When your business was still in its infancy, it wasn’t a big deal to keep track of returns when they arrived at your door.

They didn’t amount to more than a few a day back then, but as you’ve grown, so has the volume of returned merchandise. You may think your reverse logistics process is as good as it can be, but it still could be a good idea to put it to the test. The supply chain is always changing, returns management has to do the same.

When is it Time to Review Processes?

Returns management can be a tricky process because of all of the variables involved.

Here are some of the reasons to do a thorough review of your reverse logistics processes:

  • Speeding Up Processing Times. How quickly you process a return will ultimately be considered a cornerstone of your overall customer service commitment to your shoppers. Speed, accuracy and a little bit of data gathering should all be part of this side of the transaction.
  • Improving Customer Credit Speed. Customers want their credits now. They’re well aware that they won’t get them now, but fairly soon is ok. Taking advantage of tools like smart labels ensures that you’re ready for action when a package containing a return arrives as expected.
  • Maximizing Resale Value. You know returns can’t always be sold for full price, but it’s better to get something out of them rather than just forget about any return.The faster those returns show up, though, the better, so you’ve got to help your customers reduce the friction to sending products back. You may be able to return some items to inventory and repackage or refurbish others quickly enough to create another trickling income stream.
  • Maintaining a Green Process. The green supply chain is the future, even though it’s not a requirement yet.Reduce your carbon footprint now, rather than being rushed when the day comes that you’re required to minimize your impact on landfills and the environment. That means more refurbishing, more recycling and finding more ways to reuse returns.

Evaluating your returns process is not just for growing businesses, though. Every company that has a logistics team needs to be constantly refining and upgrading its fulfillment centers. Speed and accuracy matter, both coming and going.