Choosing the right IT asset disposal vendor

IT asset disposal is the final step of the IT asset management life cycle. Read more about the ITAM life cycle, and IT asset disposition. A business generally disposes of IT assets to free up its inventory from end-of-life or outdated IT assets. Let's take an example case to understand the importance of proper IT asset disposal.

ABC Co. is a small business in the healthcare sector with a workforce of around 10 employees. All 10 employees have been given a work laptop to carry out their daily work. The company recently received a rather large amount of funding, and top management has decided to upgrade 5 employees' laptops to improve work efficiency.

Once ABC Co. procured the required top-tier 5 laptops, they distributed them to the respective employees. Upon receiving them, the employees asked about what they should do with the previous laptops. To which a manager replied telling them that they were free to keep them.

The impact of this massive blunder on ABC Co.'s side was not felt until 2 months later. Aman, one of the employees who was given a new laptop, decided to give away his previous work laptop to his cousin who needed a device to work. He gave the device away without wiping the data, or even setting restrictions on them.

Aman's cousin, unaware of phishing, viruses, or any fraudulent cyber activities, accidentally clicks on a phoney link. This led to a leak of confidential client information and sensitive healthcare data from ABC Co.'s database.

Not long after, ABC Co. faced harsh consequences in the form of fines, legal action, and more. Not only this, but ABC Co.'s reputation was in shambles. It could no longer be trusted by customers or by other businesses.

This simple case is, unfortunately, a common business practice in India. But that's where IT asset disposal vendors come in, to ensure data security, regulatory compliance, and proper waste management. These are some criteria to keep in mind when selecting an IT asset disposal vendor for your business.

Data security:

Data security is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a vendor for disposal. As previously explained in the example, it is of the utmost importance for an IT asset's data to be fully erased before it moves on to be refurbished, reused, or disposed of.

Is the vendor fully equipped to handle all your IT assets' data? Can they ensure that all data is fully erased from your IT assets? These are some questions that need answering before selecting a vendor for disposal.

With Assetze’s reliable IT asset disposal services, your business can rest assured. After the standard data destruction procedures are carried out, a safe data-erasure certificate will be provided to you. Contact us to know more.

Full ITAM life cycle coverage:

Vendors that can offer support, covering the entire ITAM life cycle can help simplify the entire process. Working with a single vendor that also provides businesses with procurement, repair and maintenance services, and IT asset management solutions - is likely more advantageous than working with 4 different vendors to cover the same gaps.

Working with one vendor consistently is more likely to benefit your business, as they can gauge and better understand all your ITAM needs, and suitably tailor their services at each step according to your precise business needs.

Sustainability:

E-waste production in the world is at an all-time high, and going about how to manage all of it is a growing concern. E-waste needs to be handled safely, as it can contain toxic components that are extremely hazardous to the environment.

An IT asset disposal vendor needs to take a safe and sustainable approach, to ensure that your business contributes to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. Recycling, reusing, refurbishing, or repurposing IT assets are some sustainable methods of waste management that IT asset disposal vendors should carry out.

Transparency and compliance with regulations:

IT asset disposal vendors need to be fully transparent about the procedures and processes they implement to deal with company devices and data. The transparency of the vendor means that they have nothing to hide, making it easier to trust them with your company's sensitive data and devices.

Understanding their procedures and processes will help you determine whether they are trying to be sustainable, how safe and effective their data-erasure protocols are, and overall answer a lot of questions that your organisation might have.

Most importantly, to provide the highest (and safest) standards of IT asset disposal, vendors need to adhere to international and domestic rules and regulations. The EU's WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) guidelines and India's 'E-waste management rules - 2022' are some robust standards that vendors should follow.

Experience and customer satisfaction:

An IT asset disposal vendor with a considerable amount of experience in the field will most definitely have an advantage over other vendors.

As it is with selecting a vendor or making a purchase from any seller, it is also important to consider the customer satisfaction rate of the vendor. What have companies that have previously worked with the vendor said about the vendor's practices? Has a majority of previous clientele had a positive experience with the vendor?

Choosing the right IT asset disposal vendor is important, especially when it comes to the safety and security of your company's data.

Assetze's IT asset disposal service can take care of all your disposal needs. Our data erasure procedures are compliant with government norms and international standards such as WEEE. Upon safe handling of your company's data, you will also be issued a data destruction certificate. Connect with us today to find out more about our IT asset disposal services.