A Better Way to Manage the End of Lease Return Process

Effectively managing the end of lease process for computer equipment is critical to the success of corporate leasing programs. If choosing to return equipment at the end of the lease, customers should consider the following:

• How to minimize costly delays or business disruption during equipment transition
• How to prevent the in-transit loss or damage of data-bearing assets
• How to remove sensitive data from hard drives and company identifiers from the system case
• How to cost-effectively restore assets according to the lease agreement

Managing these responsibilities internally will certainly increase costs and create unnecessary burden on time-constrained IT resources, but may also create significant financial, legal and social liabilities.

PC Asset Recovery Lease Return Services integrate the core services of logistics and chain-of-custody tracking, data erasure and settlement reporting to help facilitate a smooth end of lease transition. Through years of experience and expert management, we can ensure an accurate and prompt return of your leased equipment to avoid costly delays, mitigate liabilities and free up valuable IT resources.

Integrated Logistics

PC Asset Recovery logistics services and know-how help to ensure that your leased IT assets are delivered on time and intact. We furnish all necessary packing materials and labor and will work closely with you to manage the entire lease return process. For customers replacing their returning systems with new equipment, our integrated logistics service can be closely coordinated with the arrival of the new equipment to promote a seamless transition.

Configuration and Condition Audit

Lease contracts typically specify that all equipment shall be returned to Lessor in the same condition and working order as delivered. Equipment that is incomplete or inoperable, has unreasonable wear and tear or otherwise deviates from the terms of the agreement may be assessed with “Missing and Damage” fees or other penalties. These unexpected expenses can add significant costs to the overall lease.

PC Asset Recovery audits each received system, testing its functionality, identifying components and recording the cosmetic condition. This information is provided to you in a management report that may be helpful in the event any issues arise with respect to condition of returned equipment.

Data Erasure

Technology assets returned to leasing companies are typically resold into used computer equipment markets. However, many organizations do not realize that it is their responsibility to remove privacy regulated consumer data and proprietary information from the hard drive. A University of Glamorgan study found that 80% of hard disks purchased on the open market contained recoverable data and that nearly 50% appeared to have had a failed or partially successful attempt made at the removal of the data.

PC Asset Recovery provides data erasure services to help organizations reduce security concerns associated with return of leased IT assets. We cleanse functioning hard drives using a disk overwrite process based on the Department of Defense (DoD) 5220-22-M three-pass standard. The operating system, all proprietary information and other software applications are wiped from the disk and rendered virtually irretrievable. If any sector on a drive cannot be verified as overwritten, the drive will be physically destroyed. A Certificate of Destruction is provided that transfers all associated risks and liabilities to PC Asset Recovery.

If additional overwriting beyond the DoD 3x standard is required, we can provide an estimate for that service. And as an added security benefit, PC Asset Recovery will also remove customer asset tags and other identifiable markings that may have remained on the case prior to lease return.

Lease Return Reporting

Upon completion of the audit and data destruction processes, PC Asset Recovery provides a management report with detailed information on the cosmetic condition and functionality of the returning equipment. This report is invaluable in helping customers reconcile returned assets to original lease agreements or other internal records and remediate any “Missing and Damage” claims assessed by the Lessor.

Need more information? Contact Us or read our Frequently Asked Questions.