IT Asset Replacement Policy

SCOPE

This policy governs the management and lifecycle of information technology assets ("IT Assets") owned by Dubai Medical College (“DMC”), with a unit cost or gift value equal to or greater than AED1000. Every school, department, or unit must adhere to the guidelines stated in this policy to acquire, record, manage, and dispose of DMC College IT Assets. While the College may assign an IT Asset to a faculty, staff member or public area for academic or administrative use, the IT Asset remains the property of the DMC College throughout its lifecycle, from initial acquisition and provisioning to the end of its useful life.

Policy Statement

A. The DMC College has established policies and procedures that detail the standards for lifecycle management of College IT Assets. Responsibility for proper care of the IT Assets is shared between the faculty or staff member to which it has been assigned, the department, the College technical support partners, and the Information Technology ("IT").

B. The main goals of the IT Asset Management Policy are to:

  • Serve as effective stewards of the DMC College’s IT equipment by tracking and managing the IT Assets.
  • Maintain an accurate IT Asset inventory to optimize usage and workplace productivity.
  • Standardize supported models and configurations to offer efficiency gains through simplified technical support and maintenance requirements.
  • Reduce waste and ensure that IT Assets are encrypted and properly wiped of University data prior to reallocation and disposal.
Definitions
  • IT Asset: Any financially valuable component (a unit cost or gift value equal to or greater than AED 1000) that contributes to the delivery of an IT product or service. NextGen
  • Lifecycle Replacement Fund: College-provided central funding used to replace a single workstation for all full-time faculty and staff every four years. No charges are incurred by the department for the lifecycle replacement, if it is a standard workstation configuration that serves as a primary workstation.
  • Non-Standard IT Asset: A special component or device or equipment that is neither purchased nor supported by IT.
  • Peripherals: Computer components such as monitors, personal printers, flash drives, external drives, keyboards, or mice that are not individually tracked.
  • Primary Workstation: A workstation assigned and used by a specific College faculty or staff member as their main computer, and not shared with others.
  • Standard IT Assets: Assets that are subject to inventory tagging and management: desktop and laptop workstations, digital signage players, tablets, multifunction devices (print/copy/scan), network printers, and servers.
  • Username: A name that uniquely identifies an individual on the College computer system.
  • Workstation: A desktop or laptop computer and the associated peripherals issued to faculty and staff members to perform certain job functions at the College.
Policy

A. Standard IT Assets

DMC IT offers new, used and lifecycle replacement (NextGen) computers and accompanying peripherals to certain full-time faculty and staff members to perform their jobs at the College, based on the NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund guidelines.

  • 1. Primary workstations are included in the NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund.
  • 2. Multiple workstations are not included in the NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund because they are not permitted for the same individual, without proper justification and approval by the department head and/or budget manager. When approved, other funding sources must be used to obtain and procure additional workstations. IT implements standard workstation configurations to provide the best possible support for its customers, while also being fiscally responsible. Standard IT Asset purchases and NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund requests should be submitted to IT via the IT Ticketing system.

(Table 1: Hardware for End Users)

Hardware – End User Min (Y) Max (Y) Review Date
Desktop & Monitor 3 3 2 years after deployment
Laptop & Notebook 3 3 2 years after deployment
WorkStation 4 5 3 years after deployment
Tablet 1 2 Annual
Smartphone/Mobile 1 1 Annual
Scanner 3 3 2 years after deployment
Basic Printer/All In One 1 2 2 years after deployment
Projector 3 3 Annual
Smart Display 5 7 3 years after deployment

(Table 2: Hardware for Core Services and Infrastructure)

Hardware – End User Min (Y) Max (Y) Review Date
Servers 3 4 2 years after deployment
Storage 3 4 2 years after deployment
Network Devices 3 5 3 years after deployment
Security Appliance 3 3 Annual
Network Cabling 10 10 Subject to building condition
Avaya IP Telephone 5 7 4 years after deployment
Video Conference System 3 5 2 years after deployment

(Table 3: Software Management)

Software Min (Y) Max (Y) Review Date
Operating System 3 5 2 years after deployment
Websites 1 1 Annual
Hosted Services 1 2 Annual


B. Non-Standard IT Assets

Purchase requests for non-standard IT Assets should be directed to the IT Procurement & Contracts Department via email at itsupport@sslootah.com. It is important to note that non-standard IT Assets or those funded by grant, start-up, or departmental funds without coordination from IT will not be eligible for NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund and will be subject to the following support limitations:

  • 1 Hardware repairs will not be performed for non-standard IT Assets, as staff are certified and trained to only repair and configure HP, Dell and Apple models.
  • 2 Non-standard IT Assets may not be compatible with the College IT Asset infrastructure, so it is always best to consult with IT prior to making a non-standard IT Asset purchase.

C. Used IT Assets

The College promotes sustainability and reduces costs by reusing IT Assets, when appropriate. Used IT Assets will not be replaced with new IT Assets. Used IT Assets may be requested in the following situations:

  • 1. Shared-use workstation for presentations or basic office applications.
  • 2. Workstations for part-time staff.
  • 3. Temporary loaner workstations.

D. Lifecycle Replacement Eligibility

Eligible desktop and laptop workstations will be replaced through the centralized NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund for full-time faculty and staff members, provided that the following criteria are met:

  • 1. The current date must be on or after the workstation’s replacement eligibility date.
  • 2. The workstation must be currently listed in the IT Asset inventory and assigned as the primary workstation for a full-time College faculty or staff member.
  • 3. The new workstation must conform to a like-kind standard configuration (for example, an old Dell desktop may be replaced with a new Dell desktop, or an old HP laptop may be replaced with a new HP laptop, etc.). Customized workstation replacement requests or changes from one type of workstation to another type require justification and budget approval because the department will be charged for the difference in cost.

E. Lifecycle Replacement Ineligibility

Certain desktop and laptop workstations are not eligible for replacement through the centralized NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund:

  • 1. Non-standard IT Assets purchased through the Procurement & Contracts Department, without coordination from IT.
  • 2. All research workstations purchased solely with grant or start-up funds; 4. Workstations issued as used or loaner equipment.
  • 3. Secondary workstations that are kept after receiving a replacement (as justified and approved by the department).

F. Asset Transfer & Offboarding

On or before their last day of employment, departing faculty and staff members must return all DMC College-owned IT assets to HR or its designee. HR or its designee is responsible for ensuring that all College-owned IT assets are collected from the departing faculty or staff member and returned to IT for reallocation.

If College-owned IT assets are not returned prior to the last day of employment of the faculty or staff member, the faculty or staff member must either physically return or ship the IT Asset back to the department as soon as possible. Failure to return an IT Asset shall be deemed a conversion of DMC College property. The College may charge the faculty or staff member for the replacement cost of the IT Asset. The College may also commence legal proceedings against the faculty or staff member to recover the property. When faculty or staff members transfer between College departments, all IT Assets must remain with the original department.

G. Workstation Configuration

All standard and non-standard workstations must be configured to comply with the Information Technology Security Policies.

H. Lost, Stolen or Damaged IT Assets

The DMC does not ensure IT Assets for replacement if the IT Asset is lost, stolen, or damaged. If a College IT Asset is lost, stolen or damaged, it is critical that it be reported to the College IT as soon as possible. A replacement IT Asset will be assigned upon request; however, the assigned faculty or staff member’s department will be charged for the full cost of the replacement.

I. Enforcement

Any College faculty or staff member found in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

J. Effective Date And Revisions

This policy is effective on Jun 1, 2021. This policy was reviewed or revised on Agu 29, 2021.