In the past year, the e-commerce market experienced incredible growth as more goods were purchased online and safely shipped to their destination. Equally as important on the backend is the returns management process of the company manufacturing and selling the merchandise, or Reverse Logistics. Once a purchase is made, those products have a lifecycle. They can be returned, re-boxed or repackaged as future stock, recalled, in need of repair, or ready for recycling.
With the number of recalls and returns on the rise, more companies are focused on finding ways to save money and increase efficiency along the supply chain. This is a need across the spectrum, for both B2C and B2B companies. Reverse Logistics is that cure.
Say that a customer sends back a purchase to a company because it wasn’t what they wanted. Now, that product must be repackaged for return. This can involve searching for an original skid, waiting for a truck, loading the goods and filling out paperwork. The process takes time and effort to get the return completed. From there, the product comes back to your business. It could become damaged during shipment. Where do you go from there?
Working with a logistics partner like W.I.S. Logistics can curb these challenges. The following is one example of our experience in Reverse Logistics management.
Challenge – Our goal was to make shipping seamless for an end user who had no supplies or basic understanding of the return process, and still give visibility to our client, the manufacturer, for inventory control.
In this case, our client’s customers received the wrong light fixtures (some ordered the wrong ones, others ordered too many, some of the light fixtures didn’t work). Electricians at the company had little to no experience shipping goods, but were responsible for returning them to the manufacturer. The electricians were not pleased to be charged with the paperwork and packaging. It wasn’t part of their job responsibilities. Our client wasn’t happy because expensive light fixtures were sitting at a job site and no one was protecting their investment.
Solution – Even before the products were shipped, W.I.S Logistics recorded a contact name and phone number for the light fixtures. When a return was requested, we contacted that person to find out what lighting products they had and scheduled the date and time to pick up the materials. A truck was sent to the product location for retrieval and we provided a receipt for cargo shipment. We returned the product to the warehouse for professional repackaging and delivery to our client, the manufacturer.
Result – Throughout the process, our client tracked the shipment in real time. They knew when the freight was picked up and when it arrived at their location. In this way, the client was ready to receive it for repair or restock through an automatic process. Once the product was inspected at the manufacturer’s site, the end user was reimbursed for the return.
We believe in visibility and transparency for our customers. It’s why we use a cloud-based Transportation Management System (T.M.S.). This system allows people throughout an organization to access the details they need. With centralized data control, our customers better manage inbound freight costs to counter the expense of outbound returns.
At W.I.S. Logistics, we handle logistics issues and create an opportunity for increased customer satisfaction and a solid return on investment. Contact us to find out how we can help you gain control with Reverse Logistics.