The 10 Steps Involved in the Lifecycle of IT Assets

The lifecycle of an IT asset begins with acquisition and ends with disposition. The technological market, however, can be a difficult field to navigate. The acumen required to make informed selections and then manage the equipment can stump many businesses that operate outside the discipline of information technology. To meet this need, many companies now provide IT Lifecycle services, using specialized offices to take responsibility for every phase of the process. Between procurement and disposal, these are the ten stages of service in the IT lifecycle.

1. Consultation and Design

Every electronic device has unique benefits. Some serve particular functions more efficiently than others, but it requires technical knowledge to be aware of the particular costs and benefits of each. IT lifecycle services provide not only the technological insight in selecting the appropriate company, they also filter the array of vendors as a singular source. With the industrial intellect to inform decisions, lifecycle services act first as consultants and then as designers to develop the most opportune technological environment for their clients.

2. Deployment

After securing the necessary equipment, the deployment stage involves installment and preparation for use. Lifecycle services provide hardware maintenance through both upgrades and updates with a promise of minimal disturbance to the business environment. Deployment does not, however, occur in a single instance. Many companies offer warehouse storage for surplus equipment, ready to be deployed when a new employee signs on, a device malfunctions, or a new location activates. The special consideration given to stored equipment includes documentation through serialization, custom configuration, and secure storage. Deployment encompasses the distribution of equipment by a hired company at any moment their client requires it.

3. Transportation and Logistics

Not all businesses possess the means to transport the equipment they’ve purchased in bulk. In coordination with the stage of deployment, IT lifecycle services assume the responsibility of securing transport for purchased hardware. The best lifecycle services provide expedient delivery for their local clients and work in conjunction with contractors around the nation to extend this priority service to national clients.

4. Data Erasure

The destruction of data comprises perhaps the most important stage of the life-cycle. When a device has reached the end of its utilitarian value, prior to its recycling, Data Destruction must be carried out to safeguard sensitive data from compromise. There are three primary methods: overwriting, degaussing, and physical destruction. Many clients pursue a combination of all three avenues to ensure total destruction and complete security. Certifications from governing bodies such as the National Institution of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) verify compliance with the most stringent regulations of secure data destruction. The most trustworthy IT lifecycle service companies proudly exhibit compliance with these guidelines and even outline their procedure, such as a phase in which an attempt is made at information recovery to prove that it is impossible. Only upon the confirmation of erasure are devices then transferred for physical destruction.

5. Chain of Custody

A system of item-tracking called Chain of Custody documents the possession of a device for the entirety of its procession through a lifecycle service facility. Records of ownership by only specialized, screened technicians ensure an additional layer of security by generating a report that can be reviewed and audited at any time. When hardware containing potentially sensitive information leaves the responsibility of the client, end-to-end visibility remains the only way to maintain accountability. Upon completion of the process, a final, detailed report contains evidence of every transaction, as well as any updates during the procession of the device to destruction.

6. Physical Media Destruction

The lifespan of a device does not end with the destruction of the data it contains. After erasure has been verified, the device proceeds to physical destruction, often performed by a mechanical shredder that disintegrates the device into one-inch fragments. Guidelines set forth by the NAID and NIST also cover methods for physical destruction. Because many lifecycle services take on healthcare institutions as well, their practices comply not only with regulations by NAID, NIST, and the Department of Defense, but also with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. Company adherence to the numerous laws overseeing the destruction of media guarantees security by assuming legal culpability if the services are not adequately performed.

7. Physical Audit

Along with Chain of Custody documentation, a physical analysis of the relevant equipment provides verified evidence of the inventory. During an initial assessment, lifecycle services record basic information of equipment, such as their make, model, and serial numbers. A more thorough analysis occurs later, at the company’s facility, determining the hardware configuration and physical conditions of the device.

8. De-Manufacturing and Recycling

E-waste in recent years has become a novel and yet debilitating threat. In 2014, the world generated around 41.8 million tons of e-waste. In 2016, this number rose to 44.7. Recycling retired hardware has become one of the most essential practices to safeguarding the environment from the myriad hazards that e-waste poses. From poisonous materials to the dumping of precious metals, e-cycling keeps computer components in constant circulation, mitigating the harmful by-products of disposal, constant mining, and brand new manufacturing.

When lifecycle service companies determine a device to be beyond economical repair, data destruction occurs and it is prepared for recycling. Because of the necessity for safe practice during this stage, lifecycle service companies should also display certifications from R2 and E-Steward that confirm sustainable methods of recycling electronic devices. These verifications ensure that the parts of a computer that can be recycled are recycled, limiting the rise of e-waste through repurposing the parts for use in a new device.

9. De-Installation and Asset Removal

When a business can no longer use a device, their lifecycle service company will physically remove the equipment from their facility with the aid, again, of specialized, vetted technicians. The IT assets are de-installed onsite, and an audit of the inventory confirms that only the necessary, targeted hardware has been removed. For additional authorization of the process, after the equipment is prepared for transport, a representative of the client’s business can sign and confirm that the correct equipment has been de-installed.

10. Re-Marketing

The ultimate goal of any lifecycle service company is to cut every extraneous cost for their client. By remarketing defunct hardware, made usable once again through refurbishment, they can offer return value for the equipment that has been uninstalled. Microsoft Authorized Refurbishers (MAR) are verified by Microsoft as the proponents of superior service and elite refurbishment. As a result, they represent premier examples of IT lifecycle service companies.

Blair Technology Group is the largest MAR in the United States. We ship over 100,000 devices directly to end-users every year, and each device has not only been restored to like-new conditions, but optimized with upgraded components, firmware, and operating systems. We are certified by NAID, NIST, and HIPAA guidelines, and our commitment to sustainability ensures that after Data Destruction has been performed to the highest standards, the resultant device is processed downstream only to organizations that comply with R2 or E-Steward regulations. We refurbish every device capable of restoration, and in doing so we both contribute to the constant re-circulation of components and detract from the environmental hazards that improper disposal inflicts on the planet. Our exceptional service is apparent not only through the standards to which we comply, but to those that we exceed.