New equipment is coming in. Here’s how to make sure the old equipment goes out the right way.
Technology refresh cycles happen throughout the year for most businesses, whether it is a full office upgrade or a rolling replacement of aging computers. New equipment tends to get most of the attention during a refresh, but what happens to the old equipment deserves just as much planning.
Start the Retirement Plan Early
The best time to plan for secure disposal of old equipment is before the new equipment arrives, not after it is already sitting in a corner. Building disposal into the refresh timeline keeps retired devices from piling up and being forgotten.
Inventory What Is Being Retired
Before scheduling pickup, take stock of what is actually being replaced. This includes obvious items like desktops and laptops, but also servers, external drives, old phones, and networking equipment that may be part of the same upgrade.
Separate Data-Bearing Devices from General Electronics
Not everything being retired needs the same level of handling. Anything that held data, such as computers, hard drives, and servers, should be routed to secure ITAD. General electronics without stored data can typically go through standard e-recycling.
Schedule Secure Pickup and Destruction
Once equipment is sorted, schedule a pickup with a provider that offers secure ITAD. Look for a documented chain-of-custody process and a certificate of destruction so you have a record of how the equipment was handled.
Confirm Documentation for Your Records
After destruction is complete, keep the certificate of destruction on file. This documentation is useful for internal recordkeeping and demonstrates that your business took a deliberate approach to protecting data during the transition.
Make It a Repeatable Process
A technology refresh is a good opportunity to build a repeatable disposal process for the future. Once the steps are in place, the next refresh cycle becomes much easier to manage.
Planning a technology refresh? Contact Richards & Richards to schedule secure ITAD for your retired equipment.
