Part 3 of 3
When you think about moving out of office space, data security isn’t always top of your mind; it gets mixed in with what to do with unusable furniture, equipment, workstations, bookshelves, inventory racks, and more.
There are many professional service providers available to assist with decommissioning an office, so it’s important to do your research and select one that suits your needs, is qualified, and is accredited. Popular service providers include office movers, IT asset disposition (ITAD) companies, and electronics recyclers. These providers can help with packing and transporting office furniture and equipment, inventorying and dispositioning assets, and safely disposing of any hazardous materials. They can also help with electronic data destruction, ensuring that all data is securely wiped and that any remaining electronic waste is disposed of safely and environmentally responsibly.
OK, you’ve got a plan, and now you’re ready to conduct a comprehensive inventory of your office. Create a chart that specifies how each asset will be managed. Some items will move to the new office; everything else will be liquidated. But liquidation doesn’t always mean the items will be sold. Some assets that can’t be sold can be recycled, repurposed, donated, or hopefully, in as few cases as possible, disposed of.
Your chart should include the following categories:
- Items to be moved to the new office
- Items to be sold – asset remarketing has the potential to provide revenue to cover some decom costs
- Items to be donated – community support
- Item will be recycled – look for ITAD partners that are certified e-waste recyclers (e-Stewards, R2)
Sipi Asset Recovery’s On-site Services Team provides a turnkey approach to office decommissioning. Technicians arrive at your location equipped to conduct a thorough inventory of your IT assets and provide a report recording any discrepancies from your company inventory manifest. Once approved, our team will start de-installing, unracking, serial scanning, palletizing, and packing your assets as contracted. Sipi’s on-site data destruction processes are an important consideration when organizational data security protocols mandate destruction before removal from your premises.
Often, the value of end-of-use or end-of-life assets is overlooked during a decommissioning project. Assets are put into piles without any regard to the data that is stored on the assets or the value that can be recovered through remarketing. It’s often best to hire an expert to advocate for your bottom line and help you sort it all out in an efficient and expeditious manner. Sipi Asset Recovery’s On-Site Services team are those experts.
According to an article posted by Wolf Commercial Real Estate, there are three outcomes in an office decommissioning: net positive, net zero, and net negative.
- Net Positive – remarketing of assets to capture residual value
- Net Zero – value obtained through remarketing, reuse, or donation can be used to offset service fees
- Net Negative – little to no asset value, with fees for responsible and secure disposal
Our goal at Sipi Asset Recovery is to always strive for a net positive outcome for your decommissioning project. However, that is only sometimes possible. We work with our clients to support their needs and expectations. What typically makes decommissioning successful is having a clear understanding of the client’s needs and overall good communication.
