Useful Tips to optimize IT Asset Decommissioning Process
| Summary: The IT asset decommissioning process at most organizations is new and not very well-established. In this blog, we will discuss the top tips that can help you optimize the process at your business. |
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Table of contents
- What is IT asset decommissioning?
- Tips for optimizing the IT asset decommissioning process
- Rework your IT asset decommissioning process
Until not too long ago, IT asset decommissioning wasn’t something that required a lot of thought. For a majority of businesses, both big and small.
But that’s changing now.
Why?
The cost of data breaches caused by improper IT asset disposal is on the rise.
Moreover,
- Government regulations need businesses to comply with IT asset disposal standards.
- The public and other stakeholders hold businesses responsible for data leaks. And that affects the organization’s image and future money-making capacity.
So the businesses of today are not just taking extreme care while an IT asset is in use. But they are also very vigilant while it is being decommissioned or disposed of.
The IT asset decommissioning process is becoming a staple for businesses.
The processes of the yesteryears are being retired. Mainly due to their legal, financial, and security-related shortcomings.
But for most organizations, their IT asset decommissioning processes are in nascent stages. And there is a lot of room for improvement. So in this guide, we’ll be discussing 5 tips for optimizing the IT asset decommissioning process.
Read on.
What is IT asset decommissioning?
Before we walk you through the ways in which you can optimize your business’s IT asset decommissioning process, know what exactly it means and encompasses.
IT asset disposition/decommissioning (ITAD) is the management of unwanted IT equipment in a safe, economically viable, and environmentally responsible manner. This involves reuse, recycling, repurposing, repairing and disposing of IT equipment.
The three major points to note from the definition are
- Unwanted IT equipment
ITAD process should be carried out every time an IT asset becomes useless. This can happen due to technological improvements or devices reaching the end of their lifecycle.
- Safe
The IT asset decommissioning process should ensure that there is no risk of data leaks or theft.
- Environmentally responsible
Disposing of IT assets shouldn’t create an undue burden on our planet and the environment. This can be ensured by following an eco-conscious IT asset decommissioning process.
Based on these three major aspects of IT asset decommissioning, here are 5 tips to optimize the process.
Key tips for optimizing the IT asset decommissioning process
- Document the entire process and flow
The first step to optimizing your IT asset decommissioning process is documenting it. A formal policy document that lists when and how the ITAD process has to be carried out is a must.
Other than that, you should maintain a logbook containing the details about ITAD. Note down when the process took place. List which devices were decommissioned. Record what data was erased.
Further, list hardware specifications to ensure IT assets don’t go unaccounted for. You might also want to keep a track of the stakeholders involved in the process and their actions.
Moreover, you can also create a checklist to make sure that the ITAD process is WEEE-compliant. (WEEE stands for Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment.)
And this kind of documentation needs to be done whether you carry out IT asset decommissioning in-house or engage with an external service provider.
- Look beyond physical IT asset decommissioning
Physical decommissioning of IT assets when they are not nearing the end of their lifecycle is a huge cost burden for organizations. And a burden to the environment too.
Further, physical IT asset decommissioning requires significant time and effort. And neither it is always 100% effective. (Data might still be left on the fragments of disposed IT assets. This data can land in the hands of those with malicious intentions.)
So instead of physically decommissioning IT assets, other methods can be considered. That way, the devices can be reused/recycled.
What are the alternatives to consider then?
Data erasure software solutions like Bitraser, for example.
BitRaser directly destroys the sensitive data stored in storage devices. It, thus, eliminates the need to physically destroy the device.
With data erasure, the sensitive data stored on a device gets cleaned beyond recovery. Yet, there is no damage to the device and it can still be used or sold.
This reduces the cost of IT asset decommissioning for the organizations. Also, the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills comes down. Ultimately, fewer devices have to be manufactured. This translates to the conservation of resources too.
- Automate the process for higher efficiency and accuracy
Most businesses have not just a few, but many IT assets. And these assets have to undergo the decommissioning process time and again.
The involvement of IT department personnel in the IT asset decommissioning process leaves them with little time for other pressing matters.
Automating the ITAD process is one way to free up manual resources while still ensuring proper asset decommissioning. It also contributes to operational efficiency and a higher degree of accuracy.
Features like Bitraser’s automated erasure come in handy here.
For organizations with geographically spread workforces, automation along with cloud integration for IT asset decommissioning can translate to saved costs, minimized effort, and uncompromised efficiency.
- Ensure there are audit trails for compliance requirements
IT asset decommissioning is not just something that businesses voluntarily do. It is a legal requirement for ensuring compliance with a lot of national and international data security norms and regulations.
Thus, audits, both internal and external, need to be carried out with regard to the IT asset decommissioning process.
To make sure you pass audits and stay compliant, you’d need proper certificates and records about the ITAD process being carried out successfully.
This is something that data erasure solutions like Bitraser help ensure.
Here is a Bitraser sample report:
- Backup the data (if you are not sure whether you’ll need it again or not)
The primary purpose of IT asset decommissioning is to ensure that the data cannot be recovered even with the use of sophisticated recovery methods.
So you need to make sure that you don’t accidentally delete data that you’d require later on. If you feel the need might arise, it is best to back up that data before beginning the IT asset decommissioning process.
Rework your IT asset decommissioning process today
With that, you’ve got all the key tips for optimizing your IT asset decommissioning process. Now it is time to revisit your process, rework it, and gear up for seamless IT asset decommissioning with the Bitraser, drive erasure software.
About The Author
Girish
Girish is a blogger and writer. He has over 6 years of experience in Data Recovery and Data Eraser technology. In his free time, he writes about technical tips and tutorials.