- Define the cohort
- Review failure
- Compare cost
- Test value
- Approve the exception
Age is a signal, not the whole decision
A fleet-wide age threshold is easy to administer, but devices with different workloads and support paths may need different treatment. Operational ITAM’s Three Curves examine failure, cost and value together. Use an identifiable cohort so observations and assumptions can be challenged.
Failure: use the evidence you actually have
Review repair history, downtime, supportability and recurring failure modes. Separate observed failures from forecasts. A small sample should not become a precise fleet-wide prediction. An unsupported operating environment may impose constraints that a hardware repair record alone cannot show.
Cost: compare complete options
Compare keeping, repairing, redeploying and replacing over a consistent horizon. Include support, transition effort, disposal, residual value and relevant licensing where supported by evidence. Do not count a resale value twice or assume an avoided purchase is a cash saving already realized.
Value: ask what the role requires
A device may remain reliable yet fail a required workload, security configuration or accessibility need. Another may perform its role well after the standard refresh age. Capture the business requirement and the consequence of not meeting it. A preference for newer equipment is not automatically a quantified benefit.
Example: retain with a review gate
An older device cohort may remain supportable and meet its workload while repair incidence is low. A bounded retention decision could record the owner, acceptable support route, review date and triggers for replacement. A different cohort with unsupported requirements may need earlier action. The method supports distinct decisions rather than a universal lifespan claim.
Go deeper with the related Operational ITAM podcast and transcript.
Methods can be adapted internationally. The paid collection’s jurisdiction-specific operating guidance centers on the United States and Canada; apply local requirements and actual contracts. Examples are illustrative, not guaranteed savings or certification.