Ask any CSM what most often delays the first 30 days of onboarding and the answer is almost always the same: IT. SSO configuration. Domain authentication. Compliance setup. Firewall rules. These tasks require technical expertise and organizational access that end users and buyers rarely have — but they're often assigned to exactly those people.
The result: weeks of delay, frustrated end users who can't access the product, and a vendor who gets blamed for a problem that isn't theirs to cause but absolutely is theirs to prevent.
Why IT delays happen
IT teams are not the enemy. They're usually understaffed, dealing with dozens of competing priorities, and receiving vague requests through channels they don't monitor ("please tell IT to set up SSO"). The fix is structural, not relational.
The prevention playbook
Step 1: Identify the IT contact before the kickoff call — not during it
Include a "Technical Contact" field in your pre-kickoff questionnaire. Ask explicitly: "Who in your organization manages SSO and security configurations?" Get their name, email, and whether they've been briefed on this project. If they haven't, add "Brief IT contact" as a buyer task before kickoff.
Step 2: Send IT tasks directly to the IT contact
Do not route technical requirements through the end user or buyer. Send a separate email directly to the IT contact with: exactly what they need to do, why it's required, what happens if it's not done by Day 5, and who to contact if they have questions. Remove all ambiguity.
Step 3: Make IT tasks Stage 0 — not Stage 1
If technical setup is a prerequisite for end users accessing the product, it should be completed before the product is even launched to end users. Structure your onboarding stages so IT completion is a gate, not a parallel track.
Step 4: Set Day 5 as the IT deadline — not Day 30
IT tasks with vague deadlines get deprioritized. "Please complete when you get a chance" means week three. "Required by [specific date] to unlock end user access" gets done. Be specific about the consequence of delay — not as a threat, but as factual information.
If IT is still blocked after Day 10
Escalate to the buyer — but frame it as a collaboration request, not a complaint: "We want to get your team to full value as quickly as possible. Can you help us connect with [IT contact] to complete the remaining setup? It should take about 30 minutes on their end and we can join the call if helpful."
This approach works because it makes the buyer the solution rather than the problem, and it applies natural internal pressure without creating adversarial dynamics. For the full escalation playbook, see our guide on handling blocked customer onboarding.