Department of Energy (DOE)
Identity and Access Management Assessment for Argonne National Laboratory
Products Evaluated
20 vendor solutions
Assessment Duration
3 months
Context
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), a multidisciplinary research center under the Department of Energy (DOE), sought to modernize its aging, custom-built Identity and Access Management (IAM) system. Built on End-of-Life technologies, Visual Basic 6, the legacy system was no longer sustainable, creating significant operational risks, inefficiencies, and security vulnerabilities. These limitations hampered ANL’s ability to meet modernization goals, align with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) mandates, compliance requirements, and adopt DOE’s Cloud Smart Initiatives.
Challenge
Although ANL’s IT staff recognized the critical need to replace the outdated IAM system, they required an independent assessment to demonstrate the urgency and secure buy-in from key stakeholders. The legacy system relied on fragmented workflows, manual processes, and hardcoded policies, increasing compliance risks and security vulnerabilities. ANL needed a comprehensive analysis, a clear evaluation of potential solutions, and effective communication tools to prioritize investment in a solution with modern IAM and Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) capabilities.
Provided Argonne with As-Is system findings, product recommendations and a clear and actionable roadmap for transforming its IAM system into a modern, scalable solution
Solution
greenthreads delivered a complete assessment within the required three-month window, culminating in a presentation to the ANL CIO and other stakeholders to support strategic decision-making. The assessment included:
- Current System Analysis: Identified existing capabilities, risks, inefficiencies, and gaps. Using stakeholder interviews and documentation, greenthreads developed detailed “as-is” architecture diagrams to map the legacy system’s workflows, integrations, and challenges.
- Requirements Refinement: Defined functional and non-functional requirements aligned with ZTA principles, DOE security and compliance mandates, and industry best practices.
- Product Evaluations: Conducted an objective assessment of 20 IAM and IGA vendor product suites, evaluating criteria including: vendor health, FedRAMP compliance, technical capabilities aligning with ANL’s requirements for IAM and IGA, pricing, and support services. After vendor demos, greenthreads provided a shortlist of three recommendationed products alternatives having the best balance of capabilities and cost.
- Roadmap Development: Delivered a phased migration plan, including “to-be” architecture diagrams to visualize the future state. The roadmap emphasized automation, policy-driven workflows, and a Universal Directory to unify identity data management.
Result
greenthreads provided ANL with a clear and actionable roadmap for transforming its IAM system into a modern, scalable solution. The assessment and briefing enabled ANL to:
- Enhance automation and efficiency in identity lifecycle management, reducing reliance on manual processes.
- Introduce self-service access capabilities to streamline user and administrative workflows.
- Improve security and compliance through robust audit and recertification capabilities.
Acting on greenthreads’ recommendations, ANL conducted custom proof-of-concept evaluations with shortlisted vendors and selected our top recommendation. The laboratory has since initiated its phased implementation roadmap, with the recommended solution serving as the foundation for its future-ready IAM infrastructure.
Products Evaluated
20 vendor solutions
Assessment Duration
3 months
Benefit
greenthreads’ assessment empowered Argonne National Laboratory to transition to a robust, standards-based IAM and IGA solution aligned with DOE’s Cloud Smart Initiatives and ZTA goals. By implementing a modern IGA product, ANL is streamlining operations, strengthening security and compliance, and preparing its IAM system to meet evolving organizational needs and future demands.
