第1页共21页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第1页共21页HowPhilipsReducedReturnsFromtheNovember/December2003issueofSupplyChainManagementReviewTONYSCIARROTTASupplyChainManagementReviewNovember1,2003Theanswertoreducingthecostofreturnsdoesnotalwayslieinimprovingyourreverselogisticsoperations.AtPhilipsConsumerElectronics,thereturnsmanagementdepartmenthasfocusedonhowitcanstopreturnsbeforetheyevenenterthereversesupplychain.Bytakingpreventativestepssuchasimprovingaproduct’seaseofuse,enforcingcompanypolicies,andrevitalizingtheservicenetwork,Philipshascutitsreturnsbymorethan$100millionperyear.In1998,Iwaspresentedwithanopportunity:headupareturnsmanagementdepartmentwithinPhilipsConsumerElectronicsandhelpleadeffortstocontrolamajorcostdriver—productreturns.Atthattime,PhilipsConsumerElectronicshadnoreturnsmanagementdepartment,andreverselogisticswasnotyetpartofthelanguageofmostmanufacturers.ButmanagementandKenGoins,thevicepresident/generalmanagerofPhilipsServiceCompanywhoapproachedmewiththeopportunity,recognizedthatthecompanywasfacingrelativelyhighreturnrates.Theimpactofthosereturnsonthebottomlinewassignificant,amountingtotensofmillionsofdollarsin第2页共21页第1页共21页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第2页共21页losses.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.第3页共21页第2页共21页编号：时间：2021年x月x日书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟页码：第3页共21页Mostconsumerelectronicscompaniesviewedreturnsasthecostforthesteadysalesgrowthinnewretailchannels.Butalongwiththeincreaseinoverallreturnswasanotherdisconcertingstatistic—therateofproductsreturnedwith"nodefectfound"(NDF)wasveryhigh,averagingmorethan70percentforconsumerelectronics,morethan85percentforPCproducts,andevenover90percentforsomesmallappliances.Retailersandmanufacturerswerepayingsignificantreverselogisticscoststomoveproductsthatwerenotdefective.ThesituationatPhilipsreflectedthisexternalenvironment.Becausewehadnoonefocusedonreturnsandnoclearreturnspolicyorprocedures,Philipshaddevelopedacultureof"takeanythingbackfrom...
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