Inventarliste

Before old notebooks, monitors or servers leave the building, almost always the same request comes: "Send us a list of the devices." The inventory list is the document on which valuation, pickup, erasure proof and accounting depend. This glossary entry explains what an inventory list is, what information belongs in it and what a good device list for IT decommissioning looks like.

What is an inventory list?

An inventory list records what is actually present in a company, a department or a warehouse. The term comes from bookkeeping: under § 240 HGB, merchants must draw up an inventory at the start of their trade and at the end of each financial year, i.e. a directory of their assets and liabilities. The physical stocktaking for this is called inventory count.

In everyday IT, the inventory list usually means something more practical. It lists the hardware of a company or a particular batch, often as a table from an inventory or asset management system. For decommissioning it is also called a device list or asset list. How a company records its stock on an ongoing basis is described in the entry IT inventory.

Why companies need an inventory list

• Overview and planning: How many devices of what age are in use, and when is the next replacement due?
• Accounting: Fixed assets are kept in the Fixed asset register . The inventory list helps to write off disposals correctly.
• Data protection: Anyone who knows which devices contain data carriers can track each one individually through to erasure.
• Sale: For a reliable quote, a buyer needs model, equipment and condition, not just a quantity.
• Evidence: Erasure and destruction certificates name serial numbers. Only with a list can they be matched to your own stock.

This information belongs in an inventory list

A template for the inventory list does not have to be complicated. A spreadsheet with fixed columns is enough. What matters is that each row describes exactly one device.

Column	Example	What for?
Device category	Notebook, desktop, monitor, smartphone, server	Rough sorting, logistics planning
Manufacturer and model	Manufacturer, exact model designation	Valuation and spare parts question
Serial number	from the nameplate or from the system	Unique identity, reconciliation with proof
Asset tag / inventory number	internal identifier	Assignment to your own stock and to accounting
Equipment	Processor, memory, storage size, screen size	Influence on the residual value
Data carrier	Number and type (HDD, SSD), if applicable own serial number	Planning of erasure or destruction
Condition	functional, signs of use, defective	Valuation, decision on reuse or recycling
Accessories	Power adapter, docking station	Completeness for resale
Blocking	BIOS password, MDM binding, Activation Lock	Locked devices are hard to reuse
Site	Address, building, room	Plan the pickup

Not every column is needed for every project. For a first overview, category, manufacturer, model and quantity are enough. For proof and the chain of custody, however, the serial number is indispensable.

Inventory list for decommissioning: what matters

For decommissioning, the list fulfills two tasks. In advance, it is the basis for the quote. The more precisely model, equipment and condition are described, the more reliable the estimate of the residual value. Later it is the target list for the reconciliation: every serial number must be found again in goods receipt and in the erasure or destruction proof.

Common weak points are missing serial numbers, catch-all lines such as "40 monitors, various" and forgotten data carriers, such as removed hard drives in a box. Devices that are still bound to a management system or locked by password should also be marked. What else to consider when selling older computers is shown by the guide Selling used PCs. For leased devices it is worth looking at Lease return: return or buy out.

Example: device list for a site relocation

A simplified example: a company relocates a site and wants to decommission 80 desktop PCs, 80 monitors and 6 servers in the process.

1. IT exports the devices from the inventory system and adds missing serial numbers by looking at the nameplate.
2. For the servers, the number of installed hard drives is noted; for the PCs, the type of data carrier.
3. Twelve monitors with visible damage are marked "defective", three PCs "BIOS password set".
4. The list goes to the service provider. The quote and pickup planning are based on it.
5. After completion, IT reconciles the erasure and destruction proof with the list and reports the disposals to accounting.

The list has thus served four departments: IT, purchasing, data protection and accounting.

Inventory list at Second IT

At Second IT, every project begins with your device list. A quote is produced from it, on average within 48 hours. As part of the Consulting bietet Second IT eine Bestandsanalyse und eine Marktbewertung mit datenbankgestützter Preisermittlung an. Bei der Abholung sorgt die eigene Sicherheitslogistik für Direktfahrten ohne Zwischenlager, GPS-Überwachung und verplombte Behälter.

At goods receipt, every device is checked for storage media and registered by serial number. This allows the delivered quantity to be reconciled with your list. After erasure with Blancco, each device receives a digitally signed erasure certificate. Audit reports and live tracking are available in the customer portal.

Distinction from related terms

The Fixed asset register is an accounting register with acquisition costs and depreciation. The inventory list, by contrast, describes the devices themselves. The IT inventory is the ongoing process, the inventory list its result on a reporting date. An Asset tag is the label on the device, the Serial number is the manufacturer's identifier. Both belong as columns in the list.

Frequently asked questions about the inventory list

Is there a template for an inventory list?

A simple table is enough. The columns category, manufacturer, model, serial number, inventory number or asset tag, equipment, data carriers, condition, locks and location have proven their worth. What matters is one row per device.

Is an inventory list required by law?

Merchants must draw up an inventory under § 240 HGB. For movable fixed assets, tax law also requires an inventory register. A device list for decommissioning is not expressly required, but it is the simplest way to keep proof for data protection and accounting. This entry does not replace tax advice.

Is a quantity enough instead of a list with serial numbers?

For a first price indication often yes. Not for the proof: erasure and destruction certificates name serial numbers. Without a list you cannot check whether a proof exists for every device.

How do I record serial numbers quickly?

Fastest via an inventory or management system that reads the serial numbers from the devices. Otherwise barcode scanners at the nameplate help. For servers, the serial numbers of the installed hard drives should also be recorded if these are handled separately.

What is the difference between an inventory list and a fixed asset register?

The fixed asset register is an accounting register with acquisition costs and depreciation. The inventory list, by contrast, describes the devices themselves, for example with model, serial number, condition and location. The two complement each other if you want to write off disposals correctly.