Warehouse Returns Process
In the normal course of business, customers are likely to return orders from time to time due to various reasons and business should design processes the manage and accept such returns. A well designed returns management process can reduce costs and issues associated with returns or exchanges.
What do we mean by Return?
In the normal course of business, customers are likely to return orders from time to time due to various reasons and business should design processes the manage and accept such returns. A well designed returns management process can reduce costs and issues associated with returns or exchanges.
The term “Return” is understood as any goods returned to the warehouse by the end customer, retail outlet or courier for any reason, and all packed release orders where the release has been cancelled for any reason.
Returns in e-Commerce Business
Handling returns is one of the major problems for online stores. Customers often send products back without any notification and sometimes it becomes difficult to determine who returned the products and why.
Return Process
- A return is the process of handling the return of products from a customer to the distribution center (DC).
- Returns can be either created against a Return Order or created without an Order reference.
- Once the business obtains information from the end customer that the return of goods has been requested, it should create an return order
- An electronic return order shall contain reference to the original release order, scheduled return delivery date and the reason for the return
- Once a Return Order is created and confirmed, a supervisor usually authorizes the return.
- The warehouse should schedule to receive the return on the day specified in the return note
- When receiving returns with an Return Order, receipts are recorded through the Record/Report Receipt action
- Receipt of the return shall be understood as physical unloading of the delivery and preparation of the necessary documents conforming receipt of the goods in the warehouse
- The details of the receipt are entered and the receipt for the Return Order is then marked Closed.
- Returned goods need to be accepted into stock
- The closure of the receipt triggers the generation of Putaway tasks.
- During the receipt of returned goods, there may be a requirement to perform an inspection
- Discrepancies need to be recorded in the system
- A return is considered accepted when the goods appear in stock and become available for release or when all returned goods have been accepted into stock as damaged goods.
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