How to turn downsizing to your advantage

With careful planning, IT teams can emerge from the downturn leaner, fitter and more agile

Mark Nutt: Planning how to handle IT resources is vital

The recession may be receding, but most minds are still focused on the tight economic times ahead. As a result, many organisations are either considering downsizing or already have, leading to changes in the demands placed on IT departments. Downsizing can make IT resources, from desktop PCs to infrastructure resources, surplus to requirements. Evidently, these resources will have to go somewhere: left alone, they will continue to cost the organisation money in management time, space and power.

Planning what to do with surplus resources is vital. Trimming away extraneous assets will make the department leaner and more agile and provide maximum return from any downsizing.

The first part of any plan should be a comprehensive audit and asset register of every device and licence on the company’s infrastructure, as well as its uses and who “owns” it. With this knowledge, the IT department can determine the value of every piece of equipment. It may turn out that resources standing idle are more suited to the organisation’s needs than those that are in use. For example, a server might be being used by a department unaffected by downsizing. However, it delivers inferior performance compared with newer equipment used by a downsized department.

Once this analysis is complete, the IT department should ensure that only the most cost-effective and reliable technology is used, redistributing resources and hardware.

Truly surplus assets can be retired and decommissioned. Before doing this, checks should be in place to ensure that powering down seemingly idle equipment does not remove a lynchpin of the network. Removed equipment can be traded in or resold directly, helping recoup its cost.

There will inevitably be some equipment that has no value to the business or in resale. While parts could be sold on or kept for maintenance, the rest must be disposed of at an authorised centre in line with all relevant regulations, including the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Planning how to handle IT resources is vital. By taking stock of all assets, IT departments will have the knowledge to ensure surplus assets are being used in the most effective way, whether that is being given a new role or disposed of in the most profitable manner.

Mark Nutt is general manager at Morse