Many natural resource based companies undertake inventories of their stockpiles of stone, lumber and waste deposits for the evaluation of the economic, environmental and social impact on their organisation or the community. Traditionally, volumes have been calculated by ground survey methods. Whereas these methods are acceptable, they are generally labour intensive and may not be suitable for active sites, since work has to be stopped while the survey is in progress. However, new softcopy photogrammetric techniques developed by SANI-ITA using conventional and non-conventional aerial platforms permit volume computations to be attained with minimum field effort, lower cost and higher accuracy over traditional aerial methods. It also provides flexibility in the use of the processed data so that managers are better able to visualise their inventory while undertaking other applications that may include the generation of cross sections and contours.