The Technical Mystery Tour

Roll up. Roll up for the magical mystery tour.

Boxing Day 1968 I think, might have been 1967. My whole family and half of the Western world all gathered around their TV sets to see the Fab Four’s TV film The Magical Mystery Tour. I was 6 or 7 and loved The Beatles. I am told I once gave a lively rendition of She Loves You in the doctor’s surgery as a toddler which raised a few smiles. Unfortunately however, as the recent repeat reminded me, Magical Mystery Tour offered a few good tunes but the plot may have been over-influenced by some artificial stimuli and four creative egos rapidly spinning out of control.

However, the idea of a tour ought to remain high on our agendas, magical or otherwise. EReco are keen to show customers our secure facility in the depths of East Grinstead, because we know it is what sets us apart from the crowd. And more potential customers ought to take up our offer because when disposing of your data, you ought to do a proper risk assessment.

What? I heard a collective sharp intake of breath there. Disposing of your data? That isn’t what you are doing at all, is it? You are disposing of old IT assets, redundant kit, sometimes broken kit, but you are protecting your data, aren’t you?

Well, yes AND no.

You are engaging a partner to deal with your data, and if that partner is reputable you are protected by their systems, and insurance. So clearly your intention is not to throw the baby away with the bathwater. But, and it is a very big but, your data is still there and it is still your responsibility. If something happens you are going to need to prove that you exercised your duty of care.

Clearly it is not practical for every business to visit their supplier. If your disposals are small and irregular, some reasonable due diligence would probably suffice. However, if you are a business of reasonable size a risk assessment probably makes a lot of sense. There are no margins of error here of course. No matter how large or small your disposal is, it only takes one hard drive to go missing or not get processed, and your data is ‘out there’.

Now I am bound to approve of this sort of thing of course. EReco has substance. Our facility is not a shiny palace of recycling heaven but it is efficient, substantial and secure. We may be many things but we are not back of the van sort of people. We are not fly by night. Believe me, if you visit and I will introduce you to Karen, our process queen, and she has a form for everything and a knowledge of ISO’s and WEEE regulations that ought to have John Humphrey’s and the Mastermind team quivering in their boots.

Her majesty emphasises what eReco has and many of our competitors do not. She is the one who makes us get our waste transfer notes right. She is Miss Compliance, a dotter of I’s and a crosser of T’s that our customers need. When my eyes glaze over, she is the one who reminds me, kindly, that like it or not we all have to get the paperwork in order.

It is what we charge for and what I cannot see how anyone offering free collections can offer. And it is tangible if you take a couple of hours out of your day to come and see it for yourself. Del-boy’s lock up may not be so impressive.

And Hey Bulldog, I promise not to sing.