01 / Confirm ownership and release authority
Identify who owns the equipment and who can authorize its retirement. Separate leased devices, assets due back to vendors, and items still covered by internal retention or approval requirements. Keep active equipment and repair stock out of the release list.
For a school, public entity, or regulated business, ask the responsible internal team to review its own disposition requirements before engaging a provider.
02 / Build a baseline inventory
- Equipment category, make, model, and approximate quantity.
- Working condition, visible damage, and missing components.
- Site or room where each batch is located.
- Asset tags or serial numbers if reconciliation is required.
- Storage media and battery-containing equipment that need review.
You do not need a perfect spreadsheet for an initial conversation. Make uncertainties visible, then agree on how the final inventory will be established.
03 / Define data and recovery decisions
Identify which assets contain information and ask your security team to define the intended outcome. Clarify which items may be considered for reuse and which must be destroyed, along with the evidence required for each path.
NIST SP 800-88 Revision 2 is a reference for planning media sanitization. A provider’s marketing claim should not replace a review of the actual agreed process. See our data destruction planning page for questions to raise.
04 / Agree on logistics and commercial terms
Record site access windows, stairs or loading docks, staging space, escort requirements, and the handoff contact. Ask who supplies packaging, performs removal, and handles changes to quantities.
Confirm fees, any recovery valuation, title transfer, and payment terms in writing. Keep possible resale value separate from a promised payout. Agree on what happens when an item differs from the original inventory.
05 / Define what closes the project
Specify the evidence your team needs, who receives it, and how exceptions are resolved. Compare the final records to the agreed inventory and keep the documents with your internal retirement approvals.
Project closeout should answer what left the site, what outcome was agreed, which records were delivered, and whether anything remains unresolved. Confirm the deliverables before work starts rather than assuming a standard certificate covers every requirement.
Common questions
What should an initial inquiry include?
Your city, equipment types, approximate quantities, desired timing, and any data handling or access requirements. Send sensitive inventories only through a handling method agreed with the provider.
Is this a compliance certification or a complete security procedure?
No. This is a general project-planning checklist. Your organization remains responsible for establishing its approvals, security requirements, and applicable obligations.