RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS (Policies)	3 Months Ended
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS (Policies)	Oct. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting	The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of a normal recurring nature) considered necessary for fair presentation have been included. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes for the year ended July 31, 2019, which are contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 15, 2019. The results for the three months ended October 31, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Consolidation	All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which supersedes the previous guidance for lease accounting, Leases (Topic 840). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize leases on their balance sheets (through right-of-use ("ROU") assets and lease liabilities). The Company adopted the provisions of Topic 842 on August 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective approach and the option presented under ASU 2018-11 to transition only active leases as of the August 1, 2019 adoption date, with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded as of that date. All comparative periods prior to August 1, 2019 retain the financial reporting and disclosure requirements of Topic 840. The Company elected to utilize the transition package of practical expedients permitted under Topic 842, which, among other things, allowed the Company to carry forward the historical lease classification. Additionally, the Company made an accounting policy election to exempt short-term leases (with an initial term of 12 months or less) from the provisions of Topic 842, which resulted in recognition of the related lease payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term, consistent with prior treatment under Topic 840. The Company did not elect the "hindsight" practical expedient when determining the lease terms under Topic 842. Adoption of Topic 842 resulted in the recording of ROU operating lease assets and corresponding operating lease liabilities of $51.1 million and $53.1 million, respectively, as of August 1, 2019. The difference between the ROU assets and the lease liabilities represents the existing deferred rent balance (under Topic 840), which was reduced to zero, net of prepaids, upon adoption of Topic 842 on August 1, 2019. The adoption of Topic 842 did not materially impact the Company's net earnings and had no impact on its cash flows. The Company's current lease arrangements expire through 2030. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This new standard was created to simplify the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees. This standard provides guidance on how to account for share-based payment transactions with nonemployees in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in the grantor's own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. The amendments in ASU 2018-07 are effective for the Company's 2020 fiscal year. The adoption of the accounting standard did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The amendments in ASU 2018-13 are effective for the Company's fiscal year 2021, except that the standard permits an entity to early adopt any removed or modified disclosures upon issuance of ASU 2018-13 and delay adoption of the additional disclosures until the effective date. Because ASU 2018-13 affects disclosure only, the Company does not expect that the full adoption of this standard will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Compensation-Retirement Benefits-Defined Benefit Plans-General (Subtopic 715-20): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. ASU 2018-14 modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension and other post-retirement plans. The amendments in ASU 2018-14 are effective for the Company's fiscal year 2022. Because ASU 2018-14 affects disclosure only, the Company does not expect that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). The amendments in ASU 2018-15 are effective for the Company's fiscal year 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of this new guidance.
Intangible Assets	The trademarks and tradenames intangible asset are being amortized on a straight line basis over a 3 years estimated useful life. The customer relationship intangible asset is being amortized on a double-declining basis over an estimated useful life of 15 years. Intangible assets deemed to have finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives, where the useful life is the period over which the asset is expected to contribute directly, or indirectly, to its future cash flows. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment on an interim basis when certain events or circumstances exist. For amortizable intangible assets, impairment exists when the carrying amount of the intangible asset exceeds its fair value. At least annually, the remaining useful life is evaluated.
Goodwill	The Company conducts its goodwill impairment test on June 30, of each fiscal year. In addition, if and when events or circumstances change that could reduce the fair value of any of its reporting units below its carrying value, an interim test is performed. In making this assessment, the Company relies on a number of factors including operating results, business plans, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows, and transactions and marketplace data.
Inventory Impairment	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined by both moving averages and the first-in, first-out methods. We continuously monitor inventory balances and record inventory provisions for any excess of the cost of the inventory over its estimated net realizable value. We also monitor inventory balances for obsolescence and excess quantities as compared to projected demands. Our inventory methodology is based on assumptions about average shelf life of inventory, forecasted volumes, forecasted selling prices, contractual provisions with our clients, write-down history of inventory and market conditions. While such assumptions may change from period to period, in determining the net realizable value of our inventories, we use the best information available as of the balance sheet date. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected, or we experience a higher incidence of inventory obsolescence because of rapidly changing technology and client requirements, additional inventory provisions may be required. Once established, write-downs of inventory are considered permanent adjustments to the cost basis of inventory and cannot be reversed due to subsequent increases in demand forecasts. Materials that ModusLink typically procures on behalf of its clients that are included in inventory include materials such as compact discs, printed materials, manuals, labels, hardware accessories, hard disk drives, phone chassis, consumer packaging, shipping boxes and labels, power cords and cables for client-owned electronic devices. IWCO's inventory consists primarily of raw material (paper) used to produce direct mail packages and work-in-process; finished goods are generally not a significant element of the inventory as they are generally mailed after the production and sorting process.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	ASC Topic 820 provides that fair value is an exit price, representing the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants based on the highest and best use of the asset or liability. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. ASC Topic 820 requires the Company to use valuation techniques to measure fair value that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are prioritized as follows: Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets Level 2: Other inputs that are observable directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities or market-corroborated inputs Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data and which require the Company to develop its own assumptions about how market participants would price the assets or liabilities The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, accounts payable, current liabilities and the revolving line of credit approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments. We believe that the carrying value of our long-term debt approximates fair value because the stated interest rates of this debt is consistent with current market rates. The carrying value of capital lease obligations approximates fair value, as estimated by using discounted future cash flows based on the Company's current incremental borrowing rates for similar types of borrowing arrangements. The defined benefit plans have their assets invested in insurance contracts and other assets. Conservation of capital with some conservative growth potential is the strategy for the plans. The Company's pension plans are outside the United States, where asset allocation decisions are typically made by an independent board of trustees. Investment objectives are aligned to generate returns that will enable the plans to meet their future obligations. The Company acts in a consulting and governance role in reviewing investment strategy and providing a recommended list of investment managers for each plan, with final decisions on asset allocation and investment manager made by local trustees.