Important Questions to Ask When Considering an ITAD Company

Important Questions to Ask When Considering an ITAD Company

Choosing an experienced and effective IT Asset Disposition company to partner with your business is an absolutely vital decision for your digital security. It is critical to ensure that the ITAD company you choose is qualified to handle your business’s sensitive digital materials and that they are able to meet your needs.

When considering various ITAD companies, there are a number of important questions that you should ask to guarantee that the company you choose is the right fit for handling your IT Asset Disposition needs.

What is the Company’s Length of Experience?

The industry of IT Asset Disposition involves many complex and technical processes that must always be kept up to date to match the latest technological developments in the field. Finding a company with a long and proven record of successfully disposing of business’s digital assets securely, while protecting all sensitive information, is very important.

It takes companies time and experience to cultivate successful, secure, and efficient disposition processes. Guaranteeing that your ITAD company has the requisite track record is key.

What Security and Environmental Certifications does the Company Hold?

There are a range of meaningful security and environmental certifications that can distinguish trusted and reputable ITAD companies from those of lesser quality.

• The R2 (Responsible Recycling) Standard Certification – This certification provides a set of quality assurance standards that companies must meet in order to qualify. These standards include a set of common procedures, safety requirements, and requisite data destruction documentation. The R2 certification signals a company’s commitment to high-quality data protection and environmental safety practices.
• ISO 45001 – This certification is recognized as a method of assessing and auditing occupational health and safety management systems.  By having a clearly defined management system in place to identify and control health and safety risks, organizations are able to minimize risks to their workforce and visitors or external contractors on their premises.
• ISO 14001 Certification – This certification signals that a particular ITAD company adheres to voluntary international environmental protection standards. Companies that boast ISO 14001 certification utilize a range of ISO tools to track and improve all of the company’s environmental impacts.
• E-Stewards Certification – Those companies with e-stewards certification adhere to incredibly rigorous practices that represent the height of both social and environmental responsibility. This includes standards that eliminate the export of hazardous materials to developing nations.

Does the Company Ensure Secure Pick-Up and/or Provide On-Site Services?

IT assets are most vulnerable to loss and theft when they are awaiting pick-up at the initial business site. For this reason, asking a potential ITAD vendor about the security and timeliness of their equipment pick-up schedule is imperative.

Alternatively, some ITAD companies provide on-site data destruction services. In the case of on-site services, sensitive data can be erased, and equipment can be destroyed, before it even leaves your business’s property. This represents one of the most secure ITAD options for businesses.

SEAM offers a range of expert ITAD solutions in the Sioux Falls, SD area, as well as across North Dakota. SEAM is R2, ISO, and e-Stewards certified to ensure the highest level of data security, as well as social and environmental responsibility. For more information about our services or to request a quote, contact SEAM at 605-274-7326 (SEAM) or online today.