A CLEARER VIEW OF THE CLOUD
Looking Beyond Features
To Find Real Value


About
Throughout this website, you will find different sections that provide an overview of how I view technology, systems, and problem-solving, along with some of the ideas and approaches I have developed.
My career began in healthcare, where I worked as a nursing assistant while earning my undergraduate degree in biology. Working in that environment gave me valuable experience, but it also helped me realize that IT was a better fit for the way I think and approach problems.
I tend to look at things from a bird’s-eye view, paying attention to how people, processes, and technology work together. I often notice when something is more complicated than it needs to be and start thinking about how it could be simplified, improved, or organized more effectively. I also consider the cost and look beyond the sales pitch to determine whether a solution offers real value.
That way of thinking is what drew me to IT. I enjoy breaking down complex problems, making connections between different pieces of information, and finding practical solutions that improve how something works.
Fast-paced environments bring out my best work. Had I stayed in healthcare, I probably would have worked in an emergency room because I enjoy situations that require quick thinking, flexibility, and focus. I stay calm under pressure and can adjust when priorities or circumstances change.
At the center of my work is a simple goal: understand the bigger picture, identify what can be improved, and create solutions that are useful, efficient, and meaningful.
Automated Paylocity Human Resources Provisioning
Intelligent automation that transforms new hire data into fully-provisioned, productive employees on day one.
Paylocity
Webhook
When Paylocity fires
a new-hire webhook,
the event is captured
instantly.
AI Data
Intelligence
Azure OpenAI cleans and standardizes messy data,fills missing fields, and
validates accuracy.
Identity & Directory
Provisioning
Automatically creates the user in Microsoft Entra ID with correct attributes,licenses, and roles.
Access & Resource
Enablement
Grants access to systems, applications, M365 apps, SharePoint groups, and department resources.
Notifications
& Audit Trail
Sends confirmations to IT and HR and logs every action for full visibility and compliance.
Overview
We connect Paylocity to your digital ecosystem using intelligent automation. When a new hire is added in Paylocity, a serverless workflow captures the event, uses AI to clean and enrich the data, provisions the user in Microsoft Entra ID, assigns licenses and system access, and notifies key stakeholders
all in minutes.
BIG IMPACT, MEASURABLE RESULTS
Faster Onboarding
New hires are set up
and ready to go
in minutes, not days.
Data Quality
AI eliminates typos,
inconsistencies, and
missing information.
Stronger Security
Correct permissions
and least-privilege
access from day one.
Greater Productivity
Employees have the
access and tools they
need from the start.
TECHNOLOGIES USED
Azure Logic Apps, Azure OpenAI,
Microsoft Entra ID, and Paylocity Webhooks.
WHAT IT AUTOMATES
User account creation, data validation, license
assignment, application access, group
membership, and stakeholder notifications.
WHAT IT REQUIRES
Webhook connection from Paylocity, data mapping
to Entra ID, and workflow configuration.
WHAT IT COSTS
Standard Azure Logic Apps execution
billing and Azure OpenAI token consumption.
Self-Healing Identity Governance
AI agents keep employee access current by identifying and removing permissions that are no longer needed.
Compares the current annual access review process with an automated approach.
Shows how AI agents monitor access, remove unnecessary permissions, and document every action.
Current Process
Annual reviews leave unnecessary
access in place.
Annual Access Reviews
Managers review employee permissions once a year.
Large Permission Lists
Reviews often include long spreadsheets that are difficult to validate accurately.
Outdated Access Remains
Employees may keep permissions after changing roles, teams, or responsibilities.
Risk Increases Over Time
Unused access can expose sensitive systems and company data.
Evolved Approach
AI agents continuously monitor, update
and document access.
Monitor Access
The agent reviews sign-ins, file activity, application use, and role changes.
Identify Access That Is No Longer Needed
Permissions are flagged when they have not been used, no longer match the employee’s job, or present additional risk.
Remove or Restrict Access
The agent removes the permission or requires additional identity verification.
Record and Report the Change
Each action is logged, and the appropriate manager is notified.
Tools and Programs
Azure AI Foundry Agents
Microsoft Entra Identity Governance
Microsoft Entra ID Lifecycle Workflows
Microsoft Graph APIs
Cost and Licensing
Uses Azure AI Foundry compute resources billed through Azure.
Requires Microsoft Entra Identity Governance licensing.
Results
Unused permissions are removed sooner.
Employee access stays aligned with current responsibilities.
Access changes are documented for audits.
Zero-Touch Intune Application Updating
Vendor Feed Monitor
Intune monitors vendor feeds for new Chrome and Zoom releases.
Release Note Generation
Azure Copilot extracts and summarizes the release notes.
The summary is posted to a Microsoft Teams channel.
Silent Background Update
Intune deploys the updated installers to all endpoints in the background.
How We Manage It:
We remove the chore of downloading and packaging third-party software updates by using managed application catalogs paired with intelligent release trackers.
The workflow:
Microsoft Intune monitors vendor feeds for Google Chrome and Zoom. Upon release, Azure Copilot extracts and summarizes the release notes into a Microsoft Teams channel, and Intune silently pushes the updated installers to all endpoints in the background.
Cost comparison:
Managed application catalogs and release tracking remove the need to manually download, package, and prepare third-party software updates.
Tools and programs being used:
Managed application catalogs and release tracking remove the need to
manually download, package, and prepare third-party software updates.
Implementation difficulty and
timeline:
Low difficulty (1 week). Requires enabling catalog application management and configuring automated deployment rings.
Components to purchase:
Included in Microsoft Intune enterprise licensing.
Automated Invoice Data Extraction
Document Ingestion
When an invoice arrives
via email.
AI Data Extraction
Azure Document Intelligence reads
the line items, standardizes the
currency formatting.
Database Commit
Pushes the structured data directly into an Azure SQL database for accounting.
How We Manage It:
We eliminate manual bookkeeping by deploying optical character recognition tools combined with cloud orchestration to process incoming vendor invoices automatically.
The workflow:
When an invoice arrives via email, Azure Logic Apps pass the PDF to Azure Document Intelligence. The artificial intelligence reads the line items, standardizes the currency formatting, and pushes the structured data directly into an Azure SQL database for accounting.
Cost comparison:
Cheaper immediately. Recovers hours of administrative time spent manually typing invoice details into accounting systems.
Tools and programs being used:
Azure Document Intelligence, Azure Logic Apps, and Azure SQL Database.
Implementation difficulty and
timeline:
Low difficulty (1 to 2 weeks). Requires training a custom document extraction model and wiring the Logic App workflow.
Components to purchase:
Standard Azure Document Intelligence transaction billing.
The Zero Trust Gatekeeper
Identity becomes the security perimeter. Every sign-in is verified before access is granted.
This chart shows the move from password-only access to automated Zero Trust gating.
Instead of trusting the network, Microsoft security controls evaluate the user, device, and sign-in risk before a session is created.
Legacy Approach
Password Correct = Access Granted
In older environments, a correct password can be
enough—even from public Wi-Fi or an unmanaged device.
Password
Network
App
Trust is based on password or location.
Device health is not checked first.
Risky sign-ins can still reach apps.
Problems are often found after access starts.
Evolved Approach
Verify First. Then Grant Access
Before any session token is issued, Microsoft policies
check the user, the device, and the sign-in risk.
Entra ID + Identity Protection flag impossible travel, unfamiliar sign-ins, and risky behavior.
Intune confirms the device is managed, compliant, and ready for access.
Conditional Access allows access, requires MFA, or silently blocks the session.
Only trusted users on compliant devices get in.
High-risk sign-ins are stopped automatically.
Compromised identities are blocked before app access.
Security decisions happen in real time.
Programs Used
Microsoft Entra ID
Entra Identity Protection
Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Graph API
Rollout Approach
Audit sign-in logs
Run policies in Report-Only
Enforce across production users
Timeline
2–3 weeks
Moderate implementation effort
Cost
No new software purchases
Uses Entra ID P2 with E5 and P1 with F3