What is the primary purpose of taking inventory upon receiving items?

The primary purpose of taking inventory upon receiving items is to ensure secure storage. This action serves to check that the items received match the order and are accounted for before they are stored away. By maintaining an accurate inventory, a facility can easily track its items, prevent loss, and ensure that they are stored properly until needed.

While documenting ownership is an important aspect of inventory management, the immediate focus upon receiving items is more about securing and verifying their presence. Assessing item value can be a part of inventory management, but it is usually not done at the moment of receipt. Maintaining chain of custody is crucial in legal contexts or for items that require strict tracking, but that concept is typically applied during transportation or handling, rather than upon receipt. Thus, ensuring secure storage is the most direct purpose of taking inventory at that moment.