The process of reverse logistics becomes a key consideration for commercial management when thinking about the bottom line for the organisation.
For some industries, the return and redistribution of goods is part and parcel of the business. For others, this is a serious problem that has to be minimised at all costs
The underlying theme for all of these elements comes back to efficiency – how can the brand maximise its output from the ratio of input it undertakes.
Without that attention and investment from participants higher up in the commercial hierarchy, the company is left to react to unwanted surprises rather than being proactive about the cause of the concern to begin with.
Saving Company Money
The return on investment or ROI is the core reason why management will decide to place a higher focus on the process of reverse logistics operations. When operators have to run through this exercise, they have to engage their couriers, pay for repairs or replacements and pay for the added shipping back to the client. For those enterprises who make progress on this front, they are reducing their overheads and saving cash for the short and long-term.
Improving Accountability Measures
Whether it is the remanufacturing of goods to the inspection process or the marketing and distribution sectors of the company, investing in reverse logistics allows a business to hold employees and partners to account. Especially for those larger organisations with multiple tiers of expertise, it can be difficult to ascertain which parties are at fault and what can be put in place to minimize those incidents. A rigorous assessment and further investment will allow those protocols to be firmly established.
Boosting Time Management Protocols
The very act of taking items back before repairing or replacing and sending them to the client is time lost for representatives. This is one of the central reasons why management will look to make strides forward with their reverse logistics processes. For warehouse distribution centres, developers and retailers who only afford themselves a 40-hour working week, every moment counts. Deciding to invest in this domain and improve the standing of the brand ensures that this time is well spent.
Correct Allocation of Resources
The larger enterprises with multiple tiers of operators have the luxury to hire reverse logistics specialists, or to at least outsource them to control that department. For others who fit the small to medium enterprise (SME) classification at a local level, they won’t necessarily have that luxury. This will force participants at the warehouse and sales level to deviate their focus and reduce their operational capacity by fixing mistakes rather than driving towards new business opportunities.
Embracing on First-Class Technologies
When management decides that they want to invest in this very particular field, they understand that their technological standing has to be optimised. From the manner in which the product is acquired to how it is assessed, how it is refurbished and how it is maneuvers up and down the supply chain, there are software applications and pieces of development technology that improve these fields for businesses.
Strategic Partnerships
Commercial management will want to ensure that their reverse logistics protocols allow them to hire and partner with the top outlets that they could connect with. This is not an exercise about what is convenient, but who will empower the organisation to be more efficient from the top down. It will be a consideration that covers their cost, their time management, their mode of delivery and how they can implement a regiment that makes serious gains with the reverse logistics metrics for the enterprise.