Taking steps toward Sustainable IT procurement - buying refurbished IT hardware
31st Aug 2022
What is Sustainable IT procurement? As organizations gain awareness of Sustainable IT, they begin to think differently about procurement’s role in their overall Sustainability effort. Some companies already measure ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) metrics. Those that don’t soon will, since the investment community has adopted ESG scoring as a key criteria for their funding. Sustainable IT practices can reduce costs and risk and increase revenue. Procurement can have an outsized impact on cost and risk factors through solid Sustainable procurement practices.
Think about the full lifecycle
Comprehensive IT lifecycle management starts before you’ve placed your order and ends after the asset leaves your building. As you evaluate purchases, consider your vendors’ Green IT policies.
How do they manage their component purchases and vendors?
- How do they regulate their energy usage in production?
- What are their e-waste elimination practices?
- What are their work environment practices?
- Do they offer buy-back, resale or recycling programs?
When you’ve selected the vendor, consider the total cost of ownership of the asset.
- What’s the expected useful life of the product?
- Is it easily upgradeable without full replacement?
- What’s the anticipated energy usage/operating cost?
- What is its projected resale value?
One option - Buy Refurbished IT Hardware
Refurbished servers, storage arrays and networking equipment offer a number of advantages, both from a financial perspective and for society overall. One major issue with buying new IT hardware is high demand, and not enough supply of hard-to-source parts. Buying refurbished data center equipment helps alleviate supply chain woes by keeping parts in circulation longer. The big reason to buy refurbished is the major cost savings. Refurbished devices are usually half the price of buying new. Working with a trusted vendor, IT procurement professionals can be confident buying refurbished gear, as well. Velocity Tech Solutions subjects every refurbished device we sell to a rigorous testing and validation process, ensuring that each product we sell meets exacting standards.
The Environmental Impact
The majority of carbon emissions generated by a single device comes from the production process alone. Refurbished IT equipment generates only a third of that. Purchasing a refurbished electronic device keeps natural resources in the ground, while also reducing the overall impact of e-waste on the planet by keeping it from the landfill for as long as possible. Refurbished IT hardware offers a way to meet your performance needs at a much lower cost than new equipment and can dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of your IT organization. Especially in an era of limited availability of new IT equipment, refurbished equipment can keep your operation running smoothly and help to meet your organization’s Sustainability goals.