Which evidence answers your question: the asset register or a physical inspection? Use them together when a recorded item and what someone observes disagree. A register describes the recorded position. An inspection records what was observed at a particular time. Neither alone establishes ownership, permitted use or permission to dispose.
Compare the Evidence
| Question | Asset register | Dated physical inspection |
|---|---|---|
| Which item? | Recorded asset identifier and description | Identifier and description actually observed; unreadable or inconsistent labels stay unresolved |
| Where and with whom? | Recorded location and custodian | Observed location and any reported custody; a person's presence does not establish assigned responsibility |
| What condition? | Recorded condition, if maintained, and its date | Condition observed within the check's stated limits; not a technical safety assessment |
| When? | Entry and supporting update dates | Observation date; says nothing definite about an earlier location |
| What if they disagree? | Trace supporting records before an authorized correction | Preserve the observation and exception; observation does not authorize a correction |
The register can be stale. An inspection can misidentify an item or miss an area. Agreement between them does not establish that the organization's whole inventory is complete.
Two Different Exceptions
This invented office case concerns only two observations, not a complete inventory.
A17: the register lists a projector in office North with custodian role O. A dated inspection identifies A17 in office South. No signed movement record is supplied. Record the location disagreement and missing movement evidence. Ask the local asset owner to check the identifier, actual custody and movement history. Do not silently replace North with South or infer that role O authorized a move.
L9: the inspector sees a laptop-like item absent from the supplied register. Acquisition and title evidence are missing. Preserve its provisional observation label L9 without entering it as an owned asset. The asset owner checks its identity, any loan or acquisition records and why it is present. An incomplete register, a borrowed item and an identification error remain possibilities; none is established.
Combine Without Erasing the Difference
Keep the original register position, dated observation, supporting references and unresolved question distinguishable. The asset owner checks the applicable policy and authority, assigns the next evidence check, and records any permitted correction with its basis. Choose checks under actual requirements and risk; this comparison sets no inspection schedule.
For an original working record, use the movement and custody template. An order and invoice discrepancy is a different task. Custody evidence also does not establish a working service system.
Sources and Scope
CC8 section 8.1, updated November 27, 2024, covers asset records and physical checks for England and Wales charities. UNFPA's June 3, 2026 policy, paragraphs 66-71, illustrates custody, location and movement controls for its own assets and personnel. The US GWSCPA Fixed Assets page, April 30, 2023, discusses documentation and inventory. ACNC's undated record list includes asset registers for Australian charities. All four were checked November 1, 2026. Their institution-specific rules, schedules and forms are not adopted here. The comparison, exception handling and case are OpenAid teaching design.