In the world of technology, obsolescence is a term that means making something obsolete or out of use.
Commercially, this concept encourages repetitive consumption, encouraging companies to update their equipment regularly. For IT managers, calculating the obsolescence rate is crucial to keeping work tools up to date and efficient.
3 Tips for Calculating the Equipment Obsolescence Rate?
1 - Electronic equipment
Electronic equipment, such as professional computers and notebooks, generally have an estimated useful life of five years. Peripherals such as mice, keyboards, printers, scanners and multifunctional devices last around three years. To calculate the obsolescence rate, consider the purchase price and subtract a coefficient of 10% for each year of use.
Companies with good cash flow or predictable new investments usually set aside part of their profits to renew these assets, ensuring that their electronic equipment remains up to date.
2 - Corporate furniture
Corporate furniture has a lifespan of around ten years, with basic repairs needed every five years due to heavy use. With the rise of the hybrid regime, the use of furniture has been conserved, reducing the frequency of repairs.
For on-site employees, it is essential to carry out regular maintenance, especially on swivel chairs and their components, such as pistons and castors. Upholstery and foam, although less critical, can be replaced when necessary. Tables and cabinets, although they can become aesthetically outdated, rarely need significant repairs.
3 - Input and output control
Managing mobile assets, especially electronic ones, is fundamental to ensuring their conservation. Using tags or labels with serial numbers makes it easier to track equipment, allowing the company to register the availability, ownership and responsibility for items, crucial in times of hybrid working.
In addition to ensuring traceability, this control guarantees the availability of equipment for new hires or urgent replacements, minimizing interruptions to critical operations.
Conclusion
Implementing technologies that offer functionalities such as fields, flows and automations can replace traditional control methods such as emails and spreadsheets. These solutions reduce the consumption of working hours on repetitive tasks, ensuring more efficient and organized equipment management.
Obsolescence is a central issue in the management of corporate IT and facilities. Good management practices ensure efficient organization, predictability in the acquisition of new equipment, proper conservation of assets and effective tracking. Adopting these strategies is essential for maintaining competitiveness and operational efficiency.