According to HID, in a new blog on its website, managing physical access in today’s hybrid, fast-moving organisations is no longer just about badges and doors — it’s about trust, compliance and control. Yet many security teams are still grappling with a critical challenge: identity data scattered across HR, IT and physical access systems.
In the latest episode of its Workforce Identity and Access Management podcast series, Matthew Lewis, Director of Product Marketing for Workforce ID, joins Don Campbell, VP of Product, to unpack this challenge and explore how centralising identity governance through PIAM can dramatically reduce risk, streamline operations and lay the foundation for smarter, scalable access control.
Listen to the podcast, here
The hidden cost of disconnected identities
Disconnected identities pose a significant risk to organisations. When identity data is scattered across HR, IT and physical security systems, it becomes nearly impossible to maintain a consistent, auditable source of truth. This lack of integrity undermines compliance, delays onboarding and increases the risk of overprovisioned access. In PIAM terms (physical identity and access management), it’s a breakdown of the identity life cycle, where enrolment, credentialing and access control operate in silos rather than in sync. As Don illustrates, even something as simple as a name discrepancy such as “Don Campbell” versus “Donald Campbell” can compromise the integrity of the system and lead to access errors, audit failures or worse.
These inconsistencies carry a tangible financial cost. Matthew references research that estimates the price tag for an incorrect data point is $10 each. Organisations experience an even higher cost per inaccurate identity record due to the cascading impact on access permissions, compliance and reporting.
More critically, disconnected identity data creates real security vulnerabilities. When access decisions are made using outdated, partial or inconsistent identity information, organisations risk granting access to the wrong individuals or failing to revoke access when roles change. “Trying to solve that problem after you’ve duplicated an identity like that is expensive,” Don notes. “It often requires manual intervention that doesn’t scale.”
The blog, and the podcast also covers the following: The policy engine approach to centralised identity governance, delegated identity management with centralised oversight, and synchronising identity with physical access control.
Strategic guidance for security professionals
In the podcast, Campbell outlines several key considerations for teams exploring PIAM solutions:
Assess the current state — Identify where identity data lives, how it’s managed and where inconsistencies occur. Quantify the cost of inefficiencies.
Define governance policies — Establish which systems are authoritative for each identity attribute and set clear rules for synchronisation
Build for flexibility — Choose solutions that support delegated management, dynamic policy changes and evolving workforce needs
When implemented with intention and strategy, PIAM empowers organisations to secure access for employees, contractors, suppliers and many more — all while minimising administrative overhead. As the conversation between Matthew and Don illustrates, the future of physical security depends not just on controlling door access but on automation around managing the identities of those who walk through them.
Expand your knowledge
Learn more about physical identity and access management, here
Read the full blog, here
For more HID news, click here
