# Understanding SCIM Provisioning

Scaling organizations utilize a growing array of applications to support their
employees' productivity. To efficiently and securely manage access to these applications,
organization administrators employ Directory Providers. These providers automate
crucial workflows, such as granting access to new employees or revoking access for departing staff.

Directory providers, like Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), serve as the authoritative
source for user information and access rights. Organizations expect your application to accommodate
their directory provider requirements. Consequently, you must design systems capable of interfacing
with various directory providers used by their customers.

Scalekit serves as an intermediary component in your B2B application architecture, providing a
streamlined interface to access user information programmatically and in real-time.

![User onboarding flow across your app, Scalekit, and directory providers](@/assets/docs/guides/scim-basics/basics.png)

This solution allows your application to:

1. Automatically determine user roles (e.g., admin, member)
2. Retrieve user access permissions
3. Tailor the user experience accordingly and securely

By integrating Scalekit, you can meet enterprise requirements without diverting focus from your core
product development. This approach significantly reduces the engineering effort and time typically
required to implement compatibility with various directory providers.

Explore the compelling reasons to implement SCIM Provisioning in your B2B SaaS app:
**Tip:** - Automates user lifecycle management, eliminating the need for manual user creation, updates, and
  deletions. This reduces administrative overhead and the potential for human error.
- Enhances security by ensuring prompt revocation of user access when employees leave an
  organization.
- Improves user experience by allowing new employees to gain immediate access to necessary
  applications without waiting for manual account creation. This leads to a smoother onboarding
  process.
- Reduces IT workload by eliminating the need for IT administrators to manually manage user accounts
  across multiple systems. This frees up time for more strategic tasks.
- Ensures user information consistency across the identity provider (IdP) and the B2B application,
  reducing discrepancies and potential security risks.
- Scales to handle increased user numbers as organizations grow, without requiring additional manual
  effort.
- Helps organizations meet various compliance requirements related to user access and data
  protection by maintaining accurate and up-to-date user records.
- Allows for mapping of custom attributes via SCIM, enabling B2B applications to sync specialized
  user data that may be unique to their use case.

Implementing SCIM allows you to offer a more attractive, enterprise-grade solution.

## Next steps

Now that you understand the importance of directories and how implementing SCIM Provisioning can
step up your app to enterprise-grade status, it's time to put this knowledge into action. Here are
some suggested next steps:

1. Dive into our [Quickstart](/directory/scim/quickstart/) guide to learn how to set up SCIM Provisioning for
   your app. This practical guide will walk you through the implementation process step-by-step.
2. Start small by simulating directory events. This hands-on approach allows you to test and
   familiarize yourself with the system without affecting live data.
3. Explore our sample apps to picture all the moving components in a typical app.
**Note:** Take it one step at a time, and don't hesitate to refer back to our documentation as you progress.
Your efforts will result in a more secure, efficient, and attractive solution for your enterprise
customers. Happy syncing!