Useful tips for IT asset decommissioning

What is IT asset decommissioning?

Although companies can use their data center equipment beyond its lifecycle with proper long-term maintenance from Evernex, sometimes your technology and operational or software prerequisites change. In order to stay up to date you might need to replace your outdated hardware with products that are more relevant and add more value to your business needs. That’s where IT decommissioning comes in, the process of disposing of hardware assets or IT equipment safely, securely and complying with all regulations. Although server disposal or IT asset disposition might seem fairly straightforward, there are several best practices that are worth taking into account when it comes to ITAD (IT asset disposal).

Why is it important to manage IT asset disposal?

IT asset disposition, if not done in accordance with industry standards, is a great contributor to e-waste. According to the UN Environment Programme, over 90% of old, unused IT hardware was illegally dumped or traded in 2015. This kind of activity has a direct environmental and economic impact, leads to data theft, IP rights infringement, and violations of data storage and disposal compliance regulations. Therefore, the importance of IT asset disposal and its consequences should not be underestimated, especially when considering how it affects a company’s attempts at increasing its sustainability. Recycling IT hardware provides the opportunity for a company to boost its eco-scores, since reusing discarded materials will avoid the need to manufacture new ones, ultimately reducing carbon emissions.

What are the processes involved in asset decommissioning disposal?

Carrying out the decommissioning and disposal process correctly involves several steps, from keeping accurate records of the equipment being replaced to ensuring the information it contained has been backed up elsewhere and erased, etc.

The following are some tips to help you manage the IT asset disposition or asset decommissioning process successfully and will help you set up a good decommissioning process flow. We hope it brings guidance in line with your disposal needs.

Tips for IT asset decommissioning

Tip 1: Note Down the Entire Decommissioning Process

To avoid unwanted hazards during the IT hardware decommissioning or IT asset disposition process, create a logbook with information about the date in which the ITAD took place and the parts that have been decommissioned. Additionally, create a checklist to ensure that everything is done according to the WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations and policies.

Tip 2: Check the Identity of the Asset

Whether you carry out the process in-house or decide to outsource it to a company that provides ITAD services, it pays to keep detailed records of everything. Maintain an asset management system to check the identity of the IT asset and make sure that the equipment and user details are matched with the logbook details. This type of inventory will help you ensure that every piece of hardware is accounted for before, during and after the ITAD process. It’s also a good way to prevent confusion about the amount of assets and the location of the hardware that needs to be decommissioned.

Tip 3: Don’t Forget to Backup

The IT equipment of companies contains all sorts of information. While data destruction is key to the ITAD process, before completely destroying a machine, make sure that all relevant and useful data is backed up. The process of asset decommissioning is about making sure that no information can be retrieved afterwards, so make sure you don’t erase things that you might miss in the future. The process of data erasure can be rolled back only up to a point, but in case of need, make sure to contact one of the companies that specialize in asset recovery.

Tip 4: Disable User and Network Access

Before removing the outdated hardware from the network, make sure that all the user access paths from old IDs are disabled as part of the ITAD process. This will help you ward off the threat of data theft from hackers or ex-employees that might be looking for something of value. Cutting off external access to the data is a crucial first step in the decommissioning process, as old IDs are a potential source of trouble.

Tip 5: Make Sure to Destroy the Asset Physically

To ensure the safety and security of your data, it is often advisable to destroy your hardware physically during the IT asset disposition process to ensure total data destruction. There are organizations that offer this service and use industrial shredders and other devices to completely destroy your machinery. Before going ahead with this process, make sure that all the details are carefully logged and backed up and then destroyed completely to prevent unwanted hazards.

Tip 6: Contact Evernex

We specialize in providing secure IT asset decommissioning and data center hardware disposal services that help companies eliminate storage growth, cut costs, increase efficiency and ensure compliance with regulatory obligations for data security regarding sustainability. This is a great option if your company wants to entrust the ITAD process to an experienced business that offers IT asset disposal services to avoid mistakes and headaches. In addition, our commitment to sustainability through recycling ensures that we reuse all valuable ores that can be salvaged during the decommissioning process.

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