How managed device services enable the inclusion of sustainability principles into IT

Growing interest in meeting corporate sustainability goals has reframed how organizations think about IT asset usage, life-cycles, and end-of-life disposal practices. This was one area addressed in the HP-sponsored IDC whitepaper on the benefits of integrating managed device services, published in April 2024 [1]. Many believe that a more socially and environmentally responsible organization is key to building trust with customers, partners, and employees.

Data from IDC [2] noted that circularity and life-cycle management were very to extremely important for the organization (69%). In the same study, most organizations engaged with the IT vendor to assist with sustainability goals. Employees want to work for organizations that are investing in our planet’s future, and for some employees, this has become an important requirement in selecting a future employer. Given the strong momentum in sustainability awareness and the drive for more action and accountability from investors, employees, and students (future talent), we expect more investment and innovation will be coming in the near term, and adopting a circular economy practice is top of mind for many organizations.

To address these requirements, companies have incorporated circular economy principles into their IT asset life-cycle plans, including client devices, which make up the largest share of assets within an organization. Organizations that have made progress on environmental objectives to include circular economy principles have also made progress on broader business objectives of better asset management strategies and reduced procurement cycles. Adopting a Managed Device Services model significantly reduces many of these end-of-life headaches and helps ensure compliance.

Organizations that adopt Managed Device Services experience improvements in the IT asset recovery and disposal process. Asset decommissioning is built into the solution, and IT staff are no longer responsible for tracking assets and managing recycling efforts. A key element for governance goals will be a well-informed IT life-cycle management strategy that includes a comprehensive decommissioning policy, which reduces security risks and improves sustainability metrics. In addition, most organizations include equipment recycling efforts within their sustainability plans to avoid financial and regulatory penalties. The value of an accurate and extensive trade-in/recycle program is twofold: Trade-in can be used to offset new equipment costs, which can improve the budget metrics of equipment refresh cycles; and recycled devices generate up to 70% less CO2 emissions than new devices by eliminating the CO2 emissions in manufacturing, transportation, and end of life (IDC’s model for CO2 reduction for IT equipment).

[1] HP-sponsored whitepaper from IDC, The benefits of integrating managed device services: How These Solutions Improve Resiliency, Reduce Costs, and Create Better Experiences, April 2024

[2] IDC Future Enterprise Resiliency & Spending Survey, Wave 4, May 2023

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