7 Challenges of an Office Liquidation or Move-Out for IT Managers

images_office_move-300x187Closing down or moving a corporate office is a lot of work and usually includes a deadline that’s not negotiable. Property, facility and IT managers are, unfortunately, sometimes thrown into this challenging situation.

Whether your company experiences a merger, reorganization, consolidation, downsizing, bankruptcy, liquidation, acquisition, relocation, or the closing of a division or data center, disposition of physical assets may need to be conducted in a very short frame of time. For IT assets, you must complete the job on time with minimal resources and, at the same time, mitigate risk to your company in the form of data security and compliance while maximizing value recovery. That’s a lot to ask!

Here are some of the specific issues that the people assigned the “get everything out” job may need to deal with:

  • Short deadline that does not allow for your normal IT disposition process
  • Little or no budget for this project – often these events are not in the annual plan, and adequate funds may not be allocated
  • Uncertain inventory — exactly what assets you have and where they are located, especially in the event that assets are spread out between multiple offices or floors (PCs, telecom, and printers in particular)
  • Lack of resources and technology knowledge to obtain the asset details an IT asset disposition (ITAD) needs (such as model and configuration) in order to assess value
  • Many simultaneous activities, such as furniture sales/disposal and disconnection of telecom and power, that can make the process more chaotic — Strict asset tracking and reporting requirements for financial or legal purposes in certain situations, such as a bankruptcy, M&A or a complete shut-down
  • Increased risk for data breach and less than optimal data security due to the difficulty of asset tracking, and number of people accessing the office space – Limited space and time (and sometimes power) when there is a requirement for onsite physical tape and/or hard drive destruction such as degaussing, crushing or shredding
  • Difficulty managing multiple vendors if you select those who specialize in one asset category or service — like networking equipment only, telecommunications only, or just hard drive destruction, for instance

How can you make dealing with all of this easier, more efficient, and lower risk?

A full service ITAD partner can be an additional resource and take a good part of the load off your plate. Here are some things you should expect:

  • Project Manager that can help you through the whole process– Help specifying what kind of information is required, or not, for different types of assets based on your particular situation
  • Resources to come onsite and inventory assets– Review data destruction options, weighing costs, time, compliance and risk, then helping you choose the right process
  • Determine decommissioning resources, if needed, and logistical requirements
  • Resale value recovery ($$$ back to you) for all of your IT related asset categories (not just one category)
  • Compliance with data security and environmental regulations and best practices – by holding industry certifications

Got a challenging liquidation or disposal project? Or do you simply want to get your IT disposition processes tuned up? Lifespan can help. Our team of industry experts can evaluate your specific needs and create a plan that is custom-made for your business.

file-2717090997

screenshot-2016-11-28-09-13-57

More From Our Blog...