Stocktaking is performed for the purposes: to examine the receiving/issuing statuses of inventory, to check the quantity and quality, to grasp precisely the asset assemblies; determine whether or not the control status is appropriate, to make it more proper. Inventory clearance simultaneously performed for all items at a time at some point is called Periodic Stocktaking or Simultaneous Stocktaking. In contrast, a method where a certain period such as every day or once every three days is defined in advance, and the inventory check is performed in turn is called Cycle Counting. In addition, the inventory clearance performed by actually counting the quantity of inventory goods in a warehouse is called Stocktaking of Spot Goods, and the inventory check based on the inventory label or inventory record on the ledger sheet is called Book Inventory.  In contrast to such Warehouse Stocktaking, the inventory clearance  for items in process and subcontractors' is called In Process Stocktaking, in which the goods are so frequently entered or taken out of a warehouse, and thus the method of Cycle Counting is not suitable as it is difficult to grasp its status accurately. Thus in this case Simultaneous Stocktaking is employed.

Generally speaking, inventory check is performed for all items in a warehouse at a time once or twice a period. However there are cases e.g. where for the items ranked as C by ABC Analysis once or twice every period is enough, but for the items ranked as A should be checked more frequently, in response to which a method called Cycle Counting is attracting many companies these days. In the Cycle Counting, more emphasis is placed on higher value items of A, while less time and attention are given for C items (a negligent control).