Amazon Revamps Inventory Reporting System

Amazon is replacing six existing inventory reports with the new Inventory Ledger. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the new report's structure, types, and data logic. It also offers strategies for finance professionals to adapt to the changes. The goal is to help sellers better manage their inventory, improve operational efficiency, and gain a clearer understanding of their stock levels through enhanced data insights. The new ledger aims to streamline inventory tracking and provide a more comprehensive view of inventory performance.
Amazon Revamps Inventory Reporting System

For years, experienced Amazon sellers have dedicated countless hours each month to piecing together inventory status from six separate reports. Now, Amazon is declaring this cumbersome practice obsolete. Effective September 30, the familiar "Daily Inventory History," "Monthly Inventory History," and four other legacy reports will be retired, replaced by a single comprehensive solution: the Inventory Ledger .

Part 1: The End of an Era - Amazon's Inventory Reporting Evolution

Previously, sellers relied on six distinct reports to track inventory movements—a time-consuming and inefficient process. Amazon's new Inventory Ledger consolidates all critical data into one unified platform, streamlining inventory management by centralizing previously fragmented information.

The following reports will be discontinued effective January 31, 2023:

  • Daily Inventory History
  • Monthly Inventory History
  • Inventory Event Detail
  • Inventory Adjustments
  • Inventory Reconciliation
  • Received Inventory

These reports previously served essential functions for FBA warehouse management, including inventory accounting and shipment verification. Their retirement necessitates swift adaptation to new data analysis methods.

Part 2: The Inventory Ledger - Your New Financial Statement for Stock

The Inventory Ledger functions as a comprehensive bank statement for inventory. It tracks:

  • Beginning inventory balances
  • Received inventory quantities
  • Customer order volumes
  • Returned merchandise
  • Reconciliation adjustments
  • Removal quantities
  • Ending balances

This end-to-end visibility enables sellers to monitor every inventory movement—from inbound shipments to customer returns and warehouse adjustments. Key capabilities include:

  • Analyzing fulfillment center inflows/outflows (sales, returns, removals, disposals, damaged/lost/found items)
  • Accessing 18 months of historical inventory movement data for trend analysis and issue resolution

Part 3: Accessing the Inventory Ledger

Sellers can locate the new report through this path:

Reports → Inventory and Sales Reports → Inventory Ledger

Note: Daily data may take up to three days to appear in reports. For complete monthly data, download after the 5th of the following month.

Part 4: Three Views for Comprehensive Analysis

The Inventory Ledger offers three distinct perspectives:

  1. Country-Level View : Shows aggregate inventory data by product and country/region
  2. Fulfillment Center View : Provides warehouse-specific beginning/ending balances and inventory movements
  3. Detailed View : Tracks every inventory adjustment per SKU at fulfillment centers

Part 5: Data Analysis - Summary vs. Detailed Views

The Summary View organizes data by SKU and inventory attributes (sellable, customer-damaged, carrier-damaged, warehouse-damaged, expired, distributor-damaged, defective). It follows this calculation:

Ending Inventory = Beginning Inventory + Transfers + Received - Fulfilled + Returns - Removals ± Reconciliation - Disposals = Next Month's Beginning Inventory

The Detailed View records every inventory action with metadata including action type, quantity, location, country, and inventory attributes. Pivoting this data yields results consistent with the Summary View, confirming data integrity.

Part 6: Financial Team Adaptation Strategies

Finance professionals should implement these adjustments:

  1. Master the new report's structure and data logic
  2. Modify analysis tools and workflows to accommodate the new format
  3. Implement enhanced verification procedures for data accuracy
  4. Leverage insights to optimize inventory management strategies

Part 7: Conclusion - Transformation as Opportunity

Amazon's reporting evolution presents both challenges and advantages. Sellers who proficiently utilize the Inventory Ledger will gain operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and strengthen competitive positioning in the marketplace.