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Customer returns: Return order process (RMA) when the reworked item should be sent back to customer

Hello all

I am currently working on the RMA process in a customer project and I am stuck to find a suitable solution. First of all, quick overview on the required process:

Customer wants to send back an item > RMA is created in the system
Customer sends back the item and we receive it at the warehouse
We do a check of the item, estimate the effort to repair it
Customer service checks with customer whether costs are okay
Repair is started
After repair is done, we send back the same item to the customer

So, what I have learned so far and what are the issues:

When receiving the items at the warehouse, a disposition code must be defined. This is actually to early as the people at inbound department do not know what to do with this item (scrap, repair, back to customer).
There is the possibility to create a quarantine order and to define the disposition code later - but this is not working with advanced warehousing
As alternative approach, we would have accepted to put the items on stock and to create a replacement order (disposition code with activity "replace and credit"), but thereby the system asks immediately for a defined replacement item before I book the product receipt of the return order - also not very nice, because I actually not know whether I need a replacement order or not.
Using only a disposition code with activity "CREDIT" is also not suitable because it does not enable the creation of a replacement order if required.

So for me it seems that there is no logic in standard with advanced warehousing that suits the process described above? Any documentation on the RMA process that I have found is totally fine with defining either SCRAP or CREDIT in the receiving process - which from my point of view does not fit a general process including inspection.

How are your experiences in this process and are there any options I have missed so far? Thank you in advance for any kind of feedback, ideas, what so ever

Hello Fabian,

You have researched the topic very well and highlighted its shortcomings.

Without development, you will have to work with a work around. In some projects, I have implemented two step process:

1) print the RMA and have warehouse staff use the paper to receive; often customers send other items or different quantities that differ from what is documented on the RMA which would not be able to be received on the warehouse mobile app anyway.

2) Receive on the Warehouse mobile app later, when the item can be inspected and its condition assessed (Disposition code).

With development, you could probably alter the Return Order Work template to behave a little like the Quality Check that is available for Purchase Orders and delay the selection of the disposition code to occur during that quality check.

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