Inventory Differences: An Evaluation Methodology

This paper discusses an evaluation methodology which is used~Tor inventory differences at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. It is recognized that there are various methods which can be, and are being, used to evaluate process inventory differences at DOE facilities. The purpose of this paper is to share our thoughts on the subject and our techniques with those who are responsible for the evaluation of inventory differences at their facility. The authors feel that one of the most dangerous aspects of any evaluation technique, especially one as complex as most inventory difference evaluations tend to be, is to fail to look at the tools being used as indicators. There is a tendency to look at the results of an evaluation by one technique as an absolute. At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, several tools are used and the final evaluation is based on a combination of the observed results of a many-faceted evaluation. The tools used and some examples will be presented.