Bringing Value to Refreshed Assets

It's three months since Mark Gallacher joined us as Global ITAD Director. We caught up with him to talk about life in the new job, and his vision of how ITAD services can develop for Techbuyer customers and the sector more broadly.

1. What are some of the things you would say make Techbuyer stand out as an ITAD supplier?

I think one of the big things is that we won’t exclude small and medium-sized businesses that maybe just have 50 assets or less. Some of our competitors are only interested in large collections.

I think this is important for the development of ITAD in general. If smaller companies are turned away by reputable ITADs, their choices will be limited when it comes to having their items treated responsibly and the proper assurances that their data has been disposed of correctly.

In addition, not every ITAD has the ability to refurbish and extend life cycles through component replacements. A lot of ITAD vendors send equipment that is not immediately reusable to recycling. Watching our technicians do better through breaking down parts, rebuilding and component harvesting is brilliant.

Having access to Interact as part of the business also makes Techbuyer’s ITAD a bit of a game-changer – other ITADs need to outsource consultancy of this kind. It also shows how seriously we take our expertise and the ability to advise customers in the right way. This, and a fully qualified Sustainability Team that gives training, writes papers and leads the conversation, definitely sets us apart from the competition even amongst much larger players!

2. Would you say this difference means we communicate with our customers differently?

Yes. Smaller organisations are less likely to have Sustainability departments and are not as familiar with ITAD as a concept or a defined service. There is scope for us to help them understand what best practice looks like when it comes to retiring assets.

We can take the conversation beyond GDPR and data security into the issues around the best second life for IT assets like reuse, repair, remanufacturing and component harvesting. We can also show them how much value exists in their equipment – not just for the environment but also for their bottom line. Having an agile business model that can incorporate in-house refurbishment and repair really helps with this.

Our certifications really help in the education process. When we tell customers about the ADISA Dial rating, for example, it helps them to understand the grading of security systems. Being able to tell them we are Dial 3 accredited, and able to process the highest security level on data bearing devices is great for articulating the issues around this. R2 is another great certification because it showcases how ethical disposal extends right to the end of the supply chain, and that we should take responsibility for where our items end up as well as where we sell them.

I also think that Techbuyer can serve as a good role model when it comes to best practice. Techbuyer began a concentrated journey towards circular economy, reducing carbon footprint, research and recognition when it was still an SME itself. It shows you don’t have to be a large company to take this seriously and be recognised for the results. That’s a great confidence builder!

3. You have come from a major company that is also a manufacturer – what have the big differences been at Techbuyer?

I think one of the most startling differences is Techbuyer’s ability to make change happen quickly. A good example is the refurb capacity that we built for ITAD assets, which is progressing at a much faster rate than it would at a larger company because there is not such a large hierarchy to navigate.

Having a solid sustainability resource available – and within easy access – is also quite exciting. In my first few weeks, I received the IEMA Certified Sustainability Skills for the Workforce training right here in the office. It was useful to me personally and I can really see how this could help educate Techbuyer’s customers, and potentially even their customers, going forwards. It’s powerful, especially because it is set up to be delivered amongst peers across multiple companies.

4. Do you see any big changes happening in ITAD at the moment?

Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of companies were buying equipment they would not have bought otherwise. A good example would be purchasing laptops for staff to work at home. So far, a lot of organisations have not got around to getting rid of the excess devices, so we’ll see these on the markets over time.

Then there is the refurb sector. People have now seen that the performance of refurbished products has been proven in the market because they were forced to buy them when new was not available. That makes it potentially very exciting for ITAD.

We are seeing governments take this on board and build in policies around this (20% of equipment should be refurb in the French public sector). These are going to be difficult to fulfil given the current supply and how fragmented this is. It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out when they are used to buying tens of thousands of the same specification.

5. What have been your highlights so far at Techbuyer and what does the future hold?

It's been great to network at the industry events. Interact came home with an award for Environmental Product of the Year at Data Centre World in March. In April, we attended the ADISA conference and gave evidence to a consultancy working on the EU Ecodesign Directive revision. We had colleagues speaking at both conferences, so that helps with brand recognition.

There is a lot going on at the moment in terms of large company interest in sustainable solutions and looking for ways to do this. I saw this at Dell with Concept Luna and circular design, so seeing what other companies are doing is very interesting.

Internally, I am really looking forward to building on our refurb capability that is specific to ITAD. We are in a fantastic position to create something very special because we are building it from the ground up and not only do we have the expertise when it comes to refurbished, but also parts harvesting and repairing.

Externally, there is a real need for standardised gradings for refurbished laptops, PCs etc that are agreed upon across the sector. We need this to enhance customer trust in refurbished equipment and make it easier for large organisations to buy refurbished products at scale. With Techbuyer’s involvement in a number of standards and research projects, I think we are in a great position to help make this happen.