Questions on all standard forms

e Included only on forms for establishments providing enterprise support (previously termed auxiliary establishment).
¹ Asked for establishments in the Annual Survey of Manufactures sample only.
² Not included for small establishments receiving the MC-30000 form
³ Detail varies by form
⁴ Item title varies by form
⁵ Item on selected forms only

10. Inventories

Inventories provide a measure of the amount of output that remains stored with the producer, which in turn allows computation of the amount of output entering consumption channels. The inventory data obtained by the census provides the "benchmark" used in the subsequent five years for annual and monthly estimates of inventories.

Changes in business inventories are one component (often the most volatile component) of total business investment in the the National Income Product Accounts, including the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). These data are a critical performance barometer of the U.S.'s economic health. These data form a basis for decisions such as the Federal Reserve Board's overnight lending rate, affecting interest rates for the public and private sectors. Private investment decisions such as whether or not to invest also are influenced heavily by this measure.

The difference between beginnning- and end-of-year inventories is used in the calculation of value added and gross margin.

11. Inventory Valuation

To make sure that inventory figures are consistently interpreted across companies, the method of valuation is determined for end-of-year inventories. Adjustments are made to the GDP inventory data, where inventory valuation changes have occurred.

Assets, capital expenditures, and depreciation are key components in estimation of the Nation's stock of tangible wealth -- often referred to as the "capital stock." The level of this stock is an important determinant of the flow of capital services available to national production. Estimates of the stock are used in calculations of "capital consumption allowances" that enter into GDP estimation.

The capital investment data also are used in computing labor and capital productivity -- important variables for measuring cyclic and long-term trends.

13. Rental Payments

Rental and lease payments allow consistent measurement of assets and capital expenditures. Many firms have found it to their advantage to lease, rather than own, their equipment and land. These questions form a basis for computing a consistent measure of capital investment, whether or not a company owns or leases its equipment or land.

Lease payments for mineral properties are used in computing a consistent measure of capital investment, whether or not a company owns or leases its properties.

Expenses are used to compute value added -- a measure used of the net output of an establishment's activity. Expenses are subtracted from the gross output (e.g., value of shipments) to ensure consistent measurement of value added for establishments with similar levels of output but different levels of inputs (i.e., supplies used and expenses). Value added is the principle measure of output for the National Income Accounts, which provide the basis for measuring the U.S.'s economic activity.

Specific expenses and the costs of specific materials, parts, and supplies are used in the construction of input/output tables that form the cornerstone of the National Income and Product Accounts.

This item obtains information about the business to assist in classifying the establishment by industry according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), and, in some cases, to provide additional detail beyond that required by NAICS.

Where there are substantial dissimilarities in operating characteristics of establishments within the an industry classification, more informative statistics can be published by taking into account the operating characteristics of establishments. For example, an integrated steel mill, using ore and coke inputs, is quite different from one which simply uses scrap metal as its raw material.

19. Class of Customer

Differentiation of sales to businesses and consumers is critical to the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the determination of the national income and product accounts. Detailed categories of class of customer vary from form to form.

20. Method of Selling

Method of selling is used to help differentiate establishments that may be in wholesale trade or retail trade.

This item is included on "Enterprise Support " forms in Sectors 48-49, 51, 54, 56 and 81; as well as on one form for Sector 55. The responses assist in classifying enterprise support establishments based on the industry of the other establishments within the enterprise/company that they provide services to. This information is used to produce tabulations that more accurately link inputs and outputs at broad industry levels.

24. Shipping and Handling

This item is used to verify that shipping and handling charges were included in sales and receipts.

25. Exported Services

The purpose of the item is to measure the level of exported goods and services for service industries and mining. This information is intended to complement the detailed statistics on the export of merchandise as reported based on customs data.

The special inquiries vary from industry to industry. Most are responsive to particular needs articulated by other government agencies and by trade associations.

28. Supply Chain Activities

The "supply chain" is the series of activities and processes among manufacturers, wholesalers, transportation firms, retailers, and their customers, as products and services are distributed through the economy.

Supply chain activities enable businesses to operate much more efficiently. Understanding these activities -- who uses them and who performs them -- will allow better understanding of productivity increases in our nation's economy. Better supply chain information will allow data users who construct input/output tables to identify shifting associations of inputs and outputs, and varying combinations of outputs associated with specific industries.

Knowledge of which businesses are performing various supply chain activities is also important in deciding what information can be collected from which respondents -- to help target questions to the most relevant respondents and thereby reducing burden on other respondents.