What is IT Asset Recovery – And How to do it?

IT asset recovery is the process of retrieving, evaluating, and securely disposing of IT equipment that’s no longer in active use. The goal isn’t just to get the asset back, but to determine whether it still holds value — and decide what to do with it from there. 

It’s a key part of effective IT Asset Lifecycle Management and usually takes place near the end of the cycle, once a device is retired or no longer needed. 

What does IT asset recovery entail?

IT asset recovery entails three major actions: retrieving, evaluating, and disposing assets — each with its own role in helping organizations make the most of their unused tech.

• Retrieving means collecting the physical asset, whether it's sitting in a storage room, coming back from a remote employee, or being replaced by something new.  
   
• Evaluating is where things get interesting. This is where the asset is assessed to determine if it still holds any value — whether that’s operational, financial or recyclable. 
   
• Disposing refers to deciding what happens next. If the asset still has life in it, it might be refurbished or reassigned. If not, it needs to be wiped and recycled or discarded responsibly.  

Many people think IT asset recovery is the same as IT asset disposition (ITAD), but that’s only part of the picture. ITAD refers to the final stage — the safe, compliant handling of an asset at the very end of its lifecycle.

IT asset recovery includes ITAD, but also covers what comes before: retrieving the asset and evaluating its remaining value. 

Why is IT asset recovery important?

Recovering the physical asset is already a win — but the real value of IT asset recovery goes way beyond that. When done right, it can help your organization save money, protect the environment, and keep sensitive data safe.

And the numbers back it up. The IT asset disposition market was valued at $18.4 billion in 2023, and it’s projected to more than double — reaching $40.9 billion by 2032 with a 9.3% annual growth rate (Grand View Research). That kind of growth shows just how seriously organizations are starting to take recovery, reuse, and secure disposal.

3 benefits of recovering IT assets

#1. Cost savings

Recovering assets helps reduce unnecessary purchases and maximizes the return on existing investments (ROI). Reusing, reselling, or refurbishing devices can significantly cut down on IT spending.

“IT asset disposition [...] is such a huge area within Hardware Asset Management that is so overlooked. [...] When you get it up and running, you’re regularly getting profit and credit notes coming back to your organization.”

David Foxen, Founder and Principal Consultant for SAM Beast Consulting Ltd

Live episode - Ticket Volume - IT Podcast

#2: Environmental impact

Proper recovery reduces e-waste by giving devices a second life or ensuring they’re recycled responsibly. It supports more sustainable IT practices and helps meet green initiatives.

#3: Data security

Before any asset leaves your organization, it needs to be properly wiped and handled. IT asset recovery ensures sensitive data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands — protecting your company and staying compliant.

How to recover IT assets? The IT asset recovery plan

1. Define your recovery policy and scope

Start by setting clear rules: who’s responsible, which assets are included, and when recovery should happen. 

Your policy should also cover exceptions, security needs, and how to handle remote teams. Defining this upfront helps make recovery part of your standard IT routine — not a last-minute scramble.

2. Organize and keep your asset inventory up to date

You can’t recover what you can’t see. An accurate IT asset inventory is the foundation of any recovery plan. It tells you what you have, where it is, who’s using it, and what condition it’s in.

Keeping this data updated helps you spot which assets are ready for recovery and prevents losses, blind spots, or duplicate purchases.

“If you just have random equipment on some floor that’s not a controlled, secure space — that’s concerning. You definitely want to know where your equipment is.”

Alicia Syx, expert at Sycamore International

Episode 98 of Ticket Volume

3. Set clear recovery triggers

Recovery should be proactive, not reactive. Define the specific events that trigger asset recovery — like employee offboarding, device replacement, contract termination, or reaching a certain age or usage threshold. 

Having these triggers in place ensures nothing slips through the cracks and helps standardize the process across the organization. 

4. Plan the logistics of retrieval

Once it’s time to recover an asset, make sure you can actually get it back — safely and on time. That means coordinating pickups, tracking shipments (especially for remote teams), and ensuring secure transport.

The good news? If you're using ITAM software, most of the traceability — like handoffs, locations, and status updates — is automatically recorded in the system. No spreadsheets, no guesswork.

5. Evaluate the asset’s condition and value

Once the asset is back, it needs to be assessed. Is it still usable? Can it be reassigned, refurbished, resold — or is it ready to be retired?

This step helps you decide the most cost-effective and responsible next move. Some devices still hold value, while others might only be worth recycling. But you won’t know until you take a good look. 

6. Decide the best next step

Based on the evaluation, choose what to do with the asset: reuse it internally, resell it, donate it, recycle it — or, if there’s no value left, dispose of it securely.

This is where IT asset recovery connects with ITAD. If the asset is at the end of the line, make sure it's handled through proper disposition processes, including certified data destruction. We’ll go over specific techniques for each option in the next section.

7. Ensure secure data wiping or destruction

Before any device leaves your control all data must be wiped securely. This step protects your organization from data breaches, leaks, and compliance issues.

Stick to recognized standards like NIST and work with certified ITAD partners when needed. Even devices that don’t look “smart” (like printers or desk phones) can store sensitive information, so don’t skip this step.

“You’d be amazed how many times we check incoming equipment and find data still on it — even when clients were sure it had been wiped.”

Alicia Syx, expert at Sycamore International

Episode 98 of Ticket Volume

8. Document and report the process

Every recovery action should be recorded — what was recovered, when, by whom, and what was done with it. 

This ensures transparency, supports audits, and helps track compliance with internal policies or external regulations.

9. Work with certified recovery and ITAD partners

If you're outsourcing any part of the process — like transport, evaluation, or disposal — make sure you're working with trusted, certified providers. 

Look for certifications like R2v3 or NAID AAA, which ensure secure handling and environmental responsibility.

10. Track results and improve continuously

Once your recovery plan is in motion, measure how it’s performing. Track things like recovered value, turnaround times, policy compliance, and missed recovery opportunities.

Use those insights to fine-tune the process, spot gaps, and make smarter decisions next time. IT asset recovery is something you can keep optimizing over time.

What to do with retrieved assets?

Once you've evaluated the asset (step 5), it’s time to decide what happens next (step 6). Here are the main options:

• Refurbish — If the asset isn’t ready for immediate use, this step comes first. It may need cleaning, repairs, part replacements, or a fresh OS install. Once it’s fully functional, it can move on to reuse, resale, or donation.
• Reuse or redeploy — If the asset is already in good condition and meets the technical and security requirements for its new role, it can be reassigned internally with minimal effort.
• Resell — Devices with remaining market value can be sold to recover part of their original cost.
• Donate — Equipment in working condition can be donated to schools, nonprofits, or community organizations. It’s a smart way to extend asset life while making a social impact.
• Recycle — Assets that can’t be reused should be dismantled and processed according to environmental standards.
• Destroy — When there’s no recovery value and data sensitivity is high, secure physical destruction may be the safest route.

Using InvGate Asset Management as your asset recovery solution

InvGate Asset Management is designed to support every stage of the IT asset lifecycle — and recovery is no exception. Here’s how it supports each key phase of the process:

• Inventory Management: Build a complete IT asset inventory in no time using multiple discovery sources. You can pull data from agents, network scans, imports, or third-party integrations — and manually adjust anything that's missing.
   
• Triggers, notifications and visibility: Set up automatic alerts to track changes and detect recovery opportunities. For instance, you can create health rules to monitor asset condition, and use smart tags to flag equipment nearing end-of-life, warranty expiration, or inactivity — all customizable to your criteria.
   
• Comprehensive asset tracking: Track everything from ownership and location to hardware specs, installed software, and financials like depreciation of IT assets or residual value. Asset tracking helps make recovery decisions easier — even for remote assets.
   
• Full documentation and reporting: Document every step of the recovery process with logs, attached files, and exportable reports. It’s all in one place and easy to audit.
   
• Flexible and integrated: Create custom fields to align with your internal recovery policies, and, if you’re also using InvGate Service Management, automate related workflows like offboarding or asset replacement. 

IT asset recovery tips and best practices

Before we wrap up, here are three simple but powerful tips to make your IT asset recovery process smoother, safer, and more effective:

• Use an IT Asset Management software: A dedicated ITAM tool helps you centralize data, automate alerts, monitor asset health, and document every step — all in one place.
• Make recovery part of your lifecycle strategy: Build it into your asset lifecycle planning from day one, with clear policies, triggers, and roles defined early on.
• Prioritize secure and responsible disposal: Whether you’re reusing, reselling, or recycling, make sure data is wiped and the process is compliant with relevant standards. Work only with certified partners.