How and Why You Need to Optimize Your IT Asset Recovery

Among business owners, there seems to be a consensus that physical destruction of hard drives and devices that contain data is the best and only way to protect a company and its customers, as well as comply with the vast array of privacy laws and industry regulations concerning consumer data.  However, this isn’t exactly true.

There is another option.  It is also perfectly acceptable (and legal) to wipe devices in order to repurpose them within your own organization, or alternately, sell them, if they still hold some value.  Of course, this form of asset recovery must be done right in order to ensure that all data is eliminated.  How can your North Dakota business optimize the IT asset recovery process, and why is it important to consider this option?  Here’s what you should know.

Asset Recovery is an Important Part of Life-Cycle Management

When you purchase new IT equipment, at no small expense, you have to justify the cost by mapping out the life cycle of your hardware to ensure the greatest possible use value.  From there, it’s easy to drop the ball on end-of-life-cycle planning and just shove outdated equipment into storage until you have time to deal with it (whenever that might be).

Like many businesses, this stockpile of outdated devices can become overwhelming, and the longer tech sits idle, the more it depreciates in potential resale value.  In the end, you’ll probably have it all shredded and recycled, in keeping with environmental and consumer privacy laws.

This is why having a plan for asset recovery is so important.  It allows you to take advantage of remaining value of devices in a timely manner, as well as prevent inventory from collecting dust in a storeroom or warehouse.

Recouping the costs of purchase is a great reason to create strict policies and procedures for asset recovery, but security is another major benefit.  Stored IT assets are a major risk factor for potential theft, both internal and external, and your liability increases the longer these items sit.  By moving them out and having them professionally wiped immediately, you not only minimize risks, but free up space that could better be used for more productive purposes.

Your Trusted ITAD Service Provider Can Do the Heavy Lifting (Literally)

Now you know why it’s smart to consider asset recovery as an alternative to shredding hard drives and devices, but how do you go about making the transition?  Your certified ITAD service provider can help, first by explaining the process, and then assisting you in implementing company policies.

The right ITAD partner will provide your office with locking bins to store hard drives and devices for pickup, after which they will be bundled and transported to a secure facility for processing.  You can track progress by serial number on a 24/7 client portal.

From there, viable devices will be thoroughly wiped, in keeping with not only privacy laws, but any applicable industry standards (HIPAA, FACTA, etc.).  These devices will them be refurbished and sold on your behalf, helping you to see at least some tangible return on investment.

If your North Dakota business needs help crafting an optimal IT asset recovery plan, contact the talented and experienced team at SEAM today at 605-274-7326 (SEAM) or online to learn more.