Global Dairy Exporter Secures Global File Access with Automated Governance
Managing secure access across 570,000+ folders while reducing service desk workload
Client Snapshot
Industry: Global dairy processing and export
Operations: 40+ countries worldwide
Environment: Large distributed file infrastructure with 95+ file servers
Use Case: Shared folder access governance and automation
Solution: Activate Access Automation
The Challenge
Our customer manages a vast volume of shared file data across a global network of file servers. Over time, folder structures and access controls had become difficult to manage as the organisation expanded through restructuring, mergers and site changes.
Many folders lacked clear ownership and access permissions were often inconsistent or outdated.
Key challenges included:
Poor visibility into who had access to shared folders
Inconsistent and fragmented access control lists across file servers
Manual processes for granting folder access
Slow service desk fulfilment of access requests
Increasing audit and compliance pressure around sensitive data
They needed a scalable way to secure and manage shared data access while enabling business teams to control their own departmental folders.
The Solution
Our customer implemented Activate’s Access Automation solution to automate shared folder access governance across its global infrastructure.
The platform introduced self-service access requests, automated provisioning and improved visibility into file access permissions.
Key capabilities included:
Self-Service Folder Access Requests
Staff can search for and request access to secured folders through a web portal without needing service desk intervention.
Business Owner Governance
Each secured folder can have multiple business owners responsible for approving access requests and managing permissions.
Automated Folder Provisioning
New secured folders are automatically created using standard naming conventions, with appropriate Active Directory groups and ownership assigned.
Centralised Access Visibility
Business users can see who has access to their departmental folders through the Activate portal.
Role-Based Access Integration
Access to departmental folders can be provisioned automatically during onboarding using role-based access controls.
Infrastructure Remediation
Activate Access Automation also helped our customer clean up legacy file structures and inconsistent permissions across its environment, using our automation tools too:
Identify likely folder owners based on usage patterns
Replace outdated security groups with standardised Active Directory groups
Correct permission inheritance issues during folder migrations
Archive or clean up unused folders
Notify users of access changes during remediation activities
This allowed them to modernise file governance without disrupting business operations.
Business Impact
By deploying Activate Access Automation, our customer significantly improved security, visibility and operational efficiency across its global file environment.
The organisation now benefits from:
Secure, standardised access controls across shared data
Faster access provisioning for staff
Reduced reliance on the IT service desk
Greater transparency around folder ownership and permissions
The solution gives business owners direct control over their departmental data while ensuring that access is governed consistently across the organisation.
Key Outcomes of using Activate Access Automation
570,000+ secured folders managed through automated governance
36,000 support hours saved annually
Significant reduction in service desk access requests
Improved visibility and control of shared folder access
Stronger security and audit readiness across global file systems