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# How to keep an IT asset inventory accurate
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/keep-an-it-asset-inventory-accurate/
- Published: 2026-09-16T18:54:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T18:54:54.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

An **IT asset inventory** stays accurate only when it is updated by the events that change it. In **Jestor**, assignment, return and disposal are processes that write to the asset record, so the inventory is a byproduct of those events rather than a periodic reconstruction.

## Why inventories are accurate for one week a year

A count is performed, the spreadsheet is corrected, and from that moment it degrades. Equipment moves between people, machines are replaced, and none of those events updates the file.

The next count finds the same gaps, and everyone concludes that inventories are simply hard.

What event driven updating fixes:

- An inventory accurate only immediately after a count
- Equipment assigned to people who left
- No history of who held a device
- Warranty and replacement dates unknown
- Purchases made because nobody could find the spare

## Events that must update the record

| Event      | What it changes    | Where it originates   |
| ---------- | ------------------ | --------------------- |
| Purchase   | Asset created      | Purchasing process    |
| Assignment | Current holder     | Onboarding or request |
| Return     | Back to stock      | Offboarding           |
| Repair     | Status and history | Maintenance           |
| Disposal   | Asset retired      | Disposal process      |
| Transfer   | Location or unit   | Internal movement     |

## Step by step to build it

1. **Create the assets registry**, one record per item with its identifier.
2. **Connect assets to people**, so the holder is a relation rather than text.
3. **Write the assignment from the onboarding process**, not manually.
4. **Include return in offboarding**, which is where inventories usually break.
5. **Record repairs on the asset**, building its history.
6. **Track warranty and replacement dates** with alerts.
7. **Count periodically to verify**, not to rebuild.

## Why offboarding is the step that decides accuracy

Assignment gets recorded because someone needs equipment and asks. Return gets skipped because nobody is blocked by it. Making the asset return a mandatory item on the offboarding checklist is the single change that keeps an inventory accurate over years.

## Why choose Jestor

In **Jestor**, assets are records connected to people, onboarding and offboarding checklists can write to them automatically, repairs accumulate as history on the asset, warranty dates trigger alerts, and the history view shows who changed what and when.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why does the inventory drift after a count?

Because the events that change it do not update the record. See [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### Which event is most often missed?

Return at offboarding, since nobody is blocked by skipping it.

### Should counts still be performed?

Yes, to verify the record rather than to rebuild it.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way, all without code and powered by **AI**. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.