Define the purpose beyond removing passwords
Account security is about more than typing fewer passwords. It also means helping employees sign in to the real service and reducing the chance of credentials being captured on fake pages. Passkeys use key pairs instead of reusable passwords and bind credentials to the relevant service. Microsoft describes FIDO2 passkeys as phishing-resistant authentication; that does not mean every type of attack disappears.
Technical source: Microsoft Learn — Passkeys (FIDO2)
Separate user groups
An office employee, a field worker sharing computers and a system administrator do not necessarily need the same setup. Are personal phones allowed? Are devices managed by the company? Do people switch computers throughout the day? Choosing one method before answering these questions can increase support demand. Build a small user inventory first, without assuming that everyone has the same device or application habits.
Test compatibility against everyday work
A successful sign-in screen is only the beginning of a pilot. Test email, remote access, common business applications and different browsers. If a legacy finance application does not work directly with the proposed method, record that dependency. Before broad deployment, create a clear list of services that are ready and those that need a transition plan. Include the people who actually use those applications in the test.
Design account recovery from the start
A lost phone or forgotten security key is a normal business scenario. Decide how identity will be verified, who approves the recovery and how access is restored. The recovery process should not become a weaker alternative route into the account. Have the support team rehearse it before the pilot, and tell employees exactly where to report a missing device.
Use support evidence to guide expansion
At the end of the pilot, review failed sign-ins, recovery requests and steps that confused employees. Write training around daily use rather than a list of product features. New starters, device changes and offboarding belong in the same plan. Success is not simply the number of accounts with passkeys; it is whether secure sign-in becomes a sustainable habit supported by a workable operating process.