5 Metrics That Prove Your ITAD Program Is Working

In IT asset disposition (ITAD), success is about proving clearly and quantifiably that your program is delivering value, reducing risk, and aligning with company-wide goals for sustainability, security, and cost control.

Many IT leaders still struggle to measure ITAD performance. In fact, the majority of IT decision-makers do not track ITAD outcomes beyond basic compliance. Without the right metrics in place, it’s nearly impossible to optimize results, report to stakeholders, or justify your budget.

Here’s a look at the five most important metrics to track, why they matter, and how NCS Global helps you gain the visibility and reporting power you need.

Why Metrics Matter in ITAD

ITAD has evolved. What used to be a back-office function is now under serious scrutiny from finance teams looking for ROI, compliance officers preparing for audits, and ESG leads demanding sustainability data. Today’s ITAD programs are expected to perform, not just function.

Metrics give IT, operations, and compliance leaders a clear way to:

• Demonstrate financial efficiency and value recovery
  
• Prove compliance with regulatory frameworks like NIST 800-88, HIPAA, and GDPR
  
• Show measurable progress toward sustainability targets
  
• Compare vendor performance year over year or across multiple providers
  

Without data, it’s just disposal. With data, it’s strategy.

Metric #1: Value Recovery Rate

The value recovery rate measures how much of an asset’s original value is recouped through resale or redeployment. It’s expressed as a percentage and reflects how efficiently your ITAD program captures remaining value from end-of-life equipment.

Why it matters:
A high recovery rate means your organization is maximizing ROI and reducing total cost of ownership. Recovery rates also reflect the strength of your ITAD vendor’s resale channels and pricing power.

NCS Global’s robust global resale network helps clients consistently achieve above-average returns by identifying high-demand secondary markets and prioritizing secure refurbishment.

Metric #2: Data Destruction Compliance Rate

This is the percentage of devices that have undergone certified, verifiable data destruction. Whether through software-based wiping, degaussing, or physical shredding, every step should be tracked and documented for audit-readiness.

Why it matters:
Data security breaches from improperly wiped hardware can cost millions in fines and reputation damage. Regulatory frameworks like NIST 800-88, HIPAA, and GDPR demand strict compliance, and you need proof to match.

NCS Global uses EcoErase, our proprietary software that ensures NIST-compliant erasure and generates audit-ready certificates and logs for every device.

Metric #3: Chain of Custody Accuracy

This metric tracks the percentage of assets with a complete, documented chain of custody from pickup to final disposition. Each handoff, transfer, or action should be logged in real time.

Why it matters:
In high-security environments, gaps in documentation can mean audit failures, liability, or worse. You must know where every device has been and who handled it.

NCS Global’s client portal gives you real-time visibility into every step, offering downloadable reports and searchable logs to confirm custody, processing, and location history.

Metric #4: Environmental Impact Avoided

This sustainability metric measures how much e-waste and carbon footprint your organization has avoided through reuse, resale, or responsible recycling. It’s usually tracked as pounds diverted from landfill, emissions avoided, or percentage of assets reused vs. destroyed.

Why it matters:
ESG and sustainability goals are now corporate mandates. From investors to internal sustainability leads, stakeholders want proof that you’re minimizing environmental impact and not just through recycling.

NCS Global provides detailed sustainability impact reports that show landfill diversion, carbon savings, and responsible recycling outcomes for every ITAD cycle.

Metric #5: Turnaround Time

Turnaround time measures the average number of days from asset pickup to final disposition, including data destruction and reporting.

Why it matters:
Slow ITAD processes leave sensitive data at risk, create hardware clutter, and delay internal refresh cycles. Fast turnaround enhances security, frees up space, and streamlines IT operations.

NCS Global offers standardized and expedited service levels, all tracked via our client portal. Real-time status updates keep you in the loop and audit-ready.

How NCS Global Helps You Track All 5 Metrics

With the right ITAD partner, tracking these metrics is automatic. NCS Global’s integrated platform, service model, and proprietary software are designed for visibility, compliance, and ROI at every step.

Here’s how we make it easy:

• Real-time tracking via the NCS Portal—custom dashboards and downloadable reports
  
• EcoErase data destruction logs—NIST-compliant, auditable, and secure
  
• Sustainability reports—track landfill diversion, emissions avoided, and recycling rates
  
• Value recovery reports—resale performance by device category and service cycle
  
• Complete chain of custody tracking—from pickup to resale or recycle
  

Ready to See the Real Performance of Your ITAD Program?

NCS Global gives you the tools to measure, report, and optimize every aspect of your IT asset disposition strategy.

Whether you’re looking to increase ROI, tighten security, or hit sustainability targets, we help you prove it with metrics that matter.

Let’s talk metrics. Contact NCS Global today.