Acumatica Return Processing Support

A current client of our 247Digitize’s eCommerce Solutions division was seeking an immediate help digging out from under thousands of backlogged return orders.  While their online retail platform was thriving, they were unable to devote the necessary manpower to keep up with customer returns and remain competitive with other online retailers.  Complaints were mounting and action was needed.

About our Client:  Founded in 2002 and based in Irving, Texas, our Client is a leading seller of footwear and athletic apparel with high visibility in online marketplaces.  They had previously partnered with us for support of Acumatica to assist with tracking of sales and inventory but now needed back office support to keep up with rising demand.

By the Numbers:

• ~13,000 accumulated customer return orders processed in a 4 day span
• 5 full time resources trained and deployed within 24 hours
• Up to 90 returns per hour verified and confirmed through the ERP and online marketplaces

Challenge:   The challenge was simple.  Our Client was facing a growing customer satisfaction issue concerning the speed at which they could process merchandise returns. Nearly 100% of customer complaints centered on the amount of time taken to receive refunds for returned items. When they approached us, a mountain of nearly 13,000 returns had accumulated, with 350-400 more arriving daily.  By their own reckoning, it would take their internal resources a month to get back on track.

Solution:  Our solution was simple as well – manpower.  Senior Managers gathered workflow details via a quick video walkthrough of the ERP and online marketplaces, then rolled up their sleeves and got to work!  Within 24 hours, 5 dedicated resources working 12 hour shifts were deployed to clear the backlog.   Processing exceptions were brought immediately to the client for feedback allowing continuous refinement of the workflow.  247Digitize associates verified refund amounts in the ERP against the data on Amazon to ensure all amounts were in sync for 100% accounting of return funds.  Special care was taken to verify return shipping and tax amounts were calculated correctly across both platforms, where applicable.  Once confirmed, the transaction was finalized in Acumatica and any exception orders were sent to the Client for final resolution.

Results:  Within one day, the number of customer returns processed per hour increased over 50%.  Moreover, the entire backlog was cleared within 4 days instead of the month estimated by the Client.  Pleased with the result, they added ~2,000 PayPal and Channel Advisor returns to the queue which were also cleared within one day.  Once stabilized, our processing team was reduced to just one associate handling daily volume of 600 returns across all platforms.  In a competitive market, responding quickly to customer concerns is critical to survival and 247Digitize is here to help.

Contact us at info@247digitize.com for more details.