When Access Management Becomes a Problem You Can’t Ignore

It started the way many operational issues do. Quietly.

Contractor access requests came in through email, chat, and side conversations. Some were documented in spreadsheets. Others were not. Each team had a slightly different process, and there was no centralized tracking. The Cybersecurity team often had to follow up manually, trying to determine which accounts were still active and which ones should have been disabled weeks ago. Leadership asked for visibility, but there was no easy way to provide it.

The issue was clear. There was no system. Just a collection of workarounds.

That is when Smartsheet became the foundation for a new approach.

The first step was to eliminate inconsistencies by creating a standardized request form. All contractor access requests were submitted through the same form, ensuring that required fields were captured and approvals were routed correctly. This gave us a consistent process and an immediate audit trail.

Next, automations were introduced to manage access lifecycles. Smartsheet now tracks expiration dates and sends proactive reminders ahead of time. If no action is taken, the system flags the record, making it easy to see where follow-up is needed. This reduced manual oversight and helped ensure that expired accounts did not go unnoticed.

Custom views were built using WorkApps to meet the needs of different users. The Cybersecurity team gained real-time visibility into all active and pending accounts. Managers received a simple interface to approve or decline renewals. Leadership could access a filtered view of access across individual contractors, vendors, and expiration timelines without having to dig through raw data.

Over time, what began as a tracking sheet became a daily operational tool. The system was no longer optional. It was the standard.

The biggest change was behavioral. Teams stopped relying on memory and informal processes. They began using a centralized platform that reinforced accountability and improved security. Everyone knew where to look, what needed action, and when to follow up.

This is the kind of change that does not require a major overhaul. It only requires the right system, consistently applied.

Clarity follows structure. And structure, when done well, becomes habit.