The right time to consider IT asset disposal

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The right time to consider IT asset disposal

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Even though you know IT hardware has an expiration date, sometimes it’s hard to let go. After all, your IT devices served you well for years, so we wouldn’t be surprised if your old Cisco switches grew on you. 

However, what happens to your obsolete hardware matters. 

Most companies go down one of two paths. They either throw the devices away or turn clingy and lock the equipment away in storage, taking up valuable space. 

Neither of these options is the best course of action. In fact, your company could benefit a lot from IT asset disposal (ITAD). 

But when is the best time to do it, and when should you consider it? Let’s take a look.

The status quo

The first thing to consider is the impact of current events in regards to how you should handle out-of-date IT assets. The pandemic we all lived through is mostly over. Still, while many countries are “open for business”, some economies are closed or not operating at their full capacity. 

Naturally, this means that supply chains are still going through a lot of difficulties.

We aren’t only seeing an increase in costs but new systems and parts are growing scarce while the demand is at an all-time high. On top of that, there are even longer lead times from both suppliers and manufacturers.

This turn of events should influence how you approach your asset disposal plans. You need to concoct a strategy that increases the value of these assets in their end-of-life stage. 

So no, don’t send your old assets to the landfill but don’t let them gather dust in your storage either. Instead, you should think about transforming your obsolete hardware into assets that can bring value past their expiry date.

Elements you should take into consideration

When considering whether you need an ITAD, you should ask yourself these questions about your out-of-date assets:

  • Is the hardware functional? Organizations sometimes still keep devices that are not fully functional or completely unusable. Keeping this equipment is a waste of space and it means you’re in dire need of asset disposal.
  • Does it meet your current needs? Sometimes, the needs of your organization can change drastically. For instance, maybe a particular IT asset no longer has enough processing power to keep the ball rolling. A professional IDAT is the best remedy for this as well.
  • Does the hardware meet your organization’s standards? Even if obsolete technology still works fine, it might not meet standards relating to its capabilities, data throughput, and similar metrics. If this is the case, you should consider professional IT asset disposal.

If you answered yes to any of these three questions, asset disposal is the remedy for your IT equipment headaches. Nevertheless, there are still additional things to consider before you make the next step.

IT sparing

Before you chuck the old hardware out, you should first check if anything can be cannibalized for spare parts. Keeping ample spare parts is a great way to avert future disasters. For example, if a disk crashes in your organization, you can restart your operations with minimal damage if you have a supply of spare hard drives. 

Since the prices of new components are at an all-time high and the waiting times can be described as ridiculous, this is something you should definitely consider, regardless if you have extra money to spare.

However, don’t get carried away. Not every piece of equipment should get cannibalized because having too many spare parts can wreak havoc on your storage space as well. 

So how many spare parts do you really need?

First, take stock of your existing IT ecosystem. After that, a good rule of thumb is mirroring your infrastructure with 10% in spare parts. This means that if you have 50 workstations with hard drives, you only need to keep 5 hard drives as spares.

Reselling and recycling your old assets

You’ve got your spare parts, what’s next? Well, now is finally the time to consider reselling and recycling your old hardware. 

Because of the aforementioned supply problems, even old equipment can be sold for an impressive price. Additionally, this can help you reduce your overall costs as it allows you to recoup a part of your investment. 

Now, we’re not implying you should sell your old hardware on eBay yourself - after all, your time is precious and should be spent elsewhere. If you want to sell any obsolete IT assets, you should contact a professional IT asset disposal company.

Companies such as Dataknox pay you for your old equipment. They clean and repair your aging assets and sell them to other companies. By contacting a professional service, you’ll not only be able to get rid of old hardware without lifting a finger but you’ll also improve your ROI, and ultimately, help the world by reducing e-waste.

The last point is quite important as many components in these assets are not good for the environment. So if you don’t want to pollute the soil and the water but you also don’t want to take it upon yourself to mitigate the environmental impact of your old equipment, contact a professional asset disposal company. 

What can an asset disposal program do for you?

Because most of these companies usually don’t focus strictly on asset disposal (for instance, Dataknox is also a third-party maintenance provider), you should consider them as a partner that can help guide you through the entire lifecycle of your IT assets.

Asset disposal can be challenging, and that’s why having a pro help you in every step of the process is important. 

For example, they’ll help you determine if a device is ready for ITAD, as well as help you find out which assets can yield valuable spare parts. Perhaps most importantly, they’ll be able to assist you in determining whether an asset should be destroyed, recycled, or resold (usually at current market value).

You’ll reduce your lifetime cost of ownership and increase your ROI. That’s what asset disposal is all about and why you should consider doing it ASAP.

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