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HowPhilipsReducedReturnsFromtheNovember/December2003issueofSupplyChainManagementReviewTONYSCIARROTTASupplyChainManagementReviewNovember1,2003Theanswertoreducingthecostofreturnsdoesnotalwayslieinimprovingyourreverselogisticsoperations.AtPhilipsConsumerElectronics,thereturnsmanagementdepartmenthasfocusedonhowitcanstopreturnsbeforetheyevenenterthereversesupplychain.Bytakingpreventativestepssuchasimprovingaproduct’seaseofuse,enforcingcompanypolicies,andrevitalizingtheservicenetwork,Philipshascutitsreturnsbymorethan$100millionperyear.In1998,Iwaspresentedwithanopportunity:headupareturnsmanagementdepartmentwithinPhilipsConsumerElectronicsandhelpleadeffortstocontrolamajorcostdriver—productreturns.Atthattime,PhilipsConsumerElectronicshadnoreturnsmanagementdepartment,andreverselogisticswasnotyetpartofthelanguageofmostmanufacturers.ButmanagementandKenGoins,thevicepresident/generalmanagerofPhilipsServiceCompanywhoapproachedmewiththeopportunity,recognizedthatthecompanywasfacingrelativelyhighreturnrates.Theimpactofthosereturnsonthebottomlinewassignificant,amountingtotensofmillionsofdollarsinlosses.Philipsmanagementwasunderpressuretoreducethecostofreturns.Theyrealizedthatthecompanyneededtodevelopacorecompetencyinreturnsmanagement,whethertheactualprocesseswerehandledinhouseorviaoutsidepartners.Managementbelievedthatitneededadepartmentwithadedicateddirectorandfocusedstafftoaccomplishthesegoals,hopingthatsuchadepartmentwouldenduppayingforitselfintheprocess.WhenKenapproachedme,Iwasworkingintheproductmarketinggroupafteradecadeinsaleswithregionalandnationalaccounts.Mybackgroundwasnewforthereturnsmanagementrole.Normally,thecredit,finance,orservicegroupswithinmostcompanieshandlereturns.ButKenunderstoodthatreturnsreallyare"reversesales,"andtheyareoftencausedbyproduct-marketingdecisions.Aswebegantostudythesituation,wediscoveredareturnsenvironmentthatwasoutofcontrol.Ingeneral,returnsintheUnitedStateshavebeenincreasingduetoa"takeitback"culture,propagatedbyretailerswithliberalandalmostunlimitedreturnpolicies.Retailerswerefoundtobegivingrefundstoconsumersovertwo-thirdsofthetime.Inmanyofthosesituations,consumersdidnothaveacopyofthesalesreceiptfortheirpurchases.Storepoliciesthatwereinplacewerenoteasytoenforce,makingitdifficulttoreduceimproperproductreturns.Theriseofreturnswasfurtherfueledbytheincreaseinproductsthatcouldnotbeservicedinthehomecoupledwiththedemiseoftheindependentserviceproviderswhoperformedin-homerepairs.Mostconsumerelectronicscompaniesviewedreturnsasthecostforthesteadysalesgrowthinnewretailchannels.Butalongwiththeincreaseinoverallreturnswasanotherdisconcertingstatistic—therateofproductsreturnedwith"nodefectfound"(NDF)wasveryhigh,averagingmorethan70percentforconsumerelectronics,morethan85percentforPCproducts,andevenover90percentforsomesmallappliances.Retailersandmanufacturerswerepayingsignificantreverselogisticscoststomoveproductsthatwerenotdefective.ThesituationatPhilipsreflectedthisexternalenvironment.Becausewehadnoonefocusedonreturnsandnoclearreturnspolicyorprocedures,Philipshaddevelopedacultureof"takeanythingbackfromanybodyanytime."Thetotalcostofreturnshadneverbeenexposedtotheproductbusinessownersorevenidentifiedcollectivelyforthecompany.Philipshadneverattemptedtoimplementreturnssolutionsacrossdepartmentlinesorbyworkingwithretailers.Thislackofattentiontoreturnswashurtingus:Until2...