Table of Contents
- Executive Summary and Key Takeaways
- What Is Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM)?
- The Limitations of Legacy PIAM Approaches
- The Benefits of Modern PIAM Solutions
- Key Features to Look for in PIAM Platforms
- Where SwiftConnect Fits In
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Executive Summary
Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) is a framework for managing the physical access lifecycle of employees, visitors and contractors across buildings and systems. Where traditional physical access control systems (PACS) enforce access at the door, PIAM governs the policies, processes, and integrations that determine who should have that access in the first place. Together, they form the backbone of physical security. Modern PIAM platforms improve efficiency, strengthen security, and enable flexible, scalable access experiences that match today’s dynamic workplaces.
Key Takeaways
- PIAM manages the full lifecycle of identities and their physical access rights, complementing access control systems.
- Legacy implementations often relied on manual provisioning, fragmented systems, and rigid architectures that drove up risk and cost.
- Modern PIAM platforms deliver efficiency through automation, real-time updates, scalability, and compliance-ready audit trails.
- Effective PIAM requires open architecture, deep integrations, and support for multiple credential types.
- SwiftConnect builds on PIAM by unifying identity, credentials, and infrastructure across multiple PACS platforms into one connected access network — without vendor lock-in or rip-and-replace.
What Is Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM)?
PIAM orchestrates the entire identity lifecycle — from onboarding to role changes to offboarding — across multiple systems and locations
Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) is the layer of control that governs who gets physical access to what, when, and why – especially as people join, move within, or leave the organization (JML). Traditional physical access control systems (PACS) handle enforcement at the door or device level, but they don’t manage the lifecycle events that drive access needs in the first place. That’s where PIAM comes in: it defines the policies, automates the workflows, and integrates with HR and IT systems to ensure access is provisioned and deprovisioned in lockstep with role changes. PACS enforces. PIAM decides. Together, they close the loop on physical access.
At its core, PIAM includes four key components:
- Identity lifecycle management: issuing, updating, and revoking access in line with HR or IT records.
- Credential management: supporting different types of credentials such as badges, mobile devices, or biometrics.
- Policy enforcement: aligning access rights with organizational rules and compliance requirements.
- Systems integration: connecting access control with HR, IT, visitor management, and security platforms.
Adaptive access like this is becoming quickly mainstream. Nearly 39% of organizations are now using mobile credentials for building access, and the global PIAM market is growing rapidly, with a projected CAGR of 15.3% from 2024 to 2030.
The Limitations of Legacy PIAM Approaches
Traditional on-premise systems are monolithic and costly to scale. Adding new sites, users, or features often requires expensive hardware and long upgrade cycles.
Early PIAM solutions provided much-needed central oversight, but many were built on older, on-premise architectures that no longer align with the scale and pace of modern workplaces. Adding new sites, users, or features often requires expensive hardware and long upgrade cycles.
- Inflexible architectures: Traditional on-premise systems are monolithic and costly to scale. Adding new sites, users, or features often requires expensive hardware and long upgrade cycles.
- Manual provisioning risks: A 2025 study found that 52% of enterprises have experienced a security breach due to manual identity processes in disconnected applications. This highlights how reliance on manual workflows can directly increase vulnerability.
- Limited integrations: Many older systems operate in silos, making it difficult to connect with HR platforms, identity providers, or cloud applications. This creates delays and prevents a unified view of access.
- Vendor lock-in: Proprietary systems often tie organizations to a single technology provider, restricting choice and slowing the adoption of emerging solutions.
These challenges don’t diminish the role of PIAM itself, but they do highlight why the technology must evolve. Modern PIAM platforms, built for openness and interoperability, address these gaps while working in concert with PACS and other enterprise systems.
The Benefits of Modern PIAM Solutions
PIAM platforms can reduce provisioning time by up to 60%, enabling access to be granted or revoked immediately when users join, move, or leave.
Modern PIAM complements physical access control systems by eliminating inefficiencies in how identities and entitlements are managed across large, dynamic environments. By automating workflows and integrating with IT, HR, and security ecosystems, it strengthens both the user experience and organizational control.
- Efficiency through automation: PIAM platforms can reduce provisioning time by up to 60%, enabling access to be granted or revoked immediately when users join, move, or leave. This eliminates delays and manual workload.
- Stronger security, aligned with Zero Trust: By enforcing least-privilege and real-time identity verification, PIAM supports Zero Trust frameworks – ensuring continuous authentication and minimizing risk from insiders or internet threats.
- Flexible, attribute-based access: Access can be dynamically adapted based on any user attribute such as user roles, schedules, or locations, making it ideal for hybrid workplaces where teams shift and spaces evolve.
- Scalable across geographies and volumes: Cloud-native and hybrid PIAM solutions connect multiple PACS and identity systems to support global portfolios and high transaction volumes – all without hardware upgrades.
- Simplified compliance with audit-ready logs: PIAM captures detailed access events and creates transparent audit trails, helping streamline governance and meet regulatory requirements with confidence.
Together, these benefits make PIAM a foundational layer of enterprise security — not replacing PACS, but extending its value with automation, visibility, and adaptability.
| Dimension | Legacy PIAM | Modern PIAM |
| Architecture | Monolithic, on-prem systems; rigid, costly to maintain, and slow to adapt. | Cloud or hybrid deployments; modular, resilient, and built to scale. |
| Provisioning | Manual entry, work orders, and spreadsheets; error-prone and resource intensive. | Automated lifecycle management tied directly to identity attributes; real-time updates across systems. |
| Integration | Relies on rigid or one-way connectors that limit real-time synchronization and cross-system automation. | Open APIs and connectors unify identity, access control, and enterprise systems into one environment. |
| Security & Compliance | Static entitlements that linger after role changes; creates blind spots and compliance risk. | Real-time alignment with identity and Zero Trust policies; continuous enforcement with audit-ready logs. |
| Vendor Flexibility | Proprietary lock-in limits choice and blocks adoption of new technologies. | Vendor-agnostic platforms that leverage existing investments and enable long-term agility. |
Key Features to Look for in PIAM Platforms
Avoid platforms that tie you to a single vendor. Look for systems built on open standards that work with your existing infrastructure and allow you to adopt new technologies without costly overhauls.
Not all PIAM platforms are created equal. To deliver real value, a modern solution should include capabilities that work with today’s infrastructure and remain adaptable for tomorrow.
1. Open, Flexible Architecture
Avoid platforms that tie you to a single vendor. Look for systems built on open standards that work with your existing infrastructure and allow you to adopt new technologies without costly overhauls.
2. Deep Integrations
A PIAM platform should integrate with your core identity providers (like Okta or Entra ID), HR systems, and IT ecosystems so that access rights stay aligned with real-time workforce changes – all connected to your organization’s single source of truth for identity.
3. Multi-Credential Support
From mobile wallets to smart cards to biometrics, modern PIAM needs to support multiple credential types. This ensures users can access buildings in ways that match their preferences and organizational policies.
4. Real-Time Analytics and Monitoring
Visibility is critical. Look for platforms that provide real-time insights into who has access, where, and when, along with alerts for anomalies or policy violations.
5. Cloud or Hybrid Deployment
Resilience and scalability matter. Cloud-first or hybrid PIAM solutions ensure uptime, support global footprints, and scale to handle high transaction volumes without downtime.
Together, these features create a foundation of security, efficiency, and long-term flexibility, ensuring PIAM investments keep pace with workplace demands and technology evolution.
Where SwiftConnect Fits In
At SwiftConnect, we connect the layers between identity, PACS, and PIAM with an open, flexible approach that eliminates the need for rip-and-replace projects or vendor lock-in. Our platform integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, unifying identity, credentials, and access systems into one connected network that evolves as organizations do.
For CRE teams, enterprises, and security leaders, this means delivering access that is seamless for users and efficient for administrators. From lobby turnstiles to tenant suites, lockers, and shared amenities, we enable a secure, consistent experience that spans the entire workplace journey – effortless access, from Street-to-Seat®.
FAQ
What is Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM)?
PIAM is a framework of processes and technologies that manage identities and their physical access to buildings, campuses, or facilities.
How is PIAM different from a traditional access control system (PACS)?
While PACS focuses on controlling physical doors and devices, PIAM manages the policies, credentials, and workflows behind access. The two work together: PACS is the enforcement layer, PIAM is the management layer.
Why do organizations move away from legacy PIAM solutions?
Legacy systems are often on-premises, siloed, and rely on manual provisioning, which makes them slow to update, costly to scale, and prone to security gaps.
What are the benefits of modern PIAM platforms?
Modern PIAM delivers automated provisioning and deprovisioning, real-time security updates, flexible support for hybrid work, and simplified compliance reporting.
What features should I look for in a PIAM solution?
Key features include open architecture (to avoid vendor lock-in), integrations with identity providers like Okta or Entra ID, support for mobile and biometric credentials, real-time analytics, and cloud or hybrid deployment options.