eCommerce returns management software; for quick and easy return logistics.
When we say Canary7 helps you achieve the best eCommerce returns management strategy, we truly mean it. Don’t take our word for it, see for yourself!
eCommerce returns management software; for quick and easy return logistics.
When we say Canary7 helps you achieve the best eCommerce returns management strategy, we truly mean it. Don’t take our word for it, see for yourself!
Have you been struggling to streamline your eCommerce returns lately? If yes, we get you. Processing returns can often be harder than processing your orders in the first place, which can make the whole fulfilment journey a lot more overwhelming and burdensome for you.
To avoid that, you need an eCommerce returns management software and luckily, Canary7 provides just that. Our aim is to streamline the fulfilment procedure for you from start right till the finish line, and although most businesses don’t understand this, returns logistics is very much a part of this procedure. Therefore, our features have been crafted in a way that can support you by optimising the way you manage returns.
Understanding Return Logistics
Based on our experience with hundreds of clients, we know that return logistics is a crucial element of any fulfilment journey. Every business needs to pay attention to it – but they fail to do so, just because they don’t understand return logistics to begin with.
In the simplest terms, reverse logistics is a version of supply chain management that focuses on the transit of goods from customers back to the sellers. This occurs for various reasons; maybe the customer didn’t like what you sent, ordered the wrong size, or simply changed their mind. Whatever it is, it is up to you to accommodate their wishes and process returns; ideally as smoothly as you process your orders normally.
Why Focus on Reverse Logistics?
Did you know that 92% of respondents to a survey said they will buy again if the product return process is easy?
Focusing on reverse logistics is important because an optimised eCommerce returns process helps you:
- Recoup value as a business.
- Retain customers for a longer period of time.
- Increase profit margins.
- Decrease operational costs in some areas.
- Boost customer satisfaction.
- Reduce carbon footprint.
Reverse Logistics: how eCommerce returns management differs from traditional logistics
Canary7 is the leading eCommerce returns management system; but we also have the best solutions available for traditional logistics as well. Based on our experience, the difference comes down to this – whereas a traditional logistics journey starts with you, reverse logistics starts with the consumer. The whole process is more or less backwards.
In this regard, it becomes important to optimise your supply chain from start to finish. A smooth, seamless supply chain process will not only make traditional logistics easier for you, but it will also ensure that you can easily manage returns, refunds, and all other types of reverse logistics very well too.
Good news is: with Canary7’s eCommerce returns management software, you can do all of that and more.
Components of Reverse Logistics
Returns management
Perhaps the most important component of reverse logistics, returns management involves dealing with the product as it returns from the customer. Not only that, but the returns management process can also involve implementing mechanisms that are focused on avoiding returns to begin with. The returns management should be quick, controllable, and simple – this something that your customers will cherish, but it will also make your job a lot easier. Returns management also involves taking care of the product once it is returned. Do you want to put it back on sale? Is it meant to sit in your inventory for sometime now? Does it go into the unsold good category? All of these questions are pertinent during reverse logistics.
And obviously, it can be improved with help of an eCommerce returns management software like Canary7.
Return policy and procedure
The return policy and procedure, which is also known as RPP, is also an important component of reverse logistics. It will help you set some standard rules for returns and refunds which will then be communicated to the eCommerce consumer your product interacts with. Thinking out your return policy and basing it off things you can and can’t afford during reverse logistics is a great way of ensuring that the returns process is smooth and is actually valued by the customer.
Re-manufacturing or refurbishing
Let’s say you send a product out to your customer and they return it because it is faulty. You receive that product back and decide to not let it go to waste. This is where the re-manufacturing and refurbishing logistics component comes in – you can repair, rebuild, and rework the returns you get, but only if you have a properly optimised supply chain. Which again, can only be achieved with the help of an eCommerce return software.
Unsold goods
Not every “return” is a return – meaning that not every product you have to manage in the returns process will come from the consumer. Some come from manufacturers and distributors and may make their way to you because of poor sales, delivery refusal, and product obsolescence. You will have to manage them just as well as other returns, because they too have an impact on your value. With an eCommerce returns management software, you can manage ALL returns.
Packaging management
Every eCommerce return that you get is not just the return, it is also lots of packages. To avoid that packaging from going to waste, you need to employ robust packaging management techniques and tactics, which can help recycle and reuse the packaging without any of it going to waste. Not only will this help you save money on packaging for future items, but it also helps you establish more environment-friendly practices that will help you improve the standing of your business overall.
End of life products
Some products may have to be managed in the reverse logistics process not because they are returned, but because they can’t be sold. These are known as EOL or end of life products, which is to say that these products are no longer useful and don’t work. So, an older phone that doesn’t have WiFi features will be an EOL product in comparison to the latest, 2022 smartphone. These products obviously can’t be sold to the customer, so the reverse logistics process will be more focused on recycling or disposing them off.
Delivery failure
Address errors, wrong timing, and non-availability of the recipient can all lead to delivery failures. In case of a delivery failure, although the customer doesn’t out rightly refuse to accept an order, they still don’t receive it and the delivery partner has to return it to you. As complicated as it may sound, returns management for this type of returns can also be done with the help of a returns management software for eCommerce.
Rentals and leasing
Returns management is not only limited to products – your equipment or piece of equipment may also need to go through the returns process when it comes to the end of its rental contract. In this regard, you are the one who is initiating the returns process, but it should still be made seamless with the help of an eCommerce returns software if you don’t want this reverse logistics component to cause you problems in the longer run.
Repairs and maintenance
Products that need to be repaired or maintained may also be a part of returns management, as these products are being repaired or maintained so that they can be sold. The upkeep of these products can also be streamlined with the help of the right eCommerce returns software solution.
eCommerce returns challenges
We already know that the eCommerce returns process is not easy – but what are the challenges it presents for businesses like yours in particular?
Limited warehouse space
Most businesses work with a limited warehouse space. Because warehouse space is expensive, each square inch matters and it should be your goal to ensure that none of it goes to waste. This is pretty hard to do as it is with “normal” stock and inventory. When returns are thrown into the mix, it becomes even more complicated to handle everything because reverse logistics require at least 20% more space than forward/traditional logistics. So, if your warehouse is not properly optimised to deal with returns, then your warehouse space will prove to be a challenge.
Incremental costing
Although efficient returns management and reverse logistics can help you save up money in the longer run, they also sometimes come with high up-front costs. For starters, setting up a supply chain that not only facilitates seamless traditional logistics but also supports reverse logistics can be expensive. This is because the overall price includes customer support, redelivery, inspecting, processing, and transportation; all of which can cause your budget to increase to a great extent. Then, if the return that you are processing is a damaged good and can’t just be re-sold, you will; have to either dispose of it or spend money on its repair and maintenance, which can also require money. For many businesses, adjusting these expenses in their budgets can be quite challenging.
Filtering out the frauds
Not all returns you get will come from honest customers. Dishonest customers are always a part of the picture, and in a range of different circumstances you have to be cautious of the possibility that the customer is manipulating return logistics to cover up their mishandling of perfectly good products. This is where your RPP comes into play; a carefully thought and communicated return policy will make sure that it is not easy for the customer to take advantage of you.
High customer demands
Customer expectations are yet another serious challenge presented to businesses that are trying to improve their eCommerce returns management. This is because customers of the twenty-first century are tech-savvy, and expect nothing less than a seamless, perfectly customer-centric shopping experience. This includes a simple and free returns policy, and in order for your business to be able to provide that, you have to work very hard. It should be your responsibility to understand customer expectations, and incorporate them in your returns policy without it taking a toll on your ability to efficiently process returns.
Minimising the carbon footprint
Today, your customers expect you to be eco-conscious – businesses that fail to make the right choices in terms of sustainability are setting themselves up for all sorts of scrutiny. However, when it comes to reverse logistics, there is a very high chance that your carbon footprint will increase. After all, there are tons of products that you need to dispose of and repair, all of which can increase the amount of wastage that is produced during returns management. However, this particular challenge can easily be dealt with by initiatives such as zero waste packaging, re purposing items, and other environmentally friendly methods that will make them take eco-friendly decisions.
Complicated return process
The return process should be easy and simple; but when it is complicated to begin with, just how easy can a business make it. This paradoxical situation presents itself to be quite a monumental challenge for businesses, and having to deal with it may require you to re-do your eCommerce returns management procedure from scratch – which is obviously a troublesome, tedious affair.
Solving the returns problem with the best eCommerce return software solutions
No matter how challenging reverse logistics is, Canary7’s eCommerce returns management software can help you take control of the way you process your returns. Designed to help you overcome any and every problem in the reverse logistics spectrum, our return management software eCommerce journey will align with your operations seamlessly, without any hindrances.
With the implementation of our eCommerce returns management system and these 5 steps, you can make returns processing for you as easy as you truly want it to be.
Step 1: Process the return
This may seem a little straightforward, but Canary7 has seen countless businesses neglect this step, and as a result, bear the brunt of an inefficient, inadequate eCommerce returns processing. Essentially, this stage of the returns management will include authorisation and identification of the product’s condition once the consumer signals their wish to return a product. Once that is done, this stage will move on to scheduling the return delivery, issuing a refund, and receiving the delivery once it makes your way to you.
With the help of our return management software eCommerce businesses can ensure that this step goes without any hitch whatsoever – you simply have to consolidate the data present in the return management system, and you’ll be good to go with the rest of the processing. In this regard, Canary7 offers nothing but the best eCommerce return software.
Step 2: Managing the return
Once the initial stage of return processing is done, businesses need to turn their attention towards dealing with the return. This stage starts after the returned product arrives at your warehouse or fulfillment centre. You need to determine its return category, sort it accordingly, and ensure that it becomes a seamless part of your inventory, especially if you don’t want the return logistics to disrupt your forward logistics.
This is where an eCommerce returns management software comes into handy yet again. If you employ Canary7’s returns management software for eCommerce, you should be able to determine the return category of your product even before it enters your warehouse; not only will it help you save time, but it will also allow you to make sure that the disruptions caused by reverse logistics are minimal. With our eCommerce returns management software, you can also make the product a part of your inventory, without having to worry about the impact it will have on your operational efficiency or the detriment it may cause to your budget.
Step 3: Delegate returns
Now that the returns are properly sorted and made a part of your inventory yet again, what do you do with them? This step is all about delegating them properly. The faulty and damaged returns are sent off to be disposed of or repaired for reselling, where the other returns are made a part of the active inventory. The point here is to make sure that the goods keep moving and are not held up without any good reason. This is because if you allow your goods to pile up without proper assignment, they will prove to become a problem.
This is why a return management software in eCommerce is so important; Canary7’s eCommerce return management solutions, for example, help you with the aforementioned delegation at the speed of lightning, thanks to cutting-edge innovation and end-to-end automation. This means that employing our eCommerce return management software will make it easier to ensure that your returns are not piling up, but are instead being assigned to the categories they should be in. It will also make it easier for you to reduce your daily waste, because you will be able to identify which items have the potential to be repaired and hence should not be disposed of.
Step 4: Repair
Repair is also a part of the returns management process. All the items that can be repaired should be set aside into the repairs area. Here, you should properly gauge which items can be saved and repaired. The ones that can’t be repaired should not automatically be disposed of – instead, you should see if any of the parts of the said product are sellable. Again, this is essential for businesses looking to develop eco-friendly business practices. It will also help you monetise off of returns and increase your margins, which is a good way to make sure that the optimised returns procedure doesn’t take a toll.
If you are planning to complete this process with proper efficiency, an eCommerce returns management software like Canary7 will help you do that and help you establish a much more optimised procedure.
Step 5: Recycle
Any waste that you end up with during the returns logistics process should be recycled. Not only is this an environmentally-friendly process, but it will also help you be more efficient and save money in different aspects.
To make sure that the products you send off for recycling are the right ones and to manage the whole process that will enable the recycling, you need a robust eCommerce returns management system like Canary7.
Why is Canary7 the best eCommerce returns software?
What makes Canary7 the best eCommerce returns software? Good question.
Affordable
Canary7’s eCommerce returns management software is affordable. No longer do you have to drain your resources on innovative solutions, because Canary7 provides stellar returns management innovation at competitive prices that will not kill your pocket.
Modern
Canary7 is a modern fulfilment software that not only provides the latest eCommerce returns management software, but also a plethora of other cutting-edge solutions that can help you improve other aspects of your business as well such as warehouse and labour management. With us, you get comprehensive support to scale up your business and that too without any restrictions.
Flexible
Our eCommerce returns software as well as all our other solutions are completely flexible. So, essentially, you are not only getting a seamless reverse logistics experience, but can also accommodate your forward logistics processes thanks to the adaptability our solutions provide you with.
User-friendly
We don’t believe in wasting your time with unnecessary complications, which is why all our solutions are user-friendly and easy to use by you as well as almost every other member of your company. Not only that, but we also provide you with additional resources and guides that will help you understand our solutions, as well as the world of fulfilment a lot better.
Canary7’s returns management software for eCommerce – making returns and refunds a breeze
Excited to revolutionise the way you manage eCommerce returns and refunds? Get a Canary7 demo today!
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