Beyond Decommissioning: Three ITAD Questions Every IT Leader Should Ask After Gartner IOCS

The Three Questions That Define a Strong ITAD Program

If you take only one thing away from our Gartner IOCS session, it should be this. The strength of your ITAD program can be measured by how well you can answer these three questions.

1. Do You Receive a Charge or a Check for Your Retired IT Assets?

Many organizations still assume ITAD is a cost center. In reality, most retired IT assets retain measurable value through resale or component harvesting.

Market benchmarks show that the vast majority of mature ITAD programs generate revenue, not charges. When pricing aligns with industry standards and resale channels are optimized, recovered value should offset or eliminate logistics and recycling costs.

If your organization consistently pays to dispose of IT assets, it may be time to review:

• How assets are graded and valued

• Which resale channels your vendor uses

• How your revenue share model is structured, including fair market value versus consignment

IT asset disposition should not quietly drain your budget. When managed strategically, it becomes a financial contributor.

2. Is Your ITAD Vendor Fully Certified to Handle Sensitive Data Securely?

End of life IT assets represent one of the most overlooked data security risks in the enterprise. During our Gartner session, we discussed how a significant percentage of data breaches occur during decommissioning, often due to gaps in chain of custody or poor downstream controls.

Protecting your data and your brand requires more than basic assurances. Leading organizations insist on:

• Recognized certifications such as R2v3 and NAID

• Vertically integrated processing to minimize handoffs

• Facility audits and on site visits to verify security practices

Data security does not end when an asset leaves your building. Your ITAD provider becomes an extension of your security program and should be evaluated accordingly.

3. Does Your ITAD Program Actually Support Your ESG Goals?

Sustainability commitments are now business critical, but many organizations struggle to translate those commitments into measurable outcomes. This is especially true for Scope 3 emissions, which often represent the majority of an organization’s carbon footprint.

A strong ITAD program can support ESG initiatives by:

• Tracking landfill avoidance and device reuse

• Providing verified carbon emissions reporting

• Supporting emerging approaches such as carbon insets

During our presentation, we emphasized the importance of data backed ESG reporting, not estimates or assumptions. Organizations should expect regular, third party verified sustainability metrics that stand up to internal review and external scrutiny.

If ESG reporting from your ITAD vendor feels vague or inconsistent, that is a signal worth addressing.

From Questions to Action

These three questions about value recovery, data security, and sustainability are practical tools IT leaders can use today to assess their ITAD programs.

At Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations, we work with organizations every day to evaluate and strengthen IT asset disposition programs. We help identify gaps, benchmark performance, and uncover opportunities to reduce risk while increasing value.

If you are unsure how your current ITAD program stacks up, we can help.
Contact Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations to assess your ITAD strategy and take the next step toward turning decommissioning into a strategic advantage.