
## Automated Provisioning

Imagine manually onboarding hundreds of new employees at once. If you’re a corporate organization that doesn’t have an IAM, that’s often the case. How do you provision hundreds of new users to their respected systems & applications efficiently? **Read through the blog & find the solution yourself**.

### What is Automated Provisioning? {#what-is-automated-provisioning}

**Automated provisioning** or **Automated User Provisioning** is the method of granting & managing access to apps, websites, data & systems within your organization, through an automated process.

But just as automated provisioning can deploy & activate services for users, it can also remove user access from systems, applications & data. This is called automated de-provisioning. It’s much more efficient than traditional processes of employees’ onboarding & offboarding as changes occur across an organization.

### How does automated provisioning work? {#how-does-automated-provisioning-work}

In the IAM context, [auto-provisioning](https://bit.ly/3HrIka1) automates the [provisioning](https://blog.miniorange.in/what-is-provisioning/) of apps/websites or other resources to users across the organization. But how does it work? Automated provisioning grants employees access to applications & resources based on their role & permission levels without the involvement of manually working on user access requests until approved, processed, & activated.

![Automated Provisioning Flow](/blog/assets/2023/automated-provisioning-flow.webp)

For eg:

1. A new employee joins your company, your company’s [identity management platform](https://bit.ly/3uqEDxE) say miniOrange will assign that worker a role through their system.
2. The employee is granted access to apps/websites based on their role.
3. Their access will be automatically adjusted or revoked if in case they change roles or leave the organization.

### Benefits of automated provisioning {#benefits-of-automated-provisioning}

**Security -**

It guarantees that you provide the right permissions for the right people.

**Streamlined onboarding -**

Automated provisioning allows you to take the onboarding burden off of your Human Resources or IT department through automated provisioning.

**Cost Efficient -**

With automated provisioning, you can free up time & resources for other tasks.

**Error reduction -**

Because automated provisioning eliminates manual processes, it also greatly reduces the margin of error.

### Why does your company need Automated provisioning? {#why-you-need-automated-provisioning}

**Problem :** In many organizations, HR departments use Microsoft Active Directory (AD) to manage access permissions of employees & devices. AD provides appropriate access privileges to company resources, but it comes with some drawbacks. With AD, IT departments need to spend time managing, configuring & installing each individual cloud app, and provision users manually when they join the organization or change roles. These tedious tasks divert teams’ time & focus from more impactful projects and are prone to human errors that ultimately limit the efficiency of any business.

![User and Group Provisioning](/blog/assets/2023/automated-provisioning-setup.webp)

**Solution :** [miniOrange](https://bit.ly/3uqEDxE) has the ability to synchronize users with HR applications such as [Workday](https://bit.ly/3uiE5df), Microsoft, [BambooHR](https://bit.ly/3s9iJMN) & many more. Now, when an employee is created, updated, or removed in the HR app, miniOrange detects the change and propagates it through all integrated apps & systems – including Active Directory, cloud apps, or on-premise. Because the employee is automatically removed from apps, the seat is freed up, [saving money](https://bit.ly/3GnT6g4) on apps that charge based on active users. This method has the added benefit that on-prem applications which may be integrated with AD are immediately updated as well when users are terminated in the HR system.

### miniOrange has pre-integrated apps for Auto Provisioning and Deprovisioning {#miniorange-pre-integrated-apps}

1. [Azure/Active Directory](https://bit.ly/3rkRFLh)
2. [G-Suite App](https://bit.ly/3GrHubY)
3. [Microsoft 365](https://bit.ly/32SBdID)
4. [Salesforce](https://bit.ly/3gpdNO4)

Find your required Application for Auto-Provisioning [here](https://idp.miniorange.in/apps-integration/?id=provisioning).

![miniOrange Identity Providers Integration](/blog/assets/2023/automated-provisioning-apps.webp)

### Provisioning with SCIM & Understanding its Importance {#provisioning-with-scim}

SCIM, or the System for Cross-domain Identity Management (opens new window)specification, is an open standard designed to manage user identity information. SCIM provides a defined schema for representing users and groups, and a RESTful API to run CRUD operations on those user and group resources. The goal of SCIM is to securely automate the exchange of user identity data between your company’s cloud applications and any service providers, such as enterprise SaaS applications. You can simplify permissions for:

1. User Account Provisioning
2. Group Provisioning
3. User-Group Assignment

For more details refer : [SCIM Provisioning Gateway](https://bit.ly/3JULXWk)

### Additional Resources {#additional-resources}

-   Salesforce Provisioning
-   Azure AD Provisioning
-   JIT Provisioning


Automated Provisioning streamlines user management across apps/websites, increases security, reduces risk, saves time and money.

Automated Provisioning | 4 main benefits of Automated User Provisioning


## 5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Multifactor Authentication

![Need of MFA](/blog/assets/2023/need-of-mfa.webp)

In today’s technological age, along with keeping up with the latest trends in technology, businesses need to make sure that their cybersecurity and data protection measures are up to par. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to adopt remote working practices and utilize cloud-based platforms, reinforcing the need for better cybersecurity measures.

By the end of the 3rd quarter of 2020, around 36 billion records were exposed because of data breaches with information such as email addresses, names, passwords, SSNs, and credit card information as part of the data types lost in these breaches from various industries including healthcare, information, finance and insurance, and public administration. Research has shown that around $5.2 trillion is globally at risk from 2019 to 2023 from direct and indirect cyberattacks, but a means to avoid this number from increasing is by nipping these attacks from the bud and utilize better defense systems to protect data or access services.

### What is Multi-Factor Authentication ? {#what-is-multi-factor-authentication}

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a verification process where a user provides additional credentials to access sites, applications, or other resources. This can be seen as an added security layer to verify a user’s identity with additional verification factors such as fingerprints, one-time pins, and push notifications to convince a system of your identity to prevent the wrong parties from accessing data or services. MFA can be used along with [passwordless authentication](https://blog.miniorange.in/passwordless-authentication/) or single sign-on solutions as an added barrier to breach in case a factor has been stolen or compromised before gaining access to a device or service.

### Why should your business use MFA ? {#why-your-business-should-use-mfa}

#### Prevents identity theft

In 2020, losses from identity theft cases were estimated to cost around $712.4 billion and are seen to increase to $721.3 billion by the end of this year. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft attacks since attackers can use a variety of means to gather personal information. For instance, phishing emails are a means to extract sensitive information through email or keylogging where keystrokes on a keyboard are recorded to get information. MFA helps ensure your personal information remains secure, protecting individuals and the company or organization they may be affiliated with.

#### An extra level of security for critical information

MFA serves as an additional level of security to aid firewalls, antivirus software, and encryption technology so breaching barriers for targeted devices or apps is harder. Besides stealing data, cybercriminals can also alter data, transmit spam, or publish malicious content that can disrupt the services and operations of even big-name companies.

In the last year, over 65% of companies worldwide had at least one instance of a cyber attack. These attacks not only result in information leaks where data can be sold to other parties or on the dark web but can cause companies financial losses as well. MFA makes sure only the right people with the right credentials have access to key information, preventing breaches, security risks, and other disruptions in an organization’s operations.

#### Secures devices

More people are working from remote locations and have access to multiple devices which they could switch for either work or personal use. MFA makes it not only easy but secure to access business applications from outside the office environment. Adaptive authentication, an advanced form of MFA, can evaluate the risk a user can face when accessing certain services and selects the right authentication factors based on device IP, user behavior, or a user’s geo-location.

#### Ensures compliance

Stricter legislation with more severe consequences concerning data protection has been passed in various regions around the world. Businesses and organizations need to set the right permissions on data and keep classification up to standard to comply with various data privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), ISO 27000, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and NIST guidelines, among others.

#### Keeps productivity high

Remembering multiple passwords can be a burden to some employees, and forgetting them may come at the cost of not being able to access the tools or resources needed to perform business-related tasks. Businesses can enforce stronger password policies but also allow employees to sign in through a means that suits them better with MFA. Besides being a more secure and convenient means of signing in to services, having MFA enabled guarantees employees secure remote access to a company’s network allowing employees to get tasks done as soon as needed.

Businesses are adopting more modern technology from [corporate cards](https://tryjeeves.com/), machine learning, and AI-focused initiatives, but businesses should also make sure that the systems in place to protect the information and resources around these are efficient and effective. As cyber attackers device more complex and clever ways of getting into systems, businesses should also strengthen their defense against these attacks to protect not only the enterprise but their employees as well. MFA is not complex and can be rolled out without going out of budget ensuring simple and effective protection to users and the business as well.


5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Multifactor Authentication - Learn what is multifactor authentication and why should your business use MFA?

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Multifactor Authentication


Online buying and selling are very common nowadays. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and WordPress let business owners create their online stores. But being successful in online business is not just about setting up a store; it's also about connecting with customers and gaining their trust.

This is where SMS notifications and [OTP Verification](https://plugins.miniorange.in/wordpress-otp-verification) come in. These are powerful tools that help improve communication with customers and make transactions more secure.

In this blog, we will explore [WooCommerce SMS notifications](https://plugins.miniorange.in/woocommerce-order-status-notifications-and-otp-verification) and OTP verification are important for building customer trust and boosting sales. We will also look at how these features work together with e-commerce to show their importance in the online shopping world.


### What is WooCommerce? {#What is WooCommerce?}

WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. It is designed for small to large-sized online merchants using WordPress. It is easy to install and set up on your machine.
Their customizable, open-source eCommerce platform runs on WordPress and provides themes, payment options, shipping options, and more. To add, WooCommerce also lets users sell pretty much anything. Starting from physical goods, digital products, reservations, and other services.

You can just start your WooCommerce site within a few steps from [WooCommerce site.](https://woocommerce.com/)

![Steps to set up the WooCommerce store](/blog/assets/2024/steps-to-setup-woocommerce-store.webp)

In any e-commerce site, building customer loyalty and trust requires clear communication and ensuring customer satisfaction. At the same time, it's essential to collect accurate customer data and protect your site from spam or bot activity.

Both of these challenges can be addressed by implementing SMS notifications to maintain direct communication with customers and OTP verification to securely validate their identity and collect accurate contact information.

### Why WooCommerce SMS notifications are important? {#Why WooCommerce SMS notifications are important?}

Yes, sending WooCommerce SMS or text notifications is important for WooCommerce stores. Suppose someone came to your site and created an account. Then you can send the Welcome or Thank You text as confirmation SMS notifications to your customers as ‘Thank you for creating the account with us  - XYZ’. Similarly, you can send SMS/text notifications to your admins to keep them informed.    
             
![WooCommerce SMS Notification Steps](/blog/assets/2024/woocommerce-sms-notification-steps.webp)

This is a very simple example of sending an SMS or text message to your customers and admins. With these notifications, the customer feels welcomed and appreciated. Sending WooCommerce SMS notifications also helps to build bonds, build trust among customers and admins, and boost sales. Let's explore the different ways WooCommerce notifications can benefit your site, as outlined below.

- WooCommerce SMS notifications help connect with customers.
- Provide updates to customers on order status, payments, and various other important details with notifications on the WooCommerce site. 
- With SMS or say text notifications, you can inform customers about offers, discounts, and other deals that you are offering on your WooCommerce website.
- Along with customers, you can also keep all the admins of your site updated regarding orders with SMS notifications.
- Sending abandoned cart SMS or text notifications to your customers helps to increase the sales and revenue of your WooComerce site/store.

The importance of SMS notifications is not limited to these alone; there are many other reasons why you need SMS Notifications on your WooCommerce site. I have covered some major points in this blog.

Yes, sending SMS or text notifications is important for the WooCommerce site. It can be very frustrating when someone is ready to make a purchase and they don’t receive your confirmation message. An update to customers regarding account registration, order status, payment, tracking, and more is a great way to build trust and increase sales. For example, if someone goes to check out but doesn’t complete their purchase, you can send them an SMS or text message letting them know that they need to finish checking out before they can pay for the order.

You can also send notifications when you provide discounts, promotions, or coupons to your customers. This is a great way to build brand loyalty and encourage repeat business. When you use SMS marketing to provide customer support, you can reach your customers quickly and easily. You can respond within minutes of receiving a message, which is great if your customer is in need of immediate assistance.

You can send SMS or text notifications to all admins of your WooCommerce site to keep them updated regarding customers. This helps the admins and customers be on the same page and creates trust

### Events to send SMS Notifications from your WooCommerce site/store {#Events to send SMS Notifications from your WooCommerce site/store}

Events to send notifications or text messages vary according to your site/business. However, here are some events available that are the same and must-have for every WooCommerce site.         

![Events to trigger WooCommerce SMS Notifications on Customer Registration](/blog/assets/2024/woocommerce-registration-notification.webp)
**1. Customer Registration** :Send SMS/text notifications to all admins whenever customers register/create an account on your WooCommerce site and assure them by sending them confirmation notifications.

**2. Order Update** :Send SMS or text notifications to customers whenever they update their orders, providing them with the assurance they need to stay confident in their purchases. In addition to keeping customers in the loop, the order update notification also notifies site admins whenever an order is updated. This allows admins to respond promptly and efficiently to any customer inquiries

**3. Order Creation** :With order creation notification, you can automatically notify customers and admins whenever a new order is created. This helps to improve communication and reduce confusion, ensuring that everyone is on the same page. Keep your customers satisfied and your team informed with these SMS/text notifications for any e-commerce site

**4.Order cancellation** :With order cancellation notifications, you can automatically send notifications to customers and admins when an order is canceled, keeping everyone informed in real-time. This helps to build trust and loyalty with your customers, and it also reduces the workload of your support team by automating this process. 

**5. Order Fulfillment** :Delight your customers with real-time updates on their order fulfillment status by using/sending SMS notifications. With the order fulfillment notification, you can automatically send updates via text or SMS to customers and admins once an order has been fulfilled. This helps to build trust and satisfaction with your customers by keeping them informed about their orders.

**6. Order Payment** :You can automatically send payment confirmation notifications to customers, letting them know that their payments have been successfully processed. This helps to build trust and transparency with your customers

**7. Refund** :Keep your customers in the loop with the easy-to-use refund notification. As soon as a refund is processed, you can send an automatic notification to both the customer and the admin, ensuring that everyone is aware of the status of the refund.

**8. Order deletion** :Keep your WooCommerce site admins informed of any changes to your orders when orders are deleted. You can receive automatic notifications as soon as any order is deleted from your site.

**9. Tracking Notifications** :Improve your customers’ post-purchase experience by providing tracking notifications. With SMS Notification, you can send automatic notifications to customers as soon as their order is shipped, along with tracking information and delivery updates.

**10. Low-stock Notifications** :Low-stock notifications are an essential feature for any WooCommerce store. You can receive timely alerts when your inventory reaches a specific threshold, ensuring you never run out of stock. With our low-stock notifications, you can ensure that you always have the right products in stock, and you can improve your customers' shopping experience by preventing out-of-stock items.

**11. Out-of-stock Notifications** :Out-of-stock notifications give you an alert when any of your product inventory hits zero. You can restock it immediately and prevent customers from leaving your store without buying anything. 

**12. Back-in-stock notifications** :Back-in-stock notifications alert users when an item is available again, ensuring they're the first to know and won't miss the chance to purchase it.

These are a few events that every WooCommerce store can send SMS Notifications and increase engagement with your customers.

### Benefits of SMS Notifications {#Benefits of SMS Notifications}

We know the importance of SMS notifications and events that can be triggered. Let’s now see what benefits we will receive by sending the WooCommerce SMS notifications.

- **Real-time updates:** SMS or text notifications from your WooCommerce site provide real-time updates about order status, which can help reduce customer anxiety and improve their overall experience. Customers appreciate being kept informed about their orders, and SMS notifications provide a quick and easy way to provide them with updates.
- **Improved communication:** SMS notifications provide a more direct and personal form of communication with your customers, helping to build a stronger relationship with them. By using SMS notifications to keep your customers informed, you can increase customer engagement and build trust in your brand or WooCommerce site.
- **Increased sales:** SMS notifications can be used to promote sales and discounts, which can help increase sales and revenue. By sending promotional messages and discounts directly to your customers' phones, you can encourage them to make a purchase and increase sales.
- **Higher open rates:** SMS messages have a significantly higher open rate than emails, with studies showing rates as high as 98%. This means your customers are far more likely to see your messages and stay updated on their orders.
- **Customer retention:** By keeping your customers informed and engaged throughout the purchasing process, you can improve customer retention and encourage repeat business. Customers who have a positive experience on your site are more likely to return and make additional purchases.


### OTP Verification for WooCommerce {#OTP Verification for WooCommerce}

We’ve discussed the importance and benefits of SMS notifications, but now it’s essential to consider whether the data collected from your WooCommerce store is accurate and verified. Accurate data ensures you can effectively connect with customers and keep them informed through notifications.

By enabling OTP verification on your site, you can easily verify your customers' information, ensuring the quality of your leads and enhancing security.

Now that we understand the importance and benefits of SMS notifications, another critical issue is ensuring the data collected from your WooCommerce store is accurate and verified. Only with verified data can you reliably connect with customers and keep them informed through notifications. This can be easily accomplished by implementing OTP verification via mobile/SMS.

OTP Verification is a very well-known and basic security functionality that should be present in any WooCommerce site. It prevents you from collecting fake or wrong information, saving you time and effort. It also helps to secure your WooCommerce site from any spam from bots, preventing any duplicate entries, payment transactions, etc. It provides additional security over your WooCommerce site or store.


### Basic Usecases for OTP Verification for WooCommerce site {#Basic Usecases for OTP Verification for WooCommerce site}
OTP Verification is a widely used feature across various industries and websites, with specific applications depending on the context. Here are some common use cases for a WooCommerce site or store.

- **Login/Registration :**
     Whenever the user registers or logs into your site, you can verify the user's mobile number through SMS verification. This helps to avoid duplicate entries.
- **Checkout :**
     When users purchase a product, you can verify their mobile number to ensure they stay informed about their order and provide a reliable way to contact them during shipping or delivery.
- **Cash on delivery (COD) payment option :** 
     Cash on delivery (COD) payment option: When the user selects the COD payment option, it is necessary to verify the user's contact details so as to reach out to them easily.
- **To enter the site/store :**
     When any user is not registered on your WooCommerce store, you can only verify the user's identity through mobile number authentication and provide access to your store.
- **Forgot/Reset Password :**
     Before allowing a password reset, OTP verification can be used to authenticate the user and ensure secure access to their account.
- **Product Returns :**
     OTP verification can help confirm the identity of users returning products, reducing the risk of fraudulent returns or returns made by non-customers.
- **Account Recovery :** 
     OTP verification is essential for validating a user’s identity during the account recovery process, ensuring secure access to their account.
- **Account Deletion :** 
     If a user requests to delete their account, OTP verification can be used to confirm their identity and prevent unauthorized or accidental account deletion.

### Benefits of OTP Verification {#Benefits of OTP Verification.}

- **Enhanced Security :**
     OTP Verification provides an additional security layer to your WooCommerce store/sites. 
- **Cost Effective :**
     OTP Verification is the most affordable security and basic functionality for WooCommerce sites and stores
- **Data validation :** 
     OTP verification helps in verifying the data and storing the correct data only. It also reduces the database size as the fake details have already been prevented from finding their place here.
- **Improved user experience :** 
     While OTP verification adds an extra step to the login or checkout process, it also provides reassurance to users that their accounts and transactions are secure. This builds user confidence in the site and encourages repeat purchases.


### Conclusion {#Conclusion }

SMS notifications play a vital role in enhancing customer engagement and boosting revenue for WooCommerce sites. They keep customers informed, build trust, and strengthen relationships. Additionally, OTP Verification adds an extra layer of security by ensuring customer identities are verified, offering both protection and peace of mind for WooCommerce businesses.

### Where can I find the SMS Notification and OTP Verification for a WooCommerce site? {#Where can I find the SMS Notification and OTP Verification for a WooCommerce site}

miniOrange OTP verification plugin provides the OTP Verification and SMS Notifications functionality on different forms on WordPress. We provide different solutions for OTP functionality on other CRMs and technology stacks. With the miniOrange plugin, you can send notifications to customers and admins via SMS, email, and WhatsApp as per your store requirements. It provides notifications on various events like customer registration, order status, payment, refund, etc.

1. Features that the miniOrange OTP Verification plugin provides are listed below
2. OTP over SMS, Email, WhatsApp, Call, etc
3. WooCommerce SMS Notifications 
4. Support 6+ WooCommerce forms
5. External SMS\Email Gateway Options
6. Passwordless Login
7. Multiple Language Support

And many more…

To learn more about our plugin please visit our page [WooCommerce SMS Notification and OTP Verification](https://plugins.miniorange.in/woocommerce-order-status-notifications-and-otp-verification)
You can install our free Order Notification / SMS OTP Verification / Email OTP verification on the WooCommerce plugin and test the functionality: [Plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/miniorange-sms-order-notification-otp-verification/)
Reach out to us at [otpsupport@xecurify.com](https://wordpress.org/plugins/miniorange-sms-order-notification-otp-verification/) for any queries 



How is WooCommerce SMS notification a great way to build trust amongst customers and increase your sales manifold by ensuring its security as well?

Automated Provisioning | 4 main benefits of Automated User Provisioning

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Multifactor Authentication

Why SMS Notifications And OTP Verification Is A Must For Your WooCommerce Store?