Johannesburg, 25 Oct 2022
The global chip shortage stemming from COVID-19 might not be in major headlines anymore, but the problem hasn’t disappeared. There’s still a delay in the release of new IT products.
Keeping up with demand has been a growing struggle that has seen more and more companies turning to refurbished IT equipment to alleviate the pain.
“When COVID-19 hit, companies moving to work-from-home simply realised that there wasn’t enough stock landing on our shores and – because of the higher demand – what was becoming available was at shockingly high prices. This is when refurbished machines started coming into their own,” says Kwirirai Rukowo, General Manager of Qrent.
A new way of work
This move to refurbished has taken hold and more companies are using refurbished equipment than before, mostly because of availability, cost benefits, tested performance as well as environmental factors, says Rukowo.
He says long lead times on new equipment would have seen many companies collapse because they would have had to stop working, which many could not afford. Those who turned to refurbished IT soon realised the benefits.
“Looking at accessibility, a refurbished machine can go from our factory bench to your desk in next to no time.
"Financially, turning to a refurbished machine that has been upgraded can save a company anywhere from 30% to 50% of the cost of a new one, which makes business sense,” he says. “At the same time, we also offer warranties on our devices, so companies do not need to worry that they will fail.”
Operationally, performance has proven to be as good as new, and machines can be customised for each end-user.
“All our machines are extensively tested before they leave the warehouse and, if not up to scratch for the end-users’ needs, are scrapped. We ensure that the technology we provide is scalable so that we can quickly meet our clients' needs.”
This solution also has environmental benefits. The circular economy is not a buzzword anymore. The growing mountain of e-waste has prompted a call for green solutions to help alleviate the impact our technology devices have on our planet.
Global e-waste is set to grow to 75 million metric tonnes by 2030 according to the United Nations Global E-waste Monitor report.
“Refurbishing machines mean that we have fewer discarded devices ending up in landfills,” he adds. Using a refurbished or remanufactured machine also helps companies meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of zero waste through responsible consumption and production (goal 12) by 2030.
“We can see the future is refurbished IT when global giants like Microsoft and Google heed the call for transformation.” Microsoft’s new Circular Centre will recycle and re-use redundant servers as part of the company’s plans to generate zero waste by 2030.
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is also following suit, with its ChromeOS team buying up outdated laptops on eBay and giving them a new lease on life with a new operating system called ChromeOS Flex.
“By investing in a refurbished machine that not only saves the business money but also helps it protect the environment, companies are in a win-win situation. We are proud that we can offer this solution to South African entities, especially at a time when businesses and consumers alike are finally getting on board,” says Rukowo.
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