Abstract: An inventory system has an application engine for entering and validating data relating to an asset. The system also has a first inventory tool for automatically gathering data from a memory in the asset and storing it in a database within the inventory tool. The application engine stores the entered data in the database and merges it with the automatically gathered data there. The system also has a second inventory tool having a second database and is also adapted to perform an inventory function not available in the first tool. The application engine maps the merged data in the first inventory tool into the second database, thereby allowing one to perform the inventory function on the merged data.