In today’s world, the logistical support goes beyond the typical forward logistics and includes product recall, product disposal, and product recycling too. All the remanufacturing and refurbishing activities can be incorporated in the definition of reverse logistics.

Reverse logistics management covers the procedures which are associated with the return, maintenance, repair, dismantling and even recycling of products and their materials. It includes the reversal of the running products through the supply chain so that maximum value can be attained.

In 1992, James R. Stock for the very first time used the term reverse logistics in a white paper titled with the same name. It was in 1998 when the concept was further explained and refined by him in the book “Development and Implementation of Reverse Logistics Programs”.

Since then, reverse logistics management has not only been considered an attractive process for businesses to follow but a necessity. Especially as sectors such as online retail grows and the fact that customers are now budget-conscious and will return products they aren’t happy with.

Usually, logistics deals with the events which bring the product to the customers whereas, in reverse logistics, the resource or the product need to go back at least one step to reach the client. It is important to note that even if the product has to go back only one step, there can be many processes involved to make that happen.

Processes of Reverse Logistics Management

There are numerous aftermarket processes through which a product goes in reverse logistics. These include:

Remanufacturing

The product is rebuilt by using parts which are either repaired, reused, or can be new too. This is done to provide an enhanced life to the product.

Refurbishment

The resale of a product which has been repaired and is now in a condition as good as new comes under refurbishment.

Servicing

This is a comprehensive category and includes field service, customer service, and issuance of return merchandise authorisation for product returns in it.

Return Management

When the products are returned because of any issue or defect, they are taken care of through this process.

Recycling and Waste Management

When a product reaches its life or becomes defected due to any reason then instead of just disposing of it, the materials can be utilised for the development of another product.

Warranty Warehouse

When the products in warranty are returned due to any minor or major defect, the warranty is managed through reverse logistics. The flaw is fixed, and the product is returned to the customer, or in some severe cases, replaced with a new product.

Warehouse Management

The management of the warehouse where all the remanufacturing and repairing takes place is also carried out under reverse logistics management. As seamless reverse logistics management process will also create a well-organised and ordered warehouse, which works seamlessly to offer goods out, goods in and goods under review, repair, re-testing and repackaging.

Importance of Reverse Logistics

The most important question here is why is it important for retailers to deal with reverse logistics? This is because this helps them in improving their customer service and provide better response times to them. The manufacturers are able to reduce their environmental impact and bring a positive change to the overall corporate environment.

In a system where logistics is used, it is vital that reverse logistics is incorporated into the planning and process creation, as without reverse logistics, you can’t have an effective, operational logistics program.

Here are the benefits which organisations can reap through reverse logistics management:

Profitable and Efficient Business

Through better planning, effective management, and skilled execution, the process of reverse logistics tends to become profitable for the businesses. Because of generous return policies, the retailers might order a greater stock, and in the same way, customers will be buying more products too. This is because retailers know that the company will help them if there is something wrong with the product or if they are not comfortable using it.

Good Image for the Customers

If a company is ready to offer return and exchange policy, then this means that they care about their clients and are willing to take responsibility for any kind of fault. This shows that their ultimate goal is the satisfaction of the customers instead of making huge profits. A caring reverse logistics strategy can make the customers choose a particular company out of the entire lot and in turn, this benefits the retailers too with higher sales.

Proper Disposal of Products

Through reverse logistics, the companies follow proper disposal of goods which keeps them in line with the environmental compliances. This not only helps them in reducing their footprint on the planet but creates their philanthropist image in front of the customers too. Moreover, the materials and products can be reutilized which are in a perfectly fine and resellable condition.

Strategies for Success

As customers are becoming extremely sophisticated in their purchasing decisions with the environmental laws taking a forefront too, the companies are looking to redefine their return and exchange policies. The goal is to increase value amongst the customers and to build strong loyalty.

Some of the most effective strategies for reverse logistics which are being used by leading multinationals including Hewlett-Packard, Eastman Kodak are:

• Reducing the amount of waste in the environment which also leads to lower operating costs and compliance with the laws.
• Recovering the costs which are associated with collecting raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, and waste disposal.
• Realising the importance of user-friendliness for any product and investing in the user manuals to make them easily comprehensible.
• Retailers, vendors, and logistics companies working together to control the number of returned products.
• Conducting spot audits helps in reducing discrepancies and thus, controls the number of claims made.

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Challenges of Reverse Logistics Management

Reverse logistics comes with its own share of problems which can be overcome when the entire team of vendors, retailers, and logistics companies come together to face them.

Difference in Pricing

Depending on the type of product, the prices might fluctuate speedily so it is imperative that the merchandise which is put into the return mode must be handled expeditiously. The returns should be processed rapidly by the retailers and the vendors before it becomes too expensive for them.

Performing All the Retailing Tasks Again

The entire responsibility of shortening the time relies on many processes and often many providers in the steps between return origination up until the reselling of the product.  They are involved in collecting, scanning, invoicing, and dispositioning of the products and need to make sure that the return is done within the given time while ensuring the ultimate satisfaction of the customers.

With this in mind, it is vital that the entire reverse logistics management is well thought out and implemented. With so much at stake, from customer satisfaction to the bottom line your reverse logistics management needs to be robust and comprehensive managing all risks and possible scenarios.

In many cases, leaving your entire reverse logistics management to one provider often allows businesses to have a more manageable trail, ensuring that there will not be a breakdown in the chain of processes. It can also help to make sure that the act of completing the same transactions again from the start can be met with ease rather than complications.  

Stay Competitive

There is immense competition in the retail industry and to stay ahead in it, the retailers rely on their return policies as a competitive weapon. In the modern times, these retailers have become more powerful than the manufacturers, and if any manufacturer doesn’t offer a return policy, the chances are high that the retailer will not take their product.

It is the same for consumers who have the power and command over the retailer, without a returns policy, customers will choose your competitor who offers a better service.

All in all, staying competitive means making reverse logistics management as important as forwarding logistics management.

Returns management, often referred to as reverse logistics is the management of returned items to your company. But do you know the importance of returns management?

We talk through some of the benefits.

How you manage returns will influence the overall management of your warehousing and storage, inventory, depreciating goods and soiled items. Therefore, the bottom line will be the impact on overall profitability.

Managing returns is never quite as simple as putting items back on a shelf to be shipped off to another customer. Returns involve a quality control process. The reason for returning an item should be established as soon as possible once it has been returned, if not beforehand. Streamlining a process by which returns are then managed will prevent hindrance to outgoing logistics too.

Processing can become expensive if it isn’t efficient.

Absorbing the cost

When products are handled by a large third party company such as Amazon, once the condition of the return has been established it can either be repackaged ready for resale, sent for refurbishment or, alternatively, for recycling. Even when products can no longer be sold, it is still possible to mitigate costs against refurbishment or recycling, and this can neutralise the expense of the process involved.

It is also important to remember that once an item has been returned, it will either be refunded or replaced without an additional sale. Managing the reverse logistics efficiently will prevent these cases from becoming a severe loss to the company from within the overall logistics management process.

The cost of returned products will have an impact on pricing. If many of the same products are being returned then to keep the product profitable its price will inevitably go up.

This domino effect can be reduced by an effective system that reduces the cost of returning the product, while also providing insight into the reasons behind the return. There are instances too, where the cost of the return is not worth the value of the product even at scrap value. In these cases, it may be a better solution to simply credit or refund the customer and ask the customer to dispose of the item locally.

Customer relationships

The efficiency and adequate management of returns have a substantial influence on customer relationship management. This will in turn influence long term returning customers, additional sales and future business development. When the returns management is prioritised, it leads to greater profitability within the company. It leads to increased customer satisfaction too and therefore reduces waste.

Every return is an indicator of failure that has taken place with the client relationship.

Items may be returned for many different reasons. It could be that the product wasn’t exactly what the customer wanted, it arrived damaged, or that there was an issue with timeous delivery. When the returns process adds to that experience in a negative way, not only will the customer be reluctant to do business with you again, but they’ll discourage others from doing so too.

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Recycling

Effective product returns management can have a positive environmental impact too.

There are many ways that non-sellable returned items can be recycled or reused. Some that are refurbished create a greater balance in the profitability offset, helping the organisation to reduce any real costs to the process.

Everyone is involved in returns management

Everyone participates in the returns process, not just the staff at inbound receiving. Sales staff need to recognise why items are returned and can be proactive in reducing the number of returned goods. Sometimes the item won’t meet the needs of the customer or the client needs to be better educated in how to use the item.

Quite often goods are returned, and no fault can be found with the item. When this happens frequently, it can indicate that the customer doesn’t know how to use the product correctly and the item or its packaging may require some re-engineering. When marketing staff are invested in the returns process, they will have an interest in keeping the sales profitable. This will, in turn, enhance reduction in returns.

Staff in finance will have to apply a credit or a refund, and this requires a seamless system from the moment the return is despatched back to the warehouse or supplier. The supply chain is as it implies reversed and this needs to be as robust as the outgoing logistics system.

Returning products to the sales inventory

When products have been inspected and found to be in a saleable condition, they can be quickly repackaged and replaced in a merchandising position that enables the supplier to resell it and thus reduce the handling time and consequently the cost. An inspection and repackaging solution offered by returns management companies can also help to lower the cost in returns of no fault items. This reduces the reverse logistics cost to the company even further.

Get your products back to market sooner with returns management

If you want to streamline your returns process so that you regain the profits from your returns, then speak to Ribble about their Ribble Right Size solutions.

With Ribble Right Size can help you recover the costs, repack your items and resell almost immediately.