Now we know simplistically that assets are good, and liabilities are bad.

现在我们简单地知道，资产是好的，负债是坏的。

Companies are always seeking to maximize their assets; they want to have as many assets as possible.

公司总是寻求资产最大化，他们想要尽可能多的资产。

And they try and minimize their liabilities.

而且他们试图将负债降至最低。

So, inventory is shown on the balance sheet of the company, as an asset. It has value; so therefore, the more inventory a company owns, the more assets it has on its balance sheet.

因此，库存作为资产显示在公司的资产负债表上，它有价值。因此，公司拥有的库存越多，其资产负债表上的资产就越多。

So why don't companies maximize their inventories.

那么，公司为什么不最大化他们的库存呢？

Well, if you have a simple choice between three assets, which would you rather have? Would you rather have, inventory, accounts receivable, or cash?

如果您可以在三种资产之间进行简单的选择，您会选择哪一种？您想要库存、应收账款还是现金？

Most companies prefer cash. The problem with inventory is it's two steps away from cash.

大多数公司更喜欢现金。库存的问题在于它离现金只有两步之遥。

Firstly, you have to sell it, and then you have to collect on the accounts receivable. Inventory that you do not sell becomes a liability.

首先，你必须出售它，然后你必须收回应收账款。未售出的库存将成为负债。

Now, the new rules of inventory. Inventory is an asset, if it is moving towards a customer who has an order for it. If there's an actual customer order, and it's in motion towards that customer, you could consider it to be an asset in transit on its way to that customer.

现在，库存的新规则：如果库存正在流向有订单的客户，那么它就是一种资产；如果存在实际的客户订单，并且该订单正在发往该客户，就可以将其视为运往该客户的在途资产。

Inventory that is not moving or slow moving is at risk, as is in danger of becoming obsolete. Most companies have a problem with overloaded warehouses expiring products Plus they have excess and obsolete inventory write offs. They're throwing stuff away or they're getting six cents on the dollar, if they’re selling the product for scrap value instead of selling it for the value that it was supposed to be sold at when it was shown on the books of the company. Often, companies will seek to sell the excess and obsolete inventory for a fraction of the price that they pay for it. Inventory costs money to purchase, to store, and to retain and it has no value until it is sold.

不流动或流动缓慢的库存面临风险，因为有过期的风险。大多数公司都面临仓库超负荷、产品过期的问题，此外，他们还存在库存过剩和过期库存的清理问题。他们要么扔掉东西，要么只得到六美分，如果他们以废品价格出售产品，而不是以公司账簿上显示的应有售价出售产品。通常，公司会寻求以他们支付的价格的一小部分出售过剩和过时的库存。库存需要购买、存储和保留，并且在出售之前没有任何价值。

And then you can put an asset value on it because it has been sold as an account receivable, which you can collect. But the problem is that inventory, that is unsold is a questionable asset and a potential liability.

然后你可以赋予它资产价值，因为它已经作为应收账款出售，你可以收集。但问题是，未售出的库存是一种可疑的资产和潜在的负债。