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1、How Philips Reduced Returns FromtheNovember/December2003issueofSupplyChainManagementReviewTONYSCIARROTTASupplyChainManagementReviewNovember1,2003Theanswertoreducingthecostofreturnsdoesnotalwayslieinimprovingyourreverselogisticsoperations.AtPhilipsConsumerElectronics,thereturnsmanagementdepartmenthas
2、focusedonhowitcanstopreturnsbeforetheyevenenterthereversesupplychain.Bytakingpreventativestepssuchasimprovingaproductseaseofuse,enforcingcompanypolicies,andrevitalizingtheservicenetwork,Philipshascutitsreturnsbymorethan$100millionperyear.In1998,Iwaspresentedwithanopportunity:headupareturnsmanagement
3、departmentwithinPhilipsConsumerElectronicsandhelpleadeffortstocontrolamajorcostdriverproductreturns.Atthattime,PhilipsConsumerElectronicshadnoreturnsmanagementdepartment,andreverselogisticswasnotyetpartofthelanguageofmostmanufacturers.ButmanagementandKenGoins,thevicepresident/generalmanagerofPhilips
4、ServiceCompanywhoapproachedmewiththeopportunity,recognizedthatthecompanywasfacingrelativelyhighreturnrates.Theimpactofthosereturnsonthebottomlinewassignificant,amountingtotensofmillionsofdollarsinlosses.Philipsmanagementwasunderpressuretoreducethecostofreturns.Theyrealizedthatthecompanyneededtodevel
5、opacorecompetencyinreturnsmanagement,whethertheactualprocesseswerehandledinhouseorviaoutsidepartners.Managementbelievedthatitneededadepartmentwithadedicateddirectorandfocusedstafftoaccomplishthesegoals,hopingthatsuchadepartmentwouldenduppayingforitselfintheprocess.WhenKenapproachedme,Iwasworkinginth
6、eproductmarketinggroupafteradecadeinsaleswithregionalandnationalaccounts.Mybackgroundwasnewforthereturnsmanagementrole.Normally,thecredit,finance,orservicegroupswithinmostcompanieshandlereturns.ButKenunderstoodthatreturnsreallyarereversesales,andtheyareoftencausedbyproduct-marketingdecisions.Aswebeg
7、antostudythesituation,wediscoveredareturnsenvironmentthatwasoutofcontrol.Ingeneral,returnsintheUnitedStateshavebeenincreasingduetoatakeitbackculture,propagatedbyretailerswithliberalandalmostunlimitedreturnpolicies.Retailerswerefoundtobegivingrefundstoconsumersovertwo-thirdsofthetime.Inmanyofthosesit
8、uations,consumersdidnothaveacopyofthesalesreceiptfortheirpurchases.Storepoliciesthatwereinplacewerenoteasytoenforce,makingitdifficulttoreduceimproperproductreturns.Theriseofreturnswasfurtherfueledbytheincreaseinproductsthatcouldnotbeservicedinthehomecoupledwiththedemiseoftheindependentserviceprovide
9、rswhoperformedin-homerepairs.Mostconsumerelectronicscompaniesviewedreturnsasthecostforthesteadysalesgrowthinnewretailchannels.Butalongwiththeincreaseinoverallreturnswasanotherdisconcertingstatistictherateofproductsreturnedwithnodefectfound(NDF)wasveryhigh,averagingmorethan70percentforconsumerelectro
10、nics,morethan85percentforPCproducts,andevenover90percentforsomesmallappliances.Retailersandmanufacturerswerepayingsignificantreverselogisticscoststomoveproductsthatwerenotdefective.ThesituationatPhilipsreflectedthisexternalenvironment.Becausewehadnoonefocusedonreturnsandnoclearreturnspolicyorprocedu
11、res,Philipshaddevelopedacultureoftakeanythingbackfromanybodyanytime.Thetotalcostofreturnshadneverbeenexposedtotheproductbusinessownersorevenidentifiedcollectivelyforthecompany.Philipshadneverattemptedtoimplementreturnssolutionsacrossdepartmentlinesorbyworkingwithretailers.Thislackofattentiontoreturn
12、swashurtingus:Until2000,thereturnsratesatPhilipswereevenhigherthantheindustryaverage.Addingtoourproblems,manymajorretailershadbegunthepracticeofdeductingforreturnsuponshipmentbacktovendors.Theclaims,counterclaims,andreconciliationprocessesbecametime-consuming,manual-intensivenightmaresformanufacture
13、rslikeus.Finally,thesecondarymarketforthesegoodsintheUnitedStateswascostlyforPhilips.ManyoftheliquidatorsthatPhilipsdealtwithhadquestionablefinances.Additionally,inthesecondarymarketwewereexperiencingpoorrecoveryonthefactorycostsofourproducts.Asanexample,forDVDssoldatliquidators,Philipswasonlyrecovering20to30centsonthedollar.Clearly,changesneededtobemade.Philipsfirstneededtoanalyzeitsreturnsnumberstounderstandtheirsizeandtotalcosttothecompany.Wealsohadtounderstandtheconsumerand
