Why DIY Asset Disposition is Never Worth the Risk

Businesses are always looking for ways to reduce costs, minimize waste, and boost the profit margin, and with good reason.  More profit means greater opportunity to grow and increased rewards for the company and its employees.

While cost-cutting is typically considered a good thing, there is a fine line between minimizing expenses and cheaping out, insomuch as the former has beneficial results, while the latter could result in consequences that negatively impact your company down the line.  When it comes to DIY asset disposition, you could be flirting with disaster, even though you’ll save some money up front.

Why should your Sioux Falls, SD business invest in an IT asset disposition (ITAD) strategy that includes partnering with a reliable, experienced, certified ITAD service provider?  Here are just a few reasons why a DIY approach to IT asset disposition simply isn’t worth the risk.

ITAD Isn’t a Priority

Even companies that have excellent IT asset management policies in place may drop the ball when it comes to planning for the end of the digital life cycle.  It’s no wonder, with so much emphasis placed on securing equipment and devices while they’re in use.  With other priorities trumping ITAD, it’s not uncommon for businesses to build up a stockpile of devices just waiting for disposal.

Unfortunately, this can create a variety of risk factors for liability.  For one thing, there’s the internal threat of theft to worry about, especially if devices aren’t securely stored or regularly inventoried.  There’s also the possibility that devices could be accidentally disposed of improperly, leading to external theft and subsequent data breach.

What you need to be very aware of when setting your priorities is that it only takes a single device in the wrong hands to result in a data breach that impacts your company and your customers.  For this reason alone, you should prioritize your ITAD strategy.

Data Destruction is a Complex Undertaking

There are myriad guidelines associated with IT asset disposition.  In addition to complying with environmental laws for e-waste disposal, you also have to observe applicable federal, state, and local privacy laws, as well as any industry-specific regulations that may affect you (such as HIPAA or FACTA, for example).

These laws affect every aspect of the asset disposition process, including how to wipe and shred devices to protect consumer privacy.  Not only does your company have to take pains to comply, but laws change to address new devices and threats, and the onus is on you to keep up.  A certified ITAD service provider will manage all of these issues for you.

The Cost of Mistakes Can be High

Even if you prioritize your ITAD strategy and you devote time and effort to compliance, the truth is, a single mistake can negate all your efforts.  If something slips through the cracks and the result is a data breach, your company is going to suffer for it (and possibly your customers).

The good news is, you don’t have to manage on your own.  A certified ITAD service provider can mitigate risks and protect your Sioux Falls, SD business.  Contact the qualified experts at SEAM today at 605-274-7326 (SEAM) or online to get a quote and learn more.