* TechTurn goes way beyond asset recovery and into the realm of IT sustainability
Computers don’t last forever, but they can last longer than the typical three to five year lifespan that most companies give them. What can you do with old computers that are still somewhat serviceable? TechTurn can rebuild them and return value to your company.
A few months ago I wrote about TechTurn, an IT asset recovery company based in Austin, Texas. Last week I had an opportunity to tour the Austin facility, and I now see how TechTurn goes way beyond asset recovery and into the realm of IT sustainability. My host for the day, TechTurn COO Vito Fabiano, said that a tour of the plant is his biggest sales tool, and I can see why. By the time I saw how old computing equipment is processed and prepared for reuse, I was thoroughly impressed.
The premise behind TechTurn’s business is IT sustainability – reusing technology that might otherwise end up in a landfill, and finding additional value from that technology. It goes beyond simple recycling of the component parts of a computer. The best way I can explain this is to take you on a virtual tour of the plant.
The process usually starts with a company doing a technology refresh. Out with the old and in with the new often means that hundreds or thousands of computers are taken out of service at once. The company makes an agreement with TechTurn to take those old devices – desktops, laptops, PDAs, storage units, servers, monitors, projectors, etc. – and process them in a way that will return as much value as possible to the company. Before the equipment ever leaves the company’s dock, TechTurn already has a good record of what it is going to receive and what to do with the equipment. TechTurn arranges the secure logistics for transporting the equipment (on pallets) to one of its processing centers in the U.S. and Europe. (TechTurn has near-term plans to expand its service coverage to emerging markets, too.)
When the pallets arrive at the processing plant, every asset is identified with an individual asset tag and the lot number of the pallet. The assets are anonymized so that TechTurn workers can’t identify the organization the equipment came from. This is just one of many security measures TechTurn takes throughout the process to ensure maximum security of every asset and the data it may hold. At the end of the tagging step, TechTurn has a very detailed serialized inventory of everything it received in the lot.
Now it’s on to the triage step. Devices are separated by type – monitors over here, laptops over there – and they are given a quick evaluation to determine if they potentially can be rebuilt or if they should simply be broken down into components and recycled. For example, a monitor with a cracked screen might head to recycling; a laptop that appears to be in good shape physically will be further evaluated to see if it can be used again. Triage is performed by people, but once this step is done, plant automation takes over. The automation is a key factor in TechTurn’s success.
The items rejected during triage are broken down to their components, and nothing is wasted. A goal is to get as much value as possible from every asset. If a power cord, memory chips, a monitor cable or some other piece can be reused, it is, either by TechTurn or a downstream company. Components that are irreparable are recycled. For example, the precious metals of a toasted motherboard are harvested before the rest is melted down. Disposal of any component is done in compliance with the most stringent environmental regulations.
The devices that are deemed usable during the triage stage move on to a discovery and diagnostics process. At this stage, all the internals of the computer are discovered – CPU type and speed, amount of memory, etc. These components are diagnosed to determine their working status and value.
Next up is data sanitization. TechTurn does a very thorough DoD-compliant wiping of the hard disk. Every disk is wiped multiple times and then checked by a human to determine if any bits of data can still be read. TechTurn certifies the data sanitization process so the original owner of the equipment knows there is no chance of residual data leakage.
With a completely clean hard disk, a device moves to its next stop: the rebuild stage. Technicians reuse as many components as possible to end up with a fully functional device. It might take the parts of three semi-functional laptops to make one fully functional PC, but in the end, TechTurn has a product that can be put back into use as “rebuilt inventory.” TechTurn is a Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher, so a Windows operating system can be installed on most of the PCs to make it even more attractive to a buyer.
TechTurn uses a variety of sales channels to maximize equipment value. Channels include TechTurn.com, eBay, Employee Purchase Programs, thousands of registered dealers and a direct sales force. Every rebuilt device has a warranty issued by TechTurn. When TechTurn sells a rebuilt PC, the proceeds are returned to the equipment owner.
TechTurn provides its clients with extensive reports and metrics, including asset accounting, sustainability metrics, compliance information, and data security certification. TechTurn can account for every component of every device that goes through its recovery process.
Through its experience in working with many manufacturers’ products, TechTurn is able to provide feedback to engineers and designers to help them design computers for sustainability. For instance, during my tour, I saw a box full of plastic covers off a specific model laptop. Every lid was cracked in the exact same place, likely from excessive pressure from a screw that holds the cover in place. TechTurn executives met with the product’s designers to show them the long term effects of the design – what happens after the product is in use for a while. The designers now know to modify the product to prevent the cracks from happening in the future, hopefully creating a longer lasting laptop.
Many of the old computers that companies have stashed in a back room or warehouse still have plenty of life in them. TechTurn can extend that life, returning money back to the owner while keeping computers out of our landfills.
