The Hidden Costs of Asset Disposition

Why You Need a Perpetual ITAD Program.

Disposing of IT assets is not an easy task. It’s not as simple as contacting an ITAD vendor when you have enough inventory that warrants disposal. Simply collecting and storing your assets over a long period of time and then having someone eventually come pick it up is not the wisest or best course of action. Sadly, this is what many companies are doing.

IT assets are perishable and the data that resides on them can be dangerous. The sooner you decommission your assets, the better chance you have of getting a return on your investments. However, disposition is more than just getting the highest value for your assets.

“Your ITAD partner should custom build a process that works for you and focuses on the critical issues you need for end-of-life disposition.”

There are hidden costs to managing old IT assets. There are additional ownership costs to letting the assets stay on your accounting books. Time is never your friend – assets that had value a month ago can plummet in value literally overnight. Non-performing assets often have confidential sensitive data and are not stored in a secure physical area.

One example of a hidden cost that most companies have is the license fees for the asset management software applications they use to manage their hardware. These applications typically charge by the number of hardware devices under management – all at a cost that eats away at the potential value as companies tend to not remove them from those platforms until well after they have been decommissioning from their network costing the company.

So how does your company reduce risk while maximizing the value of their retired assets?

To eliminate the risks and optimize the value of your non-performing assets you need to implement a Perpetual ITAD Program. This Perpetual ITAD Program needs to be customized to the way your organization operates and defines what works best in your environment to optimize value.

It needs to include:

• A complete cradle-to-grave documented process
• Software or some system to help manage the asset details
• Compliance and regulatory documentation procedures
• A proven and trusted ITAD vendor that is more consultant than seller

Decommissioning assets out of your infrastructure is best understood by engaging an ITAD provider who will truly take the time to know your business. Your ITAD partner should work to develop and build a process that works specifically for your company and focuses on the critical issues you need for end-of-life disposition. Working with a partner who has the experience, tools and people to help your organization properly and securely decommission your IT assets will help to uncover potential ‘gray’ costs to maximize value, as well as limit your risk.

Organizations that implement our perpetual program get the best of both worlds. Timely and consistent disposition that maximizes value while also reducing risk to your organization knowing their sensitive information is properly destroyed.

If you do not have a perpetual ITAD process in place today, consider working with Technology Trading Partners. For over 30 years, Technology Trading Partners has been a leader in customizing ITAD solutions designed around driving a great customer experience.