In B2B ecosystems, every third-party interaction is shaped by access, and every delay or misstep is a test of trust. From suppliers and distributors to brokers and service providers, companies rely on external users to keep projects moving and value chains connected. But as these networks grow, the way organizations manage access has become a defining factor in how smoothly, securely, and confidently they can collaborate.
Yet research reveals a pressing challenge: identity and access management (IAM) inefficiencies quietly undermine collaboration, inflate costs, and expose entities to regulatory risk.
The friction starts on day one and compounds across the partnership’s lifecycle, for joiners, movers, and leavers alike.
Beyond Frustration: The High Cost of Everyday Inefficiency
Onboarding a new partner should be seamless. However, the Thales Digital Trust Index Third-Party Edition research shows that one in three third-party users waits days just to receive system access.
These may seem like small inconveniences. Yet, in aggregate, they represent lost time, delayed projects, and strained relationships.
In a B2B partnership, time is trust. Every stalled access request signals inefficiency, creating delays that ultimately erode trust between organizations.
The costs extend beyond productivity. On average, it takes 5.2 business days to revoke access, and 47% of users admit they’ve seen information they should not have. Combine this with the fact that more than half of organizations (51%) retain access for days or even weeks after a user no longer needs it.
Every Access Delay is a Trust Gap
Processes are messy. Ownership is split. Three in ten organizations grant access without any identity verification, and even where checks exist, responsibility is fragmented: 36% say the host manages it, 32% the partner, and 30% share the task. These gaps can lead to broken internal policies, failed audits, and regulatory issues under regulations like GDPR or CCPA.
For third-party users, each login glitch or password reset may seem trivial. For business, they accumulate into delays and doubt. Nearly nine in ten respondents report gaps in how hosts manage access, showing the issue is systemic.
Toward a Trust‑Driven Transformation
Addressing these inefficiencies requires more than better IT; it needs a fundamental shift: viewing trust not as a static assumption but as a tangible outcome of deliberate, frictionless design. Organizations must move from reactive problem-solving to proactive partner experience management.
Streamline onboarding and offboarding. Fewer than half of users are satisfied with onboarding, and nearly half have seen information they should not after delayed offboarding. These gaps erode confidence. Automated provisioning and revocation close them by granting access promptly and removing it on time, reducing errors and compliance risk.
Adopt frictionless authentication. Nearly all third-party users (96%) face login issues, with 40% resetting passwords monthly — wasting 48 minutes of productivity per user. Passwordless methods and phishing-resistant MFA reduce these hurdles, strengthen security, and modernize the partner experience.
Clarify ownership and process. Confusion over who manages verification, provisioning, and offboarding slows progress. Nearly nine in ten respondents reported gaps in how hosts handle access. When responsibilities are clearly defined, bottlenecks disappear, work moves faster, and confusion fades.
Prioritize what matters. 85% of respondents say better provisioning and modification systems would make the biggest difference. Clear process ownership is the antidote to fragmented accountability, which frustrates users and slows collaboration.
Communicate transparently. Only 56% of organizations are fully confident that partners would disclose breaches promptly. Clear policies and communication protocols reassure partners that risk is monitored and mitigated, strengthening trust before problems escalate.
Framing Compliance as a Partner‑Centric Advantage
Compliance is often treated as a checkbox exercise: policies exist, documentation is stored, and audits are performed. Yet poor access practices show the gaps. Nearly half of respondents (47%) said they have seen information they should not have, and 51% said access often lingers after it is no longer needed. Partners notice when offboarding is prompt, access aligns with role changes, and authentication mechanisms are modern and reliable.
By integrating compliance into the partner experience, firms achieve dual benefits: they reduce friction and demonstrate reliability.
Compliance and user experience are not at odds, they are mutually reinforcing. Automated revocations, standardized and timely role-based access meet regulatory obligations while showing partners their data is protected.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Without change, inefficiencies linger. Slow onboarding delays project execution, misaligned permissions create security vulnerabilities, and confused or fragmented processes chip away at trust.
The shadow costs of these issues may not always appear on a balance sheet, but the indirect ones (lost opportunities, damaged reputation, legal woes, regulatory scrutiny) are real and measurable.
Think about the “movers” in any partnership. After a role change, fewer than half (just 48%) get the full access they need. The rest are left chasing approvals. Work slows and errors slip in.
By contrast, entities that invest in scalable IAM strategies, like delegated user management, automated provisioning, standardized verification, and modern authentication, gain operational speed and credibility. They are prerequisites for sustaining B2B partnerships in a digital-first, trust-dependent economy.
A New Lens on Partner Experience
Identity management isn’t just IT’s job anymore. It’s a partner experience problem. A compliance challenge. A trust accelerator. Every step, from onboarding to offboarding, from password resets to breach alerts, sends a message. It shapes perception. It steers collaboration.
The path forward is simple. Streamline. Automate. Modernize authentication. Weave compliance into the partner experience.
Do this, and IAM stops being friction, it becomes an advantage. It builds trust, protects data, and powers partnerships that last.
Jose Caso, B2B IAM at Thales, is a seasoned product professional with over 15 years of experience in software development, product management, and product marketing. He specializes in aligning technical and business goals to deliver solutions that meet evolving client needs. With a background spanning physical security, cybersecurity, and enterprise solutions, Jose focuses on driving innovation that keeps businesses competitive in a dynamic market.
The opinions expressed in this post belong to the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Information Security Buzz.