stages through rollout and optimization, Heartland acted as a strategic partner, guiding decisions, troubleshooting challenges, and ensuring a successful implementation.

Their partnership continues to add value post-deployment, supporting ongoing improvements, expanding system integrations, and helping the college maximize the platform’s capabilities. Their deep understanding of Blackhawk’s environment and commitment to delivering tailored solutions have made them an integral part of the college’s identity management ecosystem.

Future Outlook and Endorsement

HelloID is set to play a pivotal role in Blackhawk Technical College’s long-term goals and strategies. Its proven capability and responsiveness have motivated the college to expand its use across more systems within the organization. Verdin stated, “HelloID has proved to be invaluable to our account lifecycle process.”

With continued support from Heartland Business Systems, the college is well-positioned to further enhance automation, improve workflows, and extend identity management capabilities across additional systems. Given their positive experience, Blackhawk Technical College recommends HelloID to similar organizations for its ease of use, simplicity, and efficient implementation process.

Conclusion

The shift to HelloID has been a positive change for Blackhawk Technical College. It has resolved the operational and security challenges posed by the previous system, enhanced efficiency and productivity, and significantly improved security and compliance. The smooth implementation experience, strengthened by the combined support of Tools4ever and Heartland Business Systems, further highlights the value of HelloID as a modern identity management solution.