Reopen Your Office with Careful IT Planning: 5 Questions You Need to Ask

It’s been over a year since COVID-19 first touched down on U.S. soil. Many businesses quickly pivoted their operations to accommodate telecommuting employees so they could continue to operate with as little interruption as possible. Now that COVID-19 cases are waning, many business owners are thinking about moving their remote employees back into the office and reopening their doors. This process requires careful planning and particular attention to IT assets. Here are five IT-planning questions you need to ask as you gear up for the transition:

How will we know if all of the IT assets our company distributed during the work-from-home phase come back?

In the quick switch to remote operations, you probably found yourself acquiring and assigning additional IT assets to team members. And we’re pretty sure you want them back. If you had equipment-tracking software already in place, chances are you have a record of who has which assets, making asset accountability much easier. Or maybe your company invests in an IT asset management service. This means you can breathe a sigh of relief that, from deployment to reclamation, your provider has a pulse on your assets and data security.

Should we incorporate a health check on returning assets? 

Where are all of your IT assets in their lifecycle? As these assets return to the office, do a health check and determine which ones are at the end of their life and can be recycled, refurbished or disposed of. This process is easy if you already have an IT asset inventory management system in place. Look up each asset: What is its expected lifespan? How much have you invested in it? Take a look at the repair history, how many employees depend on it and how frequently it’s used. If you determine that it’s time to retire certain assets, hand them off to your IT asset management provider for end-of-life management. 

Want to learn more about developing an effective, secure and profitable ITAD disposition program for your business? Our free guide can help you get started. Get it here!

Are our IT assets up to date with scans and updates? 

When IT devices are at home with telecommuting employees, it’s harder to stay on top of scans and software updates. As assets filter back in, make sure each one is running the latest version of the operating system and scan it to make sure it’s virus-free. Then you’ll be ready to reintegrate it into your office worry-free.  

Do we have assets that are out of sight, out of mind? 

When you think about all the IT assets in your inventory, don’t forget the ones tucked away in the storage room. This is an ideal time to tackle those as well. Stored assets that haven’t been properly discarded pose a potential security risk for your company.

Dig out stored assets and make a list of what you have. Are the hard drives still inside and intact or have they been removed and stored separately? If you’re already working with an ITAD vendor, invite them onsite to assess the situation. They will be able to differentiate between which assets can be refurbished or recycled and which assets must be disposed of. Then they can walk you through the next steps. 

Do we have assets that we no longer use?

If you allocated new assets to telecommuting employees at the start of COVID-19, you may wind up with a surplus of assets once employees are back in the office. Make a list of these assets and consult your ITAD vendor about the best course of action.

As your employees and your assets return to the office, remember Tech Dump! We can help you manage your inventory and create an asset management plan with your business in mind. Our IT planning experts will make sure you get the best value recovery for end-of-life and surplus assets. And we specialize in refurbishing and remarking your assets which help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Ultimately, working with Tech Dump as your trusted ITAD vendor will free you up to focus on running your business, ease the asset management burden and help you to stay protected and compliant.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you as you get ready to reopen your doors, reach out to us at (763) 432-3117!