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Inventory in logistics

What is an inventory?

What are the assets of a company? What are the debts? During an inventory, the assets and liabilities of a company are recorded at the end of an acquisition. A list of the items recorded is documented in an inventory list, which forms part of the annual financial statements. What sounds so clear and simple here is not quite so easy, especially for trading companies and the manufacturing industry. This is because it is somewhat more difficult to provide evidence of all assets, especially tangible assets. While licenses, property rights or receivables can be verified by means of a book inventory, tangible assets must be determined by counting, weighing or measuring.

What inventory procedures are there?

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Various inventory types can be used to obtain a detailed inventory of all existing stocks and assets.

The physical inventory
A physical inventory involves counting, measuring, or weighing all items that are physically present – whether computers, printers, handheld terminals, or pencils. If the items are small parts in large quantities, an estimate is often permissible, especially if the effort required for an exact count would be too great and uneconomical.

The Book Inventory
This section focuses on financial accounting. Everything that can be determined from documents, bank statements, receipts, balance sheets, or invoices—whether receivables, payables, or bank balances—is recorded through the book inventory.

The asset inventory
During the fixed asset inventory, the company’s fixed asset register is consulted. It contains precise information about the value of the operating and business equipment, the vehicle fleet, or machinery.

It is important that the respective asset is precisely described and that information such as acquisition or production costs, useful life, balance sheet value on the balance sheet date, annual depreciation and the date of acquisition and disposal are precisely documented.

The four inventory types

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1. The inventory on the cut-off date
The classic type of inventory, in which the inventory of a company’s assets and liabilities is compiled on a specific date, at the end of a reporting period.

2. The sample inventory
In a sampling inventory, random samples are taken to obtain a representative selection of the stock. These samples are then extrapolated to the total stock. This type of inventory is carried out using recognized mathematical and statistical methods such as mean estimation.

3. The perpetual inventory
A perpetual inventory can be carried out if a stock ledger and documentation of incoming and outgoing goods are available. However, it is necessary that a physical inventory be conducted at least once a year and a reconciliation be made between the target stock level recorded in the stock ledger and the actual stock level.

4. The pre- or post-calendar inventory
If it is not possible to conduct an inventory on the designated balance sheet date, a pre- or post-balance sheet inventory may be used. The basic requirement is that a physical inventory must take place within three months before or two months after the balance sheet date.

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proLogistik Holding GmbH
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Tel.: +41 (0) 44 200 40-00
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FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Inventory Solutions

Inventory takes refers to the systematic counting of goods or merchandise—that is, comparing the quantities recorded in the system with the actual inventory.

Manual processes without real-time data often result in delayed inventory counts, a lack of transparency, and a significant amount of work—especially when inventory levels are growing or product lines are changing.

A digital inventory solution enables continuous tracking of inventory movements, real-time inventory management, process digitization, and cross-location transparency—with the goal of reducing errors and keeping inventory under control at all times.

In particular, companies with high inventory turnover, multiple warehouse locations, e-commerce or manufacturing processes, as well as those looking to streamline their inventory management, benefit from digital solutions.

Perpetual inventory allows for ongoing inventory management with continuous documentation of additions and removals. This provides a reliable picture of inventory levels without relying on a single reporting date.

A successful digital inventory solution requires reliable inventory management, interfaces to warehouse and merchandise management systems, and a consistent database. Without this integration, its effectiveness is severely limited.

Technologies such as barcode and RFID scanning, mobile devices, real-time dashboards, and cloud-based systems simplify inventory management, reduce manual errors, and provide transparency across all warehouse movements.

Digital systems help prevent erroneous manual entries, delayed data entry, a lack of transparency, or a lack of process discipline—which leads to more accurate inventory levels and fewer discrepancies.

The implementation should be carried out in a structured manner: beginning with an analysis of the processes, the selection of appropriate technology, employee training, and a scalable implementation. Regular monitoring and optimization are important throughout this process.