Ledgers, the foundation of accounting, are as ancient as writing and money. Their medium has been clay, wooden tally sticks (that were a fire hazard), stone, papyrus and paper. Once computers ...

Those tally sticks, by the way, met an unfortunate end. The system was finally abolished and replaced by paper ledgers in 1834 after decades of attempts to modernise. Alamy ...

Tally, considered to be the world’s first technologically advanced inventory robot, travels around the store while collecting shelf data to ensure products are stocked, shelved and priced correctly.