What IT Managers Need to Know Before a Hardware Refresh
Hardware refresh projects are expensive, disruptive, and politically sensitive. They consume budget, require careful planning, and force difficult conversations about priorities and timelines.
Most IT managers focus on the front end of a refresh: procurement, deployment, configuration, and user training. These are critical steps, but they’re only half the project.
The other half – disposing of the old equipment being replaced – is often treated as an afterthought. Old computers get stacked in storage rooms. Retired servers sit in data centers for months. Hard drives accumulate in closets while everyone waits for someone else to figure out what to do with them.
That delay creates risk. Old equipment contains sensitive data, consumes valuable space, and represents unrecovered value sitting idle. Worse, when disposal finally happens under time pressure, shortcuts get taken that expose the organization to compliance violations and security incidents.
Here’s what IT managers should plan for before starting a hardware refresh – so the backend of the project is as smooth as the deployment.
Why Old Equipment Can’t Just Sit in Storage
The instinct to keep retired equipment “just in case” is understandable. What if something goes wrong with the new hardware? What if someone needs to recover a file from an old system? What if we need parts?
These concerns are valid for the first few weeks after a refresh. Beyond that, old equipment becomes a liability:
Data security risk. Every device sitting in storage contains data – user files, cached credentials, configuration details, or application data. The longer devices sit unattended, the greater the chance of unauthorized access or improper disposal.
Compliance exposure. Organizations subject to HIPAA, FERPA, PCI DSS, or state privacy laws have ongoing obligations to protect data on retired equipment. Storing devices indefinitely without proper safeguards creates audit risk.
Space consumption. Storage rooms, server racks, and closets are finite resources. Equipment awaiting disposal takes up space that could be used for spare parts, new inventory, or other operational needs.
Lost asset value. IT equipment depreciates quickly. Servers and workstations that might return significant value immediately after a refresh lose worth every month they sit unused. Waiting six months to dispose of equipment can mean losing thousands in potential recovery.
Planning disposition before your refresh begins eliminates these problems and ensures old equipment is handled properly while it still has value.
Include ITAD in Your Refresh Budget
Most hardware refresh budgets account for new equipment, licensing, deployment labor, and maybe some contingency. Disposition costs are often overlooked – or assumed to be zero.
While some equipment may generate revenue through asset recovery, not all hardware has resale value. Older devices, damaged equipment, and commodity items like monitors and peripherals typically require recycling rather than resale.
Your refresh budget should include:
Data destruction costs. Professional data destruction services ensure compliance and provide documentation. Budget for NIST-compliant wiping or physical destruction of all data-bearing devices.
Transportation and logistics. Unless your ITAD provider offers free pickup (common for large volumes), you may need to budget for shipping or drop-off.
Storage or staging supplies. Boxes, pallets, labels, and secure storage for equipment awaiting pickup.
Project management time. Someone needs to coordinate inventory, schedule pickups, and manage documentation. That time has value and should be accounted for.
In many cases, asset recovery from functional equipment offsets or exceeds these costs – but you should budget conservatively and treat any recovery revenue as a bonus rather than a guarantee.
Create an Inventory Before You Start Replacing Equipment
You can’t dispose of equipment properly if you don’t know what you have. Before your refresh begins, document:
– Device type and model
– Serial numbers and asset tags
– Current location and assigned user
– Data sensitivity level (high, medium, low)
– Physical condition (functional, damaged, parts only)
This inventory serves multiple purposes. It helps you schedule ITAD services accurately, ensures all devices are accounted for, and provides the documentation needed for compliance and financial reporting.
Cloud-based asset management tools make this easier, but even a well-maintained spreadsheet works if it’s kept current throughout the refresh.
Schedule ITAD Services in Parallel with Deployment
The best time to dispose of old equipment is immediately after users receive their replacements. Scheduling ITAD services in parallel with your refresh deployment ensures:
Minimal storage requirements. Old equipment moves directly from users to secure staging areas and then to pickup – not into long-term storage.
Faster space recovery. Conference rooms, storage closets, and data center racks are freed up as soon as equipment is replaced.
Better documentation. When disposition happens close to replacement, it’s easier to match serial numbers, track chain of custody, and maintain accurate records.
Reduced security risk. The window during which old equipment contains accessible data is minimized.
Work with your ITAD provider to establish a pickup schedule that aligns with your deployment timeline. For large refreshes spanning multiple weeks or months, consider scheduling pickups in phases rather than waiting until everything is ready.
Understand What Happens to Your Data
Data security is the highest-stakes element of IT disposition. One improperly wiped hard drive can result in a reportable breach, regulatory fines, and reputational damage that far exceeds the cost of the entire refresh project.
IT managers should verify that their ITAD provider uses NIST 800-88 compliant data destruction methods and provides Certificates of Destruction documenting:
– Serial numbers of all data-bearing devices
– Destruction method used (data wiping or physical destruction)
– Date of destruction
– Chain of custody documentation
These certificates aren’t just paperwork – they’re your evidence of compliance during audits and your legal protection if questions arise later about data handling.
For devices that can’t be wiped (failed drives, damaged SSDs, proprietary systems), physical destruction is the only acceptable option. Confirm your provider offers this service and includes it in your documentation.
Identify Equipment with Asset Recovery Potential
Not all equipment being replaced is worthless. Enterprise servers, networking equipment, recent-model workstations, and functional laptops often have significant resale value – even if they’re being replaced for performance or standardization reasons.
Before your refresh, work with your ITAD provider to identify equipment that may qualify for asset recovery. This typically includes:
– Servers and storage systems less than 5 years old
– Enterprise networking equipment (switches, routers, firewalls)
– Workstations and laptops less than 4 years old
– Monitors and peripherals in good condition
– Unused or surplus equipment still in original packaging
Asset recovery programs evaluate, refurbish, and resell this equipment through certified channels – with data destruction completed before resale. The revenue generated can offset refresh costs or be reinvested in other IT initiatives.
Even modest recovery – $50 per workstation across 100 units – adds up quickly and helps justify the refresh project to finance teams.
Communicate the Plan to Your Team
Hardware refreshes involve more than just the IT department. End users, facilities teams, finance staff, and compliance officers all play roles in successful execution.
Before your refresh begins, communicate:
What equipment is being replaced and when. Users need to know what to expect and when their devices will be swapped.
How old equipment should be handled. Should users box up old devices? Leave them at their desks? Bring them to a central collection point?
Data backup expectations. Remind users to back up personal files or non-standard configurations before their devices are replaced.
Security requirements. Old equipment must be treated as confidential until data destruction is complete. No devices should leave the building without authorization.
Clear communication reduces confusion, prevents well-meaning but problematic disposal attempts, and ensures everyone understands their role in keeping the process secure.
Final Thoughts
A successful hardware refresh doesn’t end when new equipment is deployed – it ends when old equipment is properly disposed of, data is securely destroyed, and documentation is complete.
By planning IT asset disposition as part of your refresh project from the beginning, you reduce risk, recover value, maintain compliance, and avoid the operational headaches that come from storing old equipment indefinitely.
Whether you’re refreshing ten workstations or a thousand, Innovative IT Solutions provides secure data destruction, certified recycling, and asset recovery services designed to work seamlessly with your deployment timeline.
Planning a hardware refresh? Contact IITS to discuss disposition options, get a quote, and schedule services that align with your project timeline.
