Customization Without Coding: How Avatier Surpasses ForgeRock (PingIdentity)

Identity management solutions that can adapt to specific business requirements without extensive development resources are increasingly essential. While ForgeRock (now part of Ping Identity following their 2023 acquisition) offers robust capabilities, organizations are discovering that Avatier delivers superior customization without the coding complexity. This fundamental difference is transforming how enterprises approach identity governance and administration (IGA).

The Growing Demand for No-Code Identity Solutions

According to Gartner, by 2025, organizations that adopt a composable approach to application delivery will outpace competition by 80% in implementing new features. This trend is particularly relevant in identity management, where agility and responsiveness to changing business needs are paramount.

The traditional approach—represented by ForgeRock—often requires specialized developers and lengthy implementation cycles. Avatier, by contrast, has pioneered a fundamentally different approach through its Identity Management Anywhere platform, which empowers business users and IT administrators to configure sophisticated identity workflows without writing a single line of code.

Key Areas Where Avatier’s No-Code Approach Outshines ForgeRock

1. Workflow Customization and Automation

ForgeRock’s approach typically involves custom scripting using languages like JavaScript or Groovy to create complex workflows. This requires skilled developers and creates potential maintenance challenges when those developers leave the organization.

Avatier’s approach is radically different. Its visual workflow designer allows administrators to:

• Create multi-level approval chains with conditional branching
• Configure dynamic role assignments based on organizational attributes
• Implement complex certification schedules without coding
• Deploy automated provisioning workflows across hybrid environments

The result is dramatically faster implementation and modification of identity processes. A study by Enterprise Strategy Group found that organizations using no-code identity solutions like Avatier reduced workflow implementation time by up to 75% compared to traditional coding-intensive platforms.

2. Compliance Controls and Reporting

Both ForgeRock and Avatier support major compliance frameworks, but their approaches differ significantly in how they enable customization to meet specific regulatory requirements.

ForgeRock typically requires custom development for compliance reports and attestation processes tailored to specific regulations like HIPAA, SOX, or GDPR.

Avatier’s Access Governance solution includes pre-configured compliance templates with drag-and-drop customization for:

• Segregation of duties policies
• Access certification campaigns
• Risk scoring frameworks
• Compliance dashboards and reports

This difference becomes especially significant for organizations in highly regulated industries like healthcare, financial services, and government, where compliance requirements frequently evolve.

According to a recent survey by the Identity Defined Security Alliance, organizations with highly customizable identity governance solutions were 63% more likely to report confidence in their compliance posture compared to those using solutions requiring custom coding.

3. User Experience Customization

The user experience is critical for driving adoption of identity solutions. ForgeRock’s customization capabilities often require front-end development skills to modify interfaces and user journeys.

Avatier delivers superior flexibility through its Identity Management Architecture with:

• Brandable interfaces without HTML/CSS expertise
• Configurable self-service portals that adapt to user roles
• No-code mobile app customization
• Multilingual support with easy language customization

This approach enables organizations to create intuitive user experiences that align with specific business processes without development resources.

Real-World Impact: Customization Speed and Agility

The true measure of any customization approach is how quickly it enables organizations to adapt to changing requirements. Consider these typical scenarios:

Scenario 1: Implementing a new approval workflow

• ForgeRock: 2-3 weeks (requires JavaScript developer)
• Avatier: 2-4 hours (configurable through visual workflow designer)

Scenario 2: Creating custom compliance reports

• ForgeRock: 1-2 weeks (requires SQL expertise and developer)
• Avatier: 1 day (drag-and-drop report builder)

Scenario 3: Modifying self-service password reset policy

• ForgeRock: 3-5 days (requires configuration changes and testing)
• Avatier: 30 minutes (configurable through admin console)

These differences become particularly significant during organizational changes such as mergers, acquisitions, or restructuring, where identity processes need rapid adaptation.

Integration Capabilities Without Coding Complexity

Modern enterprises rely on dozens of applications and systems, making integration capabilities critical for identity solutions. While both ForgeRock and Avatier offer extensive connectors, their approaches to customizing these integrations differ substantially.

ForgeRock typically requires scripting to handle unique integration scenarios or data transformations. Avatier’s application connectors use a configuration-based approach that allows administrators to:

• Map attributes between systems without coding
• Configure provisioning rules through a visual interface
• Implement custom approval flows for specific applications
• Build custom connectors through configuration rather than coding

A study by Forrester found that organizations spent an average of 30% less on integration costs when using no-code identity platforms compared to traditional approaches requiring developer involvement.

The Business Case: TCO Comparison

The total cost of ownership (TCO) difference between code-heavy and no-code approaches is substantial:

1. Implementation costs: Organizations implementing ForgeRock typically spend 40-60% more on initial implementation due to required development resources compared to Avatier implementations.
2. Ongoing maintenance: Code-heavy solutions require specialized developers for changes and updates, increasing long-term maintenance costs by approximately 35% annually.
3. Training requirements: Technical staff training for code-based solutions takes 3-4 times longer than training for no-code platforms.
4. Time-to-value: No-code solutions typically deliver functional workflows 60-70% faster than coding-intensive alternatives.

According to research by Deloitte, organizations that adopt no-code/low-code platforms for identity management reduce their three-year TCO by an average of 28% compared to traditional development approaches.

Security Implications of Customization Approaches

Security is paramount in identity management, and customization approaches directly impact security posture:

1. Code quality risks: Custom code introduces potential security vulnerabilities that may not be immediately apparent. ForgeRock customizations require rigorous security testing of custom code.
2. Configuration vs. coding: Avatier’s configuration-based approach eliminates common coding vulnerabilities like injection flaws or improper error handling.
3. Consistent security controls: Pre-built security controls in no-code platforms ensure consistent application of security measures across customizations.
4. Audit trails: Both solutions offer audit capabilities, but Avatier provides more granular visibility into configuration changes without requiring code reviews.

The Identity Defined Security Alliance reports that organizations experience 65% fewer security incidents related to identity customization when using configuration-based approaches versus custom code.

Adapting to Future Requirements

Perhaps the most compelling advantage of Avatier’s no-code approach is future-proofing:

1. Evolving compliance requirements: When new regulations emerge, Avatier customers can rapidly adapt through configuration rather than development projects.
2. Organizational changes: During restructuring, mergers, or acquisitions, identity workflows can be quickly modified without development backlogs.
3. Technology evolution: As identity standards and protocols evolve, no-code platforms typically deliver compatible updates faster than custom-coded solutions.
4. AI and automation integration: Avatier’s configuration-based approach makes it easier to incorporate AI-driven automation as these technologies mature.

Conclusion: The Strategic Advantage of No-Code Identity Management

While ForgeRock (PingIdentity) offers a powerful identity platform, organizations increasingly recognize that Avatier’s no-code approach delivers strategic advantages in speed, agility, and total cost of ownership. The difference is not merely technical—it represents a fundamental shift in how organizations can approach identity governance and administration.

By empowering business and IT users to customize identity processes without coding, Avatier helps organizations:

• Respond faster to business changes
• Reduce dependency on specialized developers
• Achieve compliance with less effort
• Create more intuitive user experiences
• Lower total cost of ownership

As identity management continues to grow in strategic importance, the ability to adapt quickly without coding constraints provides a significant competitive advantage. Organizations evaluating ForgeRock (PingIdentity) against Avatier should carefully consider not just current requirements, but how their identity needs will evolve—and how easily their chosen platform can adapt without development bottlenecks.

For enterprises seeking the ideal balance of flexibility, security, and ease of use, Avatier’s no-code approach represents the future of identity management customization—powerful capabilities without the coding complexity.

Try Avatier today