Managing the Disposal of IT Assets: When & How Should You Upgrade Your Business IT Equipment?   

Are your computers acting slow? Is your computer software glitching and slowing down your business’s productivity? 

Businesses must acknowledge the signs that their IT equipment needs updating every once in a while. With the average laptop needing to be replaced every 3-5 years, it’s vital that your business stays on top of its IT asset management to ensure your electronics aren’t slowing you down.  

However, businesses shouldn’t automatically opt for replacing redundant IT equipment with brand new versions. In fact, you can maximise your return on investment through upgrading and reusing your current assets. In this blog, we explore when it is best to upgrade your IT equipment and how to go about this. 

1.Be aware of downtime! Notice when your team’s productivity is being affected by slow IT equipment, whether this be software, laptops, monitors, keyboards or printers.  If these issues persist, your business performance and brand image may be affected, as you cannot reliably provide solutions for your customers due to slow electronics. 

2.Whether this is because they are broken or have become redundant and no longer function effectively, electronics eventually reach the end of their use. When broken, some items can become difficult to dispose of or even hazardous, making them potentially dangerous when not disposed of by a certified waste carrier. 

3.Be aware of increased maintenance costs as older IT assets tend to require more repairs and maintenance. The cost of repairing and maintaining older equipment to keep them running smoothly can quickly add up, impacting your business’s profit in the long run. Keeping older IT equipment isn’t cost-effective; whilst it may be more expensive to upgrade in the short-term, you can make gains through saving on maintenance costs in the long-term. 

1) Buy refurbished equipment  

Research suggests that the sustainable procurement of refurbished devices costs up to 80% less than buying the equivalent brand-new machine. Resale vendors will provide reassuring, clear grading systems for the refurbished assets, along with extended warranty options, which can often exceed those offered by manufacturers for new models.  

Every year, the UK generates over 1.6 million tonnes of electronic waste. By buying renovated IT systems, businesses will reduce the amount of electronic waste (e-waste) which ends up in landfills. Therefore, limiting the impact the e-waste has on the local water, soil and communities around landfill sites. This, in turn, lowers your business’s carbon footprint, conserves the energy required to produce new IT assets, and therefore promotes a circular economy.  

2) Upgrade internal software rather than hardware 

Your IT hardware may not be what’s causing your productivity levels to drop; it could be the software that sits on them. By upgrading your IT software first, not only is this more cost-effective, but it can also increase the security of your electronics, improve access to more efficient features and help your business stay ahead of the competition with the latest technological functionalities. By switching to an upgrade cycle which includes comparable refurbished devices, you could save over 70% of your new IT asset budget. 

If your business upgrades the software on existing IT equipment like laptops, monitors and printers, you may benefit from significant energy savings as new software is often optimised to be more energy efficient. Upgrading software can make older hardware compatible with newer systems and applications, which can extend the hardware’s lifespan up to 10 years in some cases for laptops, which reduces your consumption of new material and the unwanted disposal of IT assets. 

At S2S Group, we prioritise reuse over recycling, which saves money by reusing current assets where possible and keeps items out of landfill. We securely collect IT equipment, then inspect items to assess their value. Usable assets are separated from scrap, which is recycled using our eco-friendly processes. You’ll then receive full certification of the process, and a rebate if applicable. 

3) Buy brand-new only when necessary 

Buying brand new equipment sometimes simply can’t be helped. If your business is venturing into new territories which need new technology, sometimes your business will have to take the plunge.  

However, it is important that businesses recognise that they should upgrade redundant IT to brand new equipment only when necessary, utilising all other avenues where possible beforehand to minimise electronic waste.