7 reasons why a proof of value (POV) helps you choose the right CIAM vendor

Making the right CIAM decision: why a POV matters

Choosing the right Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solution directly impacts your customers’ experience, security posture, and business performance. The stakes are high–selecting the wrong vendor can lead to poor user experiences, security vulnerabilities, and hidden costs. With so many vendors claiming to offer “seamless” sign-in journeys, “robust” security, and “easy” integrations, how do you separate marketing claims from reality?

Many organizations start with a Proof of Concept (POC) to confirm if a solution works. While useful, a POC often ends with a technical checklist–focusing on whether the technology functions in your environment. It’s like asking, “Does this car start?” without considering if it meets your driving needs.

A Proof of Value (POV) goes further, answering the bigger question: “Will this solve my business problems?” It validates how well the solution improves customer experience, reduces risk, and integrates at scale. Unlike a POC, the outcome of a POV provides actionable insights and measurable results that you can confidently present to your leadership team—demonstrating real business value, not just technical compatibility.

A POV is the best way to cut through the noise and validate a vendor’s capabilities before making a commitment. Here’s why it should be a non-negotiable step in your CIAM vendor evaluation process—and how it helps you build a strong business case by balancing security risk reduction with growth-driven digital experiences.

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Validate performance in a real-world environment

Marketing materials and sales pitches often promise “fast authentication” and ”frictionless experiences”--but does the vendor’s platform actually deliver? A POV lets you:

• Test real-world performance with your existing applications
• Identify latency issues in registration and authentication flows
• Measure scalability to ensure the solution can handle peak traffic loads

Poor performance can lead to user frustration, customer drop-off, and lost revenue. Conversely, a smooth experience increases conversion rates and improves customer retention. If a vendor struggles during a controlled POV, they’re unlikely to succeed in production

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Ensure integration with your tech stack

CIAM solutions don’t operate in a vacuum—they must integrate with your existing identity providers, customer databases, and application frameworks. A POV allows you to:

• Validate API and SDK integrations with your systems, ensuring support for your technical stack and languages.  
• Verify compatibility with your preferred authentication methods (e.g., passkeys, SSO, social logins)
• Assess ease of implementation for your teams

Hidden integration challenges can derail timelines and budgets. Without a POV, you risk expensive custom development or unforeseen workarounds that increase engineering costs and delay your time-to-value.

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Test security and compliance capabilities

Security and compliance are non-negotiable for CIAM. A POV enables you to:

• Validate security features like identity verification, MFA, and risk-based authentication
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
• Evaluate accessibility to ensure the solution meets WCAG compliance and inclusivity 
• Assess vendor security practices, including data residency and encryption 

Neglecting security tests can lead to breaches, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. Investing time in a POV now reduces long-term risk and financial exposure.

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Uncover hidden costs and limitations

Vendor pricing models can be complex, and certain costs only surface after implementation. A POV helps you:

• Identify gaps that require costly add-ons
• Determine if "usage-based" pricing could inflate expenses
• Clarify what’s included in the vendor’s support model (e.g., SLAs, incident response handling) 

A POV ensures transparency, helping you avoid post-contract surprises. It highlights the total cost of ownership (TCO)—including licensing, implementation, support, and scalability—so teams across security, digital experience, and finance can align.

Gauge vendor responsiveness and support

A vendor’s responsiveness during a POV is often a preview of what you can expect post-implementation. Use this phase to evaluate:

• How quickly they address issues and provide technical support
• The quality of their documentation and onboarding materials
• Their willingness to collaborate with your engineering and security teams

Poor support can result in increased operational costs, as your internal teams will spend more time troubleshooting and maintaining the CIAM solution instead of focusing on business growth.

If a vendor drags their feet or provides inadequate support during a POV, expect similar treatment when you go live.

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Get buy-in from internal stakeholders

A CIAM implementation impacts multiple teams—security, product management, and customer experience. A successful POV helps you:

• Demonstrate feasibility to leadership
• Secure buy-in from technical teams who will manage the implementation
• Build confidence in the vendor’s solution before making a long-term commitment

When building a business case, security teams can quantify risk reduction, while digital experience teams can highlight revenue growth potential. A POV ensures that both perspectives are accounted for in the final decision.

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Leverage independent and validated reports 

Independent reports, like The Forrester Customer Identity and Access Management Wave require vendors to complete a rigorous evaluation–often including a POV to validate their claims. This means that by the time you’re reviewing the report, vendors have already been thoroughly tested against real-world scenarios–not just marketing promises. 

However, every organization’s environment is unique. Conducting your own POV alongside these reports helps confirm the solution aligns with your specific needs and desired outcomes.

The bottom line: a POV is a must-have, not a nice-to-have

Selecting a CIAM vendor without a POV is like buying a car without a test drive–you risk discovering critical flaws too late. A POV confirms technical fit, clarifies cost, and provides data-backed insights to share with stakeholders. 

The best vendors embrace the chance to prove their value. If a vendor avoids a POV or rushes you into a contract, it’s a red flag. 

Ready to test drive a modern CIAM solution?

Get in touch with us to learn how a POV can help you make a confident, informed decision.