Enterprise IT leaders want fewer vendors, tighter controls, and clear results. When an IT asset disposition provider and a managed service provider work together, the client gets clean handoffs across the asset life cycle, stronger compliance, and lower total cost. The MSP partnership only works if both sides align on roles, workflows, and accountability. Here is a practical playbook you can use to build a partnership that serves large clients well.
Define the shared goal
Start with a client outcome that both sides can measure. Examples include a 100 percent audit trail from deployment to disposition, zero data leakage incidents, and a target value recovery rate on retired assets. Put that goal in the master services agreement and reference it in every quarterly review. If both teams orient to the same north star, coordination gets easier and waste drops.
Map roles across the life cycle
MSPs own planning, deployment, and in-life support. ITADs own decommissioning, transport, data sanitization, recycling, and resale. The client wants one motion, so document who does what at each step.
- Asset onboarding and inventory. The MSP captures the make, model, serial number, and assigned owner at deployment. The ITAD validates fields during decommissioning to maintain the chain of custody.
- Moves, adds, changes. The MSP updates the asset register when devices move or get repaired. The ITAD receives repair outcomes, so resale grade and value stay accurate.
- End of life. The MSP raises a decommission ticket; the ITAD schedules an on-site pack-and-pick, performs data destruction, and closes the loop with certificates and settlement reports.
Build one process, not two
Clients feel friction when the MSP handles a ticket queue while the ITAD manages email threads in parallel. Replace that split with one intake path that both teams use. Put a single service catalog entry in the client’s portal for decommission requests. Make the form collect the fields the ITAD needs to create a work order, including site, contact, device class, and security level. Adopt a status model that everyone can see, with clear steps: requested, scheduled, picked up, sanitization complete, and settled. Share a single change window calendar so pickups do not overlap with major releases or site moves. When requests flow through a single path, handoffs become predictable, status checks drop, and the client knows exactly where the work stands.
Tie security and compliance together
Large enterprises care about proof, not promises. Set the rules before the first pickup and keep them consistent across sites. Agree on the data destruction methods that match each device class, for example, NIST SP 800-88 purge for laptops and shred for damaged drives. Decide which devices qualify for software wipe and which require physical destruction, then document it in the playbook. Require serialized proof that lists time, operator, device ID, and method, and store that proof with the ticket.
Map certifications to the risks the client cares about. R2v3 covers environmental and worker health. NAID covers data destruction and information security controls. ISO 14001 covers environmental management systems. Keep certificates current and place them in the client’s vendor file so auditors do not need to ask twice.
Protect the chain of custody from desk to dock to data sanitization. Use tamper-evident containers. Log photos at each handoff. Track vehicles with GPS for high-risk moves. Attach these artifacts to the same ticket the client already uses, so audit steps are simple to retrace.
Set site rules for on-site work and stick to them. Use two-person teams for removal work. Confirm background checks with vendor management. Require an escort for sensitive floors or cages. If a site has stricter controls, record the exception in advance, so crews arrive ready.
Design SLAs that fit enterprise needs
Good SLAs remove noise. Poor SLAs create it. Start by acknowledging decommission requests within four business hours so site teams know the request is in motion. Promise standard pickup within five business days, with an expedited option available within 48 hours. Treat data-bearing emergencies as a separate class with a 24-hour pickup target.
Close the loop with proof. Deliver data destruction certificates within three business days of pickup. For on-site shred, provide certificates before the crew leaves. Set a timeline for settlement, for example, 30 days after sanitization, with a clear view of resale value, recycling costs, and fees. Document how clocks pause due to legal holds, export controls, or site access issues. When SLAs reflect real risk and real volume, both teams can plan capacity, and the client sees fewer escalations.
Create a clear pricing model
Enterprises want cost clarity that they can defend. Keep the model simple and rule-based. Use flat rates for pack and pick that vary by site type and device class. Price on-site shred with tiers that reflect media volume, so large batches cost less per unit. Share resale through a transparent revenue split tied to published grading rules. Charge disposal fees for items with no resale path and list them by device family. Add a defined uplift for remote or secure sites based on distance or access tier, rather than a one-off estimate. Simple pricing removes debate and speeds approvals.
Share a single source of truth
Reporting should live in one place that the client already trusts. The MSP portal is often that place, so expose ITAD data through an API and present it beside service tickets. Show active and retired inventory with a serialized chain of custody. Make destruction certificates searchable by device ID, user, and date. Publish resale results, including grade, channel, and price, allowing finance to reconcile proceeds. Include environmental metrics such as weight diverted from landfill and estimated scope 3 impacts. Display SLA performance with trend lines and incident counts. When all parties read from a single source, audits run faster, and disputes shrink.
Add predictable governance
Joint reviews keep the program on track. Run a monthly operations review with a short agenda and a hard stop. Cover volumes by site and device type, SLA hits and misses with root causes, near-term site events that may affect pickups, and open risks with owners and dates. Hold a quarterly business review to examine broader themes. Review value recovery trends by device family and grade. Note compliance updates and upcoming audits. Share the cost to serve by site tier with concrete options to reduce it. Align on roadmap changes such as a Windows refresh, a data center exit, or a new site. This cadence gives leaders a clear view and gives operators a forum to solve issues early.
Plan the handoffs that usually fail
Most errors happen at the same pressure points, so plan for them. Prepare the field with a packing guide that includes photos for common device families and clear steps for accessories, cords, and docks. Train the MSP desk to attach the guide to decommission tickets, so site teams always have it. Set a standard for labels that can survive transit and temperature swings, then test a sample lot before any large wave. Keep a site fact sheet that lists dock limits, union rules, hours, and required contacts to keep crews from being turned away. Integrate with legal to flag devices on hold at decommission. Route these items to a secure workstream with separate storage and reporting. When you plan these handoffs, exceptions no longer derail schedules.
Use value recovery to fund the program
A solid recovery plan offsets cost and proves program value. Start with clear grading, both cosmetic and functional. Support grades with photos and store them with the ticket. Publish the grade distribution each month so trends are visible. Choose the sales channel that matches the lot. Use direct buyers for high-demand models that move fast. Use an auction for mixed lots, where competitive bidding drives the price up. Track net recovery by channel and shift mix based on results.
Time the sale to market behavior. Move commodity gear quickly since prices decline with each product cycle. Hold a short window for rare models that may see seasonal lifts. Share a simple 90-day price curve for top models to explain timing choices to finance. For low-value items, harvest parts that have steady demand. Report yields and rework rates to show why this route paid off. When you treat recovery as a managed stream, proceeds support program costs and build trust.
Coordinate site logistics
Logistics make or break cycle time. Align pickups with site occupancy and planned work so crews are not chasing empty desks or closed docks. Avoid quarter close and major maintenance windows. Standardize kits across sites, including pallets, boxes, and cushioning, and stage a small buffer of kits at large campuses to support short-notice pickups. Keep two carriers per region, with performance stats and backup contacts, so that weather or labor issues do not stall routes. Flag international moves early. Add dual-use checks to the intake form. Document the route, brokers, and customs steps in the ticket so compliance has full visibility. When logistics are thought through, the program runs smoothly, and crews spend time moving assets rather than solving access puzzles.
Measure what matters
Pick a short list of KPIs that leaders understand and that teams can influence. Track the average number of days from ticket to pickup and publish it by site tier. Measure the percentage of devices with a complete chain of custody and focus on gaps by location. Monitor the on-time rate for data destruction certificates. Watch net recovery per device and per lot by device family. Share the percentage of assets diverted from landfill and tie it to corporate goals. Report the share of tickets that met SLA out of the total. These measures give you a balanced view of speed, control, value, and sustainability.
Be the one to add more value
If you want large clients to trust the work, keep the partnership simple and verifiable. Align roles, run one process, and prove every control. Give leaders one source of truth, clear SLAs, and visible results from value recovery. When you operate this way, you cut noise, shorten cycle times, and make renewals easier to win.