1        Introduction

Currently customers must reach out to us to initiate a return. The process for CE is labor intensive and very error prone, especially for less experienced staff. 

Goals

• Create a web-based interface for customers and CE to initiate returns
• Automate real-time generation of the most straightforward return types
• Improve accuracy of return types 
• Increase efficiency of CE through web interface, customer self service and centralization of manual return authorizations via new "return specialist" role

Background and strategic fit

Enabling customers to initiate returns online (and complete some of them) is another in a long list of features meant to make our B2B experience more like a B2C experience. It will also make it easier and faster for the average CE rep to get the process started (and in many cases completed).  Centralizing the downstream processing of the complex return with a few specialists, will ensure returns are handled more consistently, while enabling CE reps to move on to other, higher-value transactions.

Solution and scope

2        Definitions

RMA - Return Materials Authorization.  

Call Tag - A call tag is where the recipient pays the shipping from their own shipping account. Usually, it's a company paying for the return of an item by a buyer. Basically, you're contacting the shipper, giving them the account number you have with them to pay the charge, and scheduling a pick-up at the buyer's location

Trouble Code - Codes used to classify return according to type and fault.

3        Assumptions

It is not necessary to automate all return types from end to end to achieve a B2C experience or increase efficiency.

Handling manual returns will not be a full-time role for any individual Return Specialists.

Initiating returns is not important functionality to have on mobile devices. We are going to suppress returns in responsive views. Link will be clickable, but will open message stating functionality is only available on desktop.

4        User Interaction and Design

Overview

Returns will be initiated online from the Order History screen by either customers or CE. Once an order has been placed, a "Return" link will be included alongside "Reprice," "Track," and eventually, "Invoices" links. (The link will be enabled or disabled based upon the the rules depicted in the "Eligibility" flow - see flow chart below.) 

The output of the submission process - in the case of automated returns, the RMA, and in the case of manual returns, a notification about what comes next - will be sent based upon the rules depicted in the Automated/Manual flow (see flow chart).  Customers receiving the automated RMA will have X days to return the goods to Laddawn; once received, we issue the credit less any applicable restocking fees.  Requests for RMAs that fall into the manual bucket will generate an on hold RMA workflow to the new Return Specialist group. Once a Return Specialist picks up that request, they will own it and be responsible for outreach to customer (for example, to get more info, request a sample, negotiate credit concession, etc.) and all other research to determine if who is at fault and the appropriate return reason. 

UI designs in Invision

Flow chart

New RMA trouble code screen in Avante

Restock Charge Screens in Avante

Changes: 

• "Restock %" will be added to the 'RMA Return Shipping Data' window (maintain version).
• "Restock %" will be added to the 'Display RMA Return Shipping Data' window (display version).
• "Restock Charge" will be added to the 'Display RMA Return Shipping Data' window (display version). This should have been there prior to any changes being made for RMAs.
• "Credit Freight" will be added to the 'RMA Order Display" window (display version). This should have been there prior to any changes being made for RMAs.

Note: If you have any questions, please direct them to Jason Burke.

Trouble Code List (Updated: 01/23/18)

With the rollout of our new 'RMA's on the web' functionality, we have decided to revise our Trouble Code list so that it is easier for all users (customers and employees) to make accurate selections.

When a user initiates an RMA on the web, they will be required to select an item from the "Reason for return" drop-down (which consists solely of Tier 1 values, although not all items will be visible).

• Tier 1: Parent Category (Viewable: Web and Avante)
• Tier 2: Child Category (Viewable: Avante)
• Tier 3: Fault (Viewable: Avante)

Reason for return (on the web)

The majority of items found within Tier 1, will be visible within the "Reason for return" dropdown with a couple of exceptions.

• Trouble Codes "109" and "112" should only be visible to CE/RS.
• Trouble Codes "105" and "106" are not selectable by the user, but are technically automatically selected 'behind the scenes' when the user selects "Received wrong product". (We already know if an item is stock or MOD, so we should select the trouble code automatically for them.) When this value is displayed within Avante, we should see either "Incorrect stock product entered/sent" or "MOD does not conform to PO spec".  (We should not see "Received the wrong product" in Avante)

Microsoft Excel

File: RMA - New Trouble Codes (Revised 012218)

Worksheet: Tier

This worksheet displays all items available for selection in each of the tiers.

Worksheet: Relationships

This worksheet displays all items along with their new concatenated trouble code.

Character Length

• Tier 1: 3 characters
• Tier 2: 3 characters
• Tier 3: 2 characters
• Concatenate: 8 characters (max)

Tiers 1 and 2 are each allocated 3 characters so that we can comfortably accommodate future growth in these categories.

Note: Three digit codes under 100 are not permitted because we want to avoid any text strings that start with "0".

Reserved Codes and Sort Values

Code

Depending on the item chosen in Tier 1, selections within Tier 2 may not be applicable.  It is for that reason; code "100" is explicitly reserved to represent a null input.

Sort

Trouble Codes containing the word "other" are asigned a "999" sort value to ensure they fall last within a dropdown list.

4/6/18 (Judy):

A new VIEW CREDIT MEMOS option was added to the RMA Display Screen in the F10-Options menu.  This will take the user directly to the Sales Order Display if there is a single Credit Memo linked to the RA, or will display a list of credit memos if there are multiple to allow the user to select which credit memo they would like to view in Sales Order Display:

Customer notifications and internal correspondence

Current RA

Return Materials Acknowledgement 18247.pdf

Procedure if/when customer responds to any of the above notifications

CE operator in new CE request, pulls email response from queue, enters customer and contact number, selects request type 210 (RA inquiry), and puts on request hold, routes to new return specialist group (261).

Return reasons, trouble codes, form inputs and source data

RMA data.xlsx

Be sure to address the following as applicable:

• Worst case scenario for configuration details on MOD items - material & additives, color, printing, venting, packaging, construction
• CPU customers/orders
• NorthEast Poly Bag customers
• Fax-only customers/Optio forms
• Analytics
• Customer experience procedures
• ISO/forms
• Other????

Not Doing

• It would be nice to send automated reminders to customers as the return request ages; but we decided not to do that with this release. However, one of the next CE efficiency projects is likely to be automated closure of "on hold requests"; these RAs that are on hold would follow very similar logic. 
• It might be nice to do pre-printed return labels when we're responsible for return freight, but that seemed like a bit much at this stage. 

5        Testing

6        Change management and rollout planning

<< Which departments are affected by these changes? What are the possible negative perceptions of these changes, and how do we manage them? Articulate "what's in it for me?" for all internal and external stakeholders. Are call scripts necessary? Is advance customer outreach/communication necessary? What lead time is needed for training and other advance preparations? >>

Need to ID return specialists in advance - involve them in QA. 

ISO/forms