The Solution
Alison says that “while Good360 was great at matching corporates and schools, it had no technology refurbishment expertise”.
Compnow has taken on responsibility for the entire refurbishment process and the partnership provides Good360 “with the scale and efficiency to get goods out at the lowest cost,” she says.
Compnow’s vendor agnostic, multi-credentialled service offering includes SustainIT, its ethical, environmental and socially responsible end-of-lifecycle management. The inbuilt certified data erasure is vital to Good360’s reassurance to potential donor corporations.
“Our relationship with Compnow is critical. Its reputation and capabilities are a convincing part of our pitch to donors. Many companies are very reticent about re-use of their assets because data is so vulnerable and valuable. So Compnow’s control of our processes allays any concerns corporates have,” Alison says.
“As demand outstrips supply, we’re appealing to businesses, rather than individuals, because we can get bulk numbers of the same device in one go. That then translates to efficiency at the school level where teachers and students learn on the same machines for faster adoption and easier maintenance.” Corporate purchases also tend to have higher specs and will last longer after Compnow’s refurbishment.
“Compnow takes all the work out of the process for us,” Alison says. Compnow’s nationwide footprint is critical to servicing Good360’s national demand. Once notified that a fleet of redundant devices is available, Compnow’s Lifecycle team collects the items direct from the donor organisation – from anywhere in Australia.
Because Compnow has equipment repair certifications across the device brands, they are authorised to do all work including swapping out batteries. “Compnow mixes and matches to maximise the life of every device. No one else we spoke to had the nationwide or technical capacity to take on our challenges.”
Each device is wiped of IP – no data, no browsing history remains. It is then assessed for damage, or wear and tear like scratches and missing keys. The hardware – such as battery life, speakers and camera – are tested. Then Mac or iOS is reinstalled.
To further maximise the re-use of equipment, Compnow also sources accessories such as power adapters, so each device is complete. Then, each laptop is individually boxed and labelled and delivered to Good360 for distribution.
Good360 is adamant that recipients of their goods have the highest quality to help provide equal and respectful access to their education. If a donated item doesn’t measure up, or is otherwise unsuitable – such as keyboards and VOIP phones – they will be on sold by Compnow and the funds transferred to Good360.
