Three Takeaways from Gartner Procurement
After an engaging conference in San Diego with procurement and sourcing leaders at Gartner Procurement, one theme stood out: organizations are looking for more value from every part of the technology lifecycle.
For IT asset disposition, value has traditionally been associated with one question: How much can we recover from retired technology?
Asset value recovery remains an important part of the equation. But our conversations at Gartner reinforced a broader opportunity for procurement teams. A strong ITAD program can create value not only through financial return, but also through efficiency, visibility and the time it gives back to internal teams.
Here are three takeaways we heard throughout the event.
ITAD Plays an Important Role in the Procurement Conversation
ITAD often sits at the intersection of IT, security, sustainability and operations. Procurement and sourcing teams have an important role to play as well.
Vendor structure, pricing, logistics, reporting, asset recovery and service levels can all have a direct impact on the overall performance of an ITAD program.
For procurement leaders already evaluating technology vendors and looking for opportunities to consolidate spend, ITAD represents another area where the right partnership can create measurable value.
The conversation should extend beyond simply finding someone to remove retired equipment. It should include how efficiently the program operates, how clearly performance is measured and how much value is ultimately returned to the organization.
The strongest ITAD programs create value in more than one way: through asset recovery, operational efficiency and time returned to internal teams.
ROI can be Measured in More Ways than Resale
Recovering value from retired IT assets is one of the most visible financial benefits of ITAD.
But it is not the only one.
An effective program can also reduce unnecessary logistics costs, improve reuse opportunities, and help organizations move assets through the disposition process more efficiently.
Procurement teams should look at the full economics of their program. A higher resale number means less if internal teams spend significant time managing vendors, tracking down reports or resolving process gaps.
The strongest ITAD programs combine asset value recovery with operational efficiency.
Accounting for Manual Processes is Often Overlooked
One of the most important takeaways from our conversations was also one of the simplest: time matters.
Procurement and IT teams already have plenty competing for their attention. Managing pickup requests, reconciling asset records, chasing documentation and coordinating multiple vendors all require internal resources.
A well-designed ITAD program should reduce that burden. Things like the Dynamic ITAD Sync ServiceNow application can reduce manual workload and improve accuracies, preventing rework later.
When processes are standardized, reporting is accessible and responsibilities are clear, teams can spend less time managing disposition and more time focused on higher-value priorities.
That time savings may be harder to see on a resale report, but it is still part of the return an organization receives from its ITAD strategy.
Looking Beyond the Transaction
Our conversations at Gartner Procurement reinforced the opportunity to think about ITAD differently.
For procurement and sourcing leaders, the question is not simply what retired technology is worth.
It is how much value the entire program can return through asset recovery, operational efficiency and time saved across the organization.
Thanks to everyone who connected with our team at Gartner Procurement and shared how they are approaching those challenges.
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