It was a bright, sunny day in July when top IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) executives from around the world squeezed into a hotel conference room, waiting patiently for the first panel to start. As the chatter filled the room you could only faintly hear the waves crashing nearby. In a moment of unison, the chatter stopped, and the first panel began.
Hosting the event next to the natural beauty of the ocean was appropriate as the two most prominent topics of the 2022 ITAD Summit were the demand for innovative solutions and achievable ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives.
Every panel at the ITAD Summit was run by industry experts from some of the most successful ITAD companies in the industry across the globe. DMD Systems Recovery Inc. (DMD) was one such company. Two executives from DMD, Aaron Zeper, CEO, and Jon DeMent, VP, participated in panels at the conference. DMD joined three panels: “Data Destruction Trends and Changes”, “ITAD Evolution”, and “ESG goals are influencing enterprise decisions like never before”.
On day one, Jon moderated “Data Destruction Trends and Changes.” The industry experts discussed the need for ITAD to evolve and safely manage the increasing amount of data-bearing assets and the introduction of IoT (Internet of Things). The rapid change in technology propels companies’ data destruction processes to innovate just as fast. As the facilitator, Jon used DMD examples of our evolution in service offerings and solutions to address customers’ increasingly new and varied ITAD needs to extract how other ITADs are tackling these challenges.
The theme of challenge and change continued in Aaron’s two panels: “ITAD Evolution” and “How ITAD can help you with your ESG Goals.” As the titles suggest, the panels dove into the diverse types of ITAD companies and services on the market today and how the desire for stricter protocols and achievable ESG goals will affect the way ITAD companies operate in the future.
ITAD companies are very fragmented. Companies such as recyclers, trucking companies, repair shops, and shred trucks all identify as ITAD companies, but they provide vastly different services and client experiences. Aaron articulated DMD’s unique ITAD solutions in innovative, customer-centric design focused on the B2B (Business to Business) market. DMD works with corporate customers focused on reuse with governance and creates custom solutions using a flexible core of six primary services.
Based on customer feedback, Aaron believes the client experience and ITAD business model have extensive room for improvement. Companies continue to base decisions on their reputation and how they will be negatively affected in the long run. Issues such as security risks have the potential to destroy the reputation of an ITAD company. With the state of the world, there is a trend surfacing for companies to impose stricter environmentally friendly practices. This trend will dramatically alter the state in which the ITAD industry operates, leaving companies that are resistant to change at risk of closure.
ESG goals are influencing enterprise decisions like never before. For the first time with any regularity, ESG and corporate sustainability initiatives are infiltrating the ITAD industry. Sustainability as a trend is predicted to ripple throughout the ITAD industry and be a foundation for every IT-centric company.
An additional evolution frequently mentioned is the growth of customers looking for and demanding certified providers. The certifying bodies are responding with more stringent standards leading to our belief that this trend is for the betterment of the industry. This will ideally force out ITAD companies who lack care for our planet.
As new trends surface, the demand for innovative solutions, and achievable ESG initiatives will continue to dominate the ITAD industry. ITAD companies, such as DMD, need to generate new, innovative solutions, protocols, and services to keep up with client needs. Companies resistant to change and innovation will soon become irrelevant in the ITAD industry.
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