Although the “Top 5” reasons to choose a professionally certified ITAD provider may be obvious to a few readers of my first-ever blog, the term of my career is full of stories where prospects demonstrated zero or little awareness for the issues or risk created by their approach to removal or disposition of IT assets. Several had a vendor vetting method that focused only on “are you able” and how soon can you clear these out of here” considerations. Such vendor vetting may have worked acceptably 30 years ago, but the world has clearly changed and what was once slightly risky has become quite catastrophic.
Here they are – the “Top 5 Reasons to Choose a Certified Provider for IT Asset Disposition,” no matter your global location:
- Data security breaches
- Environmental and public health risks
- Non-compliance of local and international laws
- No “Chain of Custody”
- Immeasurable financial risk
Risk of a Data Security Breach
Even the seemingly most harmless IT asset (an iPhone, for example) can have historical data easily discoverable even after relying on the delete or re-format methods provided in the software given to you by the manufacturer. Only a truly certified ITAD provider can 100% indemnify you and your organization of the data that could be discovered if data wiping is not done to accepted and international standards. Think data security breeches rarely happen any longer? Think again, click here and read about how Morgan Stanley failed to properly protect their data and chose a lower-priced ITAD vendor. There’s no recovery after a data breach. There are some countries that hold individuals accountable (not the company) with a very real prison sentence. I recently managed an ITAD job during which my passport was required just so they know who to come after if anything bad happened! As you can imagine, I take it very seriously when it comes to data security and data removal methods.
Environmental & Public Health Risks
Most countries around the world have now put laws into place to protect the country’s natural resources and the residents who rely on them. Water, air, soil and the foods grown or raised in or on that soil. Almost all IT assets contain either heavy metals, harmful chemicals or both. Proper disposition is important to the safety of your employees, vendor staff, your community, the destination of your IT assets’ community and your state or country. Failure to select a properly certified provider for IT Asset Disposition poses risk of fines, clean-up costs and immeasurable damage to a company’s brand. Too many of your company’s customers care so deeply about the planet, our shared water and soil, that any discovery of a disposition mistake or oversite could be catastrophic to revenue and the job stability of you and your colleagues. Yet, in January 2019, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations E-waste Coalition reported that 50 million tons of electronic waste are produced each year, most of which is either incinerated or dumped in the landfills of the world’s poorest countries. Each year that passes will only escalate environmental sensitivities and the laws surrounding public health are only growing more stringent. Don’t forget that sins of the past can almost always be tracable and, therefore, risk indemnification should begin today. Choosing a certified ITAD provider directly places accountability where it absolutely belongs – on your certified IT Asset Disposition vendor.
Non-Compliance to Local & International Laws
Whether yours is a small company (one location) or a multi-national and global giant, the local, national and international laws are complex and continually evolving. Your certified ITAD provider is 100% accountable for such requirements. When you choose “uncertified,” you can trust that accountability lies with you and your company. Lacking knowledge for a country’s laws rarely indemnifies the company or individual responsible for threats to environment, public health or data security of customers’/employees’ confidential data.
No “Chain of Custody”
Uncertified ITAD providers are notorious for using pick-up trucks and automobile trunks for moving IT assets, often leaving assets unprotected/unlocked – or accessible to their own staff (or temp staff). Worse? They are also quite able to break down components and not required to have tracking records for the final location of components or which assets were selected for incineration. When you choose an uncertified ITAD provider, all the risk becomes yours as soon as those IT assets leave your protection. Would you choose an uncertified auto mechanic to fix your breaks? How about a lower cost trash hauler to merely “take away” your weekly garbage in his pickup truck?
Financial Risk
Last, but not least important. Already mentioned, but pulled out here for special emphasis. Unless you’re selecting a truly certified ITAD provider, you and your company retain full accountability for the IT assets being removed from your location. Is “gut instinct trust” in a provider worth the financial risk to you and your company? Ever? When you balance the small, but higher cost of a certified ITAD provider to an uncertified provider, how do you balance the cost difference to the risk of costly fines, costly clean-up and damaging company reputation – even bankruptcy – to becoming an acceptable risk. You might gamble and play the lottery for entertainment. But, this isn’t entertainment.
XSi is a Fully-Certified Provider of IT Asset Disposition
XSi is R2v3 Certified and also ISO9001:2015, ISO14001:2015, ISO45001:2018 Certified. XSi provides full IT Asset Disposition support to APAC, EMEA, North America, as well as clients throughout Latin America. We take service quality and recognized quality standards very seriously. Contact Us if we can be of assistance!
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