Modernising Cloud Identity for a FTSE 250 Retailer
A nationwide, multi-brand retail group partnered with Peritus to improve identity hygiene, tighten access controls, and strengthen cloud security across thousands of users.
38%
reduction in misconfigured accounts and excessive access
Hygiene
improved identity consistency across retail, warehouse, and head-office environments
Control
stronger governance through standardised authentication and access policies
1. The Challenge
As a major FTSE 250 retailer operating hundreds of stores, distribution centres, and a large head-office workforce, the organisation relied heavily on Microsoft 365 and Azure AD for daily operations.
Over time, organic growth, seasonal hiring, and distributed teams had introduced identity-related risks, including:
dormant or duplicate user accounts
inconsistent MFA and password policies
excessive privileged roles
legacy authentication still enabled
lack of visibility over app permissions and access pathways
With retail operations dependent on smooth access and high security, the organisation needed clarity on its identity estate and a practical plan to modernise its controls.
2. Our Approach
Peritus delivered a targeted identity and access governance project focused on strengthening hygiene, reducing operational risk, and setting a scalable foundation for the retailer’s cloud environment.
Our work included:
Full audit of user lifecycle, joiner-mover-leaver processes, and identity hygiene
Review of MFA, conditional access, and privileged role management
Identification of risky or unused permissions across SaaS apps
Evaluation of legacy authentication and sign-in patterns
Mapping of misconfigurations aligned to retail-specific workflows and access needs
A prioritised remediation roadmap with actionable technical steps
Recommendations for long-term identity governance and automation
This gave the retailer a clear understanding of its identity posture and practical actions to strengthen security and operational efficiency.
3. The Outcome
The project delivered a measurable uplift in identity security, including:
38% reduction in misconfigured or excessive-access accounts
Improved MFA consistency across store, warehouse, and head-office teams
Removal of legacy authentication across the estate
Stronger privileged access controls and role alignment
Reduced operational risk tied to seasonal and temporary workforce onboarding
Clear, repeatable processes for identity governance moving forward
Peritus helped the organisation modernise identity security without disrupting retail operations or employee experience.
“Peritus gave us a level of clarity and control we hadn’t had before. Their recommendations were practical, specific to our environment, and immediately improved our identity security.”