IT Asset Disposal Companies – How to Pick the Right One

Which of the IT asset disposal companies is best for you?

Since the .com boom, the amount of IT has exploded, and so too have the number of IT asset disposal companies.

With so many options to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when considering vendors.

There are several lists of IT asset disposal companies, but it isn’t always very helpful for making your pick. It can be difficult to evaluate the different service offerings of all the different companies and compare them. Projects also vary wildly, so reviews don’t always tell the full picture.

It would be like picking your new employee solely based on how many linkedin connections they have.

You could always pick a behemoth recycler like SIMS or Iron Mountain if you want a known quantity.

But consider purchasing a car as an example: you don’t need a 20 ton truck if all you do is drive to and from the food store.

Making sure that the company fits you is more important, just as you would want an employee to match your company’s mindset and work ethic.

This article will illuminate the IT asset disposal landscape for you. It will also show you which facets to compare when you look at IT asset disposal vendors and tailor your choice to your needs.

How to Choose the Right IT Asset Disposal Company For Your Needs

When you’re deciding between it asset recycling companies, the process might best be conceptualized as an interview.

In an interview, you ask thought provoking and challenging questions to sift through candidates. An interview is only as good as the questions asked in it.

With the right questions, you can single out the best company for your needs. A vendor you can rely on for a long time, that understands your company and handles any needs capably, without inciting worries.

If you search through most of the websites of these companies, you’ll see very similar claims on many of them. You’ll find some things that contrast, but for the most part, it isn’t always going to help you make the final choice.

To do that, here are the questions to narrow things down.

Questions to Sort Out the Best IT Asset Disposal Companies

Does the Company Have the Relevant Certifications?

Look on their website or inquire about their current certifications. Check the certification websites or ask for official documents to verify their claims. R2, ISO 14001 , E-stewards, and OHSAS 18001 are some to look into. Note that R2 and E-stewards are close to the same thing. These certifications are reassurance that your compliance, chain of custody, and data security needs will be met.

Will Their Team Communicate Well With Your Team?

Ask for specific points of contact – do they give you individuals’ contact information, or just direct you to a service line? A partnership without an easy way to communicate is no partnership at all. How promptly did a qualified person reply to your outreach?

Is the Company Competent?

Provide information about your processes and ask the disposal company for feedback – are they happy to provide insights? Are their replies those of a refined expert who understands your business?

Will They Comply With Your Policies?

Communicate all of the regulations that you are subject to, and request them to provide you with information on any others that they know you might fall under the purview of. Ask them what processes they have that will help you ensure compliances with each policy. You are looking for a comprehensive reply that shows experience working with similar companies to yours.

It is perfectly reasonable to do a pilot project with lower stakes to demonstrate compatibility.

Do They Offer the Services You Need?

Logistical services

Do they provide on site pickup services and palletization?

Can they help verify inventory through network discovery and physical auditing?

Can they help you with the decommissioning process?

What level of insurance is provided, and at what cost?

Are they able to palletize all the equipment themselves?

How will they provide compensation?

Data Compliance

• What capabilities do they have for data destruction?
  • Are they able to shred, degauss, or wipe drives inside your facility?
• Can they wipe drives in the rack, and do they have portable erasure racks in the event that yours are already decommissioned?
• What is their speed when wiping drives?
• Are they capable of erasing next generation hard drives with the new form factors, as well as flash storage drives?

Target, Equifax, Apple, and who knows how many other companies have been devastated by data leak controversy. As such, it is not wise to overlook this aspect when making your choice, and especially not if you have sensitive data in house, which most companies do. Standardized data erasure policies where you will receive a certificate of data destroyed afterwards can do much to secure this aspect of the process.

Will They Provide Fair Compensation?

In some cases, IT asset disposal companies will charge you much more than the value of the equipment in a fee-for-service deal.

You’re likely going to get lowballed if it’s a cash-for-hardware transaction. It’s not even intentional, much of the time; some companies are simply not equipped to recover the maximal value certain types of electronics equipment.

If your IT hardware has residual value in it, you should receive your fair share of that value in cash.

Sometimes, the IT asset recycling companies will leverage too much of their capital for profit, which can bring delays if anything goes wrong on their end.

There are too many reasonable companies to settle for one that won’t benefit you properly in the monetary aspect.

Here are a few IT asset recyclers you may want to consider.

Each has their own IT asset disposal services, and each is  best suited to a certain scope, project type, and size.

4th Bin

Abington Reldan Metals

Anything IT, Inc.

Comprenew

Data Killers

Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations

Electronic Recyclers International

Do You Want a Reliable Company That Puts You First?

Are you combing through IT asset disposal companies to try and find vendors to handle all your needs? Do you want to ensure that 3rd party help adheres to your security, compliance, and governance protocols?

We would love to help you with any disposal needs you may have.

Contact us today; we would be happy to tailor a solution to your needs.