Fulfilling The Need For IT Asset Traceability
With our experience leading processes with large companies in various industries and countries around the world, including Mexico and Colombia, since 2010, we have been able to expand our services and reach multinational companies also present in the United States, obtaining a unique and specific vision from each client.
The need for these large companies to find a way to manage their technology assets in a safe, correct, and environmentally responsible manner, while performing all the processes that supported this management such as secure data destruction, was increasing in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Opportunities for improvement to implement proper management of their ITAD processes were imminent.
Not surprisingly, in 2019, Mexico became the third nation that produced the most e-waste in the Americas, with a total of approximately 1 million tons per year, according to estimates by the United Nations University (UNU), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).
We came in to assist our client, a large multi-national US-based retailer with facilities throughout Mexico, passing on all of our knowledge, defining a traceable process that met expectations, budget, and government regulations, and developing a solid ITAD strategy that was needed. Let’s look at the case.
Uncovering The Challenges
The Covid-19 pandemic had begun, and the large retailer’s on-site ITAD challenges were increasing. It was critical for our client to implement a detailed, highly traceable, and accurate process for their equipment that included:
- Secure data destruction
- Traceability
- Flawless execution
- Qualified personnel
- Performance within schedule, budget, and logistics
- Remarketing
- Harmonized teamwork
- Settlements and reports
Well-known companies from different industries have faced serious challenges in the past that resulted in severe damage to their brand, as well as onerous fines due to poor ITAD solutions in place. That’s why it was so important to design a plan that would address their concerns, even more considering the complexities in the middle of a pandemic.
The Sipi Solution
We devised a plan tailored to their requirements that ensured the security of their information, delivered flawless logistics, and the secure recycling of their IT assets, all while adhering to all regulations. In addition, we provided them with on-site services, allowing them to keep an eye on the hurricane.
Our work began in 14 of their data centers, where we destroyed information correctly and securely using a methodology that complied with the required regulations, guaranteeing the delivery of certificates in accordance with the process. This process was performed prior to removing the assets from the client’s location and associating each HDD to the parent unit.
We ensured complete traceability and generated acknowledgment reports both when the assets were received at the customer’s location and when they arrived at our facility. The detailed schedule presented to our client was executed flawlessly within the given budget.
With this strategy, we were able to gain our client’s trust and eventually manage more than 100 stores throughout Mexico. The plan execution included visits from our technicians and trucks on a daily basis at all the client’s locations across the country.
Furthermore, the value recovery through the remarketing process was aligned with the proposed business case. When resale was not an option, Sipi’s experts knew how to dispose of e-waste in the most environmentally friendly way.
There was a harmonized teamwork from the beginning of the project, during its execution, and at the end resulted in clear, detailed, and transparent reports based on what was agreed upon and executed. Here are some key results of the procedure.
*The company name, in this case study, has been intentionally omitted to ensure safeguard of further ITAD activity.
The Results
An important aspect to highlight was the need for a detailed level of traceability required by the organization. In response, Sipi Asset Recovery (SAR) presented detailed reports of the assets processed in each location, including serial numbers of the assets and HDDs (hard disk drives). Also included in the reporting was the list of assets transported from each of the retailer’s locations to the SAR processing facility, with confirmation of assets received in the SAR facility. In addition, certificates of data erasure and data destruction were provided. In both cases, the project was executed within the proposed budgets.
By working with a trusted and experienced IT Asset Disposition service provider like Sipi Asset Recovery, our customer is able to rest assured that we are handling their company data securely and within compliance. Our customer was thrilled that they could provide documentation of environmental compliance and account for every asset processed by Sipi, thus avoiding any repercussions to their brand.
We also guaranteed the delivery of certificates following the process prior to removing the assets from the client’s location. With the correct procedure in place, the risks of insecure data handling or discarded electronic asset ending up in the wrong place were eliminated.
Why Choose Sipi
Sipi Asset Recovery provides secure IT asset disposition services created to our customers’ unique needs.
Our services:
- Protect your data (sanitize data in compliance with NIST 800-88 standards for data destruction)
- Minimize e-waste in landfills (no landfill policy)
- Maximizes value recovery through the resale markets
- Satisfies all regulatory and environmental requirements and corporate information security management protocols.
Sipi Asset Recovery is certified to e-Stewards (IL, CA) and R2 (IL, CA, MX, Colombia) standards.
