Inventarisation

Inventarisation is the systematic process of creating a comprehensive catalogue or inventory of items, assets, or resources within an organization or jurisdiction. The aim is to establish what exists, where it is located, and in what condition, to support financial reporting, asset management, risk control, and planning. The term is used in business, government, and non-profit sectors and can refer to physical stock or information assets.

Scope and contexts: In business, inventarisation often equates to asset inventory or stocktaking and may cover equipment, machinery, vehicles, inventory items, and software licenses. In IT, it encompasses hardware, software, and data assets. In libraries or museums, it refers to cataloguing collections. Governments may conduct national or municipal inventories of natural resources or public infrastructure.

Process: Common steps include defining scope and ownership, planning the inventory, collecting data through physical counts or automated scans (barcodes, RFID), validating and reconciling with existing records, updating registers, tagging items, and producing reports. Some organisations perform cyclic counting to distribute the effort over time rather than a one-off full inventory.

Tools and techniques: Asset management software, ERP and financial systems, barcode/RFID technology, and mobile data collection. Best practices emphasize accuracy, clear responsibility, segregation of duties, regular reconciliation, documentation, and periodic audits or external verification.

Outcomes and challenges: Benefits include improved asset visibility, control of losses, accurate depreciation and budgeting, maintenance planning, and compliance with reporting standards. Challenges include incomplete counts, undocumented transfers, obsolescence, theft, and data quality issues that require ongoing governance.

See also stocktaking, asset management, inventory management, asset register.