Sometimes the value of inventory drops below its original cost. Consider a cellphone. It could be worth quite a bit upon release, but a couple of years later? It will be worth a tiny fraction of its original cost, because newer, better things are available. Similarly, other items expire. Consider a pallet of fresh food. The longer it's in inventory, the less desirable (and valuable) it becomes.
So how do we adjust the value of inventory to adjust for these changes? We have two popular systems to choose from: Lower of Cost or Net Realizable Value.
The rule of thumb is that LCM is the default option, unless it's a US company that uses the LIFO or the retail inventory method.
Here's what you know: