Why Reverse Logistics?
There are several reasons that make reverse logistics inevitable. Here are some of the most common:
- Returns
Some goods are invariably returned to the seller. This is true in physical retail as well as in an ecommerce setup.
- Mis-delivered or Undelivered Goods
If you are an ecommerce player selling virtual goods that can be delivered electronically, you might be blissfully ignorant of the nightmare of mis-delivered or undelivered goods. But physical goods not reaching the desired destination is a common problem that ecommerce merchants have to grapple with.
- Damaged Goods
Ordering a brand new iPad and receiving one that has a cracked body or a scratched screen is unacceptable. But it is bound to happen sometimes. Such damaged goods get returned by the customer or the logistics provider.
- Malfunctioning Goods
"I received the pottery wheel, but it refuses to spin" is the last thing a successful ecommerce business wants to hear. But since 100% error-free performance is impossible, there will be occasions when goods will not work. This is not exclusive to ecommerce; it happens in physical retail too.
But a customer who physically collects goods at a retail store finds it logical to travel back to the store to return the malfunctioning goods. In ecommerce, the customer would prefer a pickup from her location, or at worst an option to mail in the malfunctioning product.
- Exchange Programs
"Give us your old and obsolete gizmo and get the latest model" is a slogan that finds appeal with many. Several customers refuse to upgrade, as they are unwilling to trash a perfectly fine, albeit old, product.
Exchange offers are compelling for the customer, but they create the additional process of collection of goods for the ecommerce business.
If you have read the above list closely, you know that there is no escaping reverse logistics. But I would like you to think of reverse logistics as more than merely a necessary evil. Here are some of the reasons why reverse logistics is so important to an ecommerce business:
- As a Strategic Advantage
Though the ecommerce enterprise is quite complex, customers have only two clear windows into the business -- the website and order fulfillment. If either of those two is found lacking, the customer will lose the confidence necessary to make a purchase. Reverse logistics is an important part of order fulfillment. Hence a strong reverse logistics setup can be a strategic advantage to an ecommerce business.
- Customer Retention
In much the same way as reverse logistics can act as a strategic advantage, it can also help in customer retention. A customer who is able to return or exchange with little pain is likely to be a satisfied customer. And a satisfied customer is likely to be a customer for a long time.
- Regulation Compliance
When reverse logistics results in damaged goods, it leads to waste. And there are regulations relating to waste, especially e-waste. This proves that reverse logistics is not just about customer delight; it has to do with aligning oneself within the legal environment of business.
- Profitability Through Asset Recovery
If your ecommerce business does not have a sound reverse logistics plan, it is probably losing out on the golden opportunity to profit from the piles of goods that fell out of the supply chain. In an era of wafer thin ecommerce margins, effective reverse logistics could be the difference between being profitable or not.
- Shareholder Value
As a manager of an ecommerce business, you know that it is your fiduciary responsibility to deliver value to shareholders. So you need to cash in on the multiple opportunities that reverse logistics provides.
