Effective inventory management is vital for the success of any business. A key part of this is properly handling returned products, especially those with serial numbers. Serial numbers help track each item individually, making it easier to identify, manage, and control stock.
DCL provides an automatic return system for products with serial numbers. This makes the return process smoother, reduces errors, and helps quickly add returned items back into inventory.
What Happens When Serialized Product are Returned?
When the product arrives at a DCL facility, our team collects all the important information, such as the serial number, reason for return, and any other details.
Next, we check the serial number to make sure it matches the original order.
If something doesn’t match or there’s a problem, the item is flagged for further review, and the process stops for that product.
If everything checks out, we record the return in our system as either an RMA or Unplanned Return. If the serial number isn't used again, we recycle it for future use.
How Does DCL Return Serialized Products to Sellable Inventory?
Here's a simple step-by-step overview of how our system handles returns:
Automatic Recycling: Every 30 days, our system automatically recycles all serial numbers of returned products, no matter what their condition.
Reusing Items: Once the returned goods are ready, they can be added to new orders, shipped back to the customer, or sent to the manufacturer, depending on their procedures.
Serial Number Tracking: After recycling a serial number, the system marks it with an "X" on the original order. This helps us keep track of every serialized product easily.
Customization on Serialized Product Returns
How to Opt-Out of All Automated Returns
If you don’t want your serialized products to go through automated returns, you can choose to opt out. Just work with your Integration Manager during onboarding or with your Account Manager if your account is already active.
If you want to stop recycling serial numbers, DCL will need to check with Operations for approval.
How to Opt-Out Some Products from Automated Returns
If you want to customize the returns process for certain serialized products—meaning you only want some of them to be automatically recycled, you can do that too.
DCL can set up automated returns based on:
Account Number
Part Number
Return Condition code
Disposition Code
Where can I locate my returned to stock serial numbers in eFactory?
If you are looking to validate returned products by serial number in eFactory, you have two options:
eFactory > Items > Returns
Search by serial number
ReturnTrak > RMA > All
Search by serial number