Essence and definition of the category of enterprise inventories

The article examines the essence and role of enterprise inventories in the modern economic environment. The study aims to analyze, systematize, and generalize the existing approaches to defining the concept of “enterprise inventories”. The article explores the existing approaches to defining inventories, specifically their interpretation as enterprise assets, labor materials, and production resources. It is revealed that inventories are a crucial element in ensuring the continuity of production processes, stability of supply, and product realization, which, in turn, influences the economic efficiency of the enterprise. The study is based on the need for a comprehensive inventory management approach that considers the production requirements and the economic feasibility of storing resources. An analysis of regulatory legal acts governing the accounting and use of inventories in Ukraine is provided, including the Commercial Code and the National Accounting Standard, which helps ensure the accuracy of inventory accounting and preservation. It has also been identified that modern international accounting standards (IAS) contribute to harmonizing financial reporting for enterprises operating in the global market, enhancing business transparency and stability. An analysis of contemporary literature on the essence of inventories led to the conclusion that several approaches to their definition and classification exist. The first approach, accounting, considers inventories as enterprise assets with a specific value contributing to future income. The second approach, economics, interprets inventories as labor materials necessary for production processes and the operation of the enterprise. The third approach, production, emphasizes inventories as material resources of the enterprise used to produce goods and services. All these approaches are interconnected and complement each other, allowing a more comprehensive and detailed study of the role of inventories in enterprise activities. In the current study, inventories are understood as the material resources of an enterprise, which are at different stages of the production process or circulation, intended for future use in producing goods, provision of services, or for further sale. The study has identified the main directions for improving inventory management in a changing market environment, focusing on optimizing their volume and structure to ensure the effectiveness of the enterprise. Keywords: inventories, enterprise, enterprise inventories, management, economic efficiency, material resources, production.