We are delighted to announce that we are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide a bespoke common Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solution to allow their customers and staff to access multiple services using a single credential. We have successfully implemented digital identity solutions for central government departments, such as the Department for Work and Pensions, UK Hydrographic Office and the Scottish Government.
Defra offers multiple services to individuals and organisations, and some are already accessible digitally, while others are still being digitised. Defra’s digitised services are historically self-contained and as a result, users create an account to access a specific service that they require, affecting how Defra secures customer information.
Claire White, Digital Deputy Director at Defra said, “To avoid any overlaps within our userbase, Defra have embarked on a project to provide all services digitally and provide a centralised Customer Identity and Access Management system. Condatis have come in to help us achieve our strategic objective to have a single customer record for all our customers, regardless of which service they access and a single login credential to make access easier and smoother. We have an extensive roadmap of different services that will be digitised and onboarded next. A solution like this would be suitable to support us in continually expanding the available functionality of the platform.”
“Customer identity management is a challenge many public and private organisations face, and although the challenge may be the same, they all require a different approach. Our team at Condatis provide a bespoke implementation approach for each client. In this instance, Defra as an organisation provide key services for food, farming and fishing industries across the whole UK, and it’s essential that access to such a vast database is managed effectively and securely,” says Chris Tate, Chief Executive Officer at Condatis.
Our solution, aligned with Defra’s strategic objectives, will allow users to perform single sign-on between multiple services using a single login credential without needing re-authenticating each time. This system will utilise Microsoft Dynamics 365’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality to store all customers’ details in a single place rather than across multiple services and platforms.
Active Directory B2C runs on the Microsoft Azure platform and benefits from the scalability and security afforded by Azure. B2C is also extensible to add support for additional credentials, including multi-factor authentication, and can be integrated with various external systems, enabling support for increased identity assurance.
We have designed and built a multi-region environment in conjunction with Defra that will help to reduce the possibility of service downtime through automatic failover in the event of a localised Azure outage.
The development of a suite of automated tests helps to ensure that enhancements to the system are effective and do not adversely impact existing functionality while supporting volume and accessibility testing.
Using Azure AD B2C to manage customer identity simplifies user access for Defra’s customers, enhancing their digital experience. Defra customers will only need to use one account to access any digital services supported by that account. This allows Defra to safely keep track of all their customers in one place, offering users a degree of self-management. The system will simplify processes for their helpdesk team by giving them a single data source to access customer details, making it easier to assist with customer enquiries.
This engagement forms part of Defra’s long term strategic objective to simplify access to digital services. Currently, five services use the central CRM, and we are helping expand that system to encompass any existing and future digital services.
About Defra
The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs is responsible for improving and protecting the environment. Defra aims to grow a green economy and sustain thriving rural communities, supporting the UK’s world-leading food, farming and fishing industries. Please visit Defra’s website for more information.