In an era of heightened corporate social responsibility, the adoption of comprehensive ITAD solutions reflects a commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices. It enhances an organization’s reputation by showcasing a dedication to environmental stewardship, data privacy, and responsible consumerism.
As businesses increasingly embrace sustainable practices, there is a greater demand for responsible disposal and recycling of IT assets. ITAD solutions, with their focus on reusing, refurbishing, and recycling electronic devices, align perfectly with the environmental stewardship expectations of CSR initiatives. Companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint and minimize electronic waste turn to ITAD providers to ensure environmentally friendly IT asset management.
In the landscape of ITAD solution providers, TES – Sustainable Technology Lifecycle Solutions has created a name for itself as a trusted solution provider with its services spanning the entire lifecycle of IT equipment, ensuring responsible decommissioning, data security, and environmentally conscious disposal practices.
In the hunt for Best ITAD Solution Providers to Watch in 2024, we had the privilege of interviewing its Chairman & Group CEO, Terence Ng.
Below are the highlights from the interview!
Could you please brief about yourself and your motivation to embark on this sector?
As the founder and chief executive officer of TES, I bring over 20 years of experience in the environmental sector. Before establishing TES in 2005, I served as the Director of Engineered Products & Services Pte Ltd, Engineered Products & Services Sdn Bhd, and Ditron Engineering Sdn Bhd. I currently serve on the boards of several private companies around the world, further demonstrating my expertise and leadership in the industry.
My extensive background in the environmental sector has helped shape TES’s mission and commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices.
Can you briefly explain what an ITAD solution provider is, what services they offer, and what the key components of a comprehensive ITAD solution are?
As an ITAD solution provider, our comprehensive solution encompasses the entire life cycle of IT equipment, from decommissioning to end-of-life retirement. This one-stop service manages transportation, identification, testing, repair, data sanitization, and IT value recovery. TES, as a global ITAD solution provider, delivers services directly through over 40 owned and operated processing facilities worldwide, ensuring a consistent experience for customers across different locations.
How does your company ensure data security during the IT asset disposal process?
Our commitment to data security during the IT asset disposal process is unwavering. As a trusted ITAD service provider for OEMs and Global 2000 organizations, we employ robust data sanitization methods, secure chain of custody procedures, and hold certifications to guarantee data security and responsible disposition practices. Our services cover logistics, asset tracking, secure data sanitization, testing/refurbishment, remarketing, and recycling, all supported by detailed reporting to meet the most stringent requirements.
Can you provide examples of any certifications or industry standards that your company adheres to in its ITAD practices?
Adhering to industry standards is paramount to our ITAD practices. Our data sanitization procedures strictly follow the NIST 800-88.R1 standard, which is recognized globally by governments and companies. Beyond this standard, we conduct process audits and engage third-party auditors to ensure 100% compliance, leaving no room for compromise in safeguarding data and maintaining the integrity of our processes.
How does your company handle the physical disposal of IT assets, such as computers, servers, and mobile devices?
Contrary to the misconception of ITAD as mere disposal, our approach aligns with the waste hierarchy principles, emphasizing reuse and extending the life of IT assets. A sustainable technology lifecycle solutions provider, we collaborate with clients to review assets, offer guidance on refresh cycles based on residual market value and promote efficient use of IT hardware. This approach aligns closely with the waste hierarchy principle, emphasizing the environmental benefits of extending the life of IT assets.
What measures does your company take to ensure environmentally responsible IT asset disposal, including proper recycling and waste management?
Upholding environmental responsibility is integral to our mission. Operating under the vision of “Sustaining Tomorrow,” we maintain international best practice certifications, including R2 (Responsible Recycling), ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 27001. These certifications ensure that our IT asset disposal practices adhere to rigorous environmental standards across all our processing facilities globally.
How does your company handle the data destruction process to ensure that sensitive information is completely wiped from IT assets?
Our data destruction processes adhere to the NIST 800-88 standard, employing various options to meet diverse client needs. These include data erasure at our facility or onsite at the customer’s premises, with overwriting techniques exceeding the NIST 800-88 standard. We prioritize secure data destruction and provide a certificate of data destruction as proof of successful erasure.
Can you discuss any additional value-added services that your company offers as part of its ITAD solutions, such as asset tracking or remarketing?
In addition to core ITAD services, our company offers advanced value-added services. Our sophisticated business intelligence system monitors and directs asset sales globally, providing clients with detailed insights and maximizing returns. This includes asset tracking and remarketing services that leverage technology to identify optimal buyers and set pricing standards in real-time.
How does your company handle the logistics of IT asset pickup and transportation?
Streamlining the logistics of IT asset pickup and transportation is achieved through our Global ITAD Portal. This centralized platform handles service requests, estimates, and collection tracking. Our logistics technicians conduct thorough inventory checks, secure packaging, and seal assets in numbered containers for transportation. GPS systems on all vehicles ensure real-time tracking during transit.
Can you provide any case studies or success stories of clients who have benefited from your ITAD solutions?
90,000 technology assets. 260 subsidiaries. 87 countries. 1,000 physical locations around the world. That is the IT infrastructure snapshot for one of TES’s multinational clients that recently underwent a technology transformation. As a trusted partner, the challenge for TES was to manage all of the reverse logistics associated with that transformation, including the collection, testing, data sanitization, disposition, and value recovery of those 90,000 assets, all within a 12-month period.
Leveraging our regional control towers, the TES team was able to cascade the plan (and adjustments to it) to the local TES teams on the ground in geo-diverse countries, such as Australia, Japan, China, Germany, France, Brazil, and more. This became a critical success factor when faced with the complexity of local languages, cultures, local compliance regulations, and time zones.
Clients demand excellence and consistency of service above all else. Risks need to be managed in the same way, and the customer experience has to feel the same regardless of location. Only a provider with true scale has the resources and expertise to meet this kind of challenge: a provider that owns/operates its own global processing network and can handle millions of devices annually around the world. TES is one of the few businesses globally that is geared up to take on this kind of challenge. And few challenges come any bigger than 90,000 assets across 87 countries. It’s a big world out there. As interconnected as everything is today, the truth is that global programs still come with lots of challenges.
Please give us a few testimonials from your clients and awards or recognition that accurately highlight your achievements in the corporate niche.
Recently, in the year 2023, we received the following awards
- Gartner Market Guide
Recognized in 2023 Market Guide for IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) - SEAL Business Sustainability Awards
Innovative End-of-Life Batteries Management | Winner - Business Intelligence Group Awards
Sustainability Service of the Year | Winner
