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家电回收物流运营方案一、背景随着科技的不断发展，人们生活水平不断提高，更新换代的速度也越来越快，家电产品的更新换代也日益频繁。
而随着居民家电消费水平的提高，废旧家电的数量也呈现逐年增加的趋势。
当前，废旧家电的回收处理尚未形成成熟的产业链，大量的废旧家电直接进入垃圾填埋场处理，造成资源的浪费和环境的污染。
因此，对家电废弃物的回收处理已成为社会发展过程中亟待解决的一个重要问题。
在这样的背景下，构建家电回收物流运营方案，将实现家电废弃物资源化利用的目标，实现可持续发展的目标，是非常具有意义的。
针对家电回收物流运营方案的制定，需考虑到回收网络布局、物流运输、信息系统等方面，对流程与模式进行整体优化，满足家电废弃物回收的需求。
二、家电废弃物回收的现状与问题1. 现状目前，废旧家电回收处理市场的规模仍然较小，主要面临以下问题：产业链不完整、回收渠道单一、政策法规不完善、企业生产与回收不协调等。
2. 问题（1）回收网络不完善。
目前废旧家电回收网络铺设不完善，覆盖面窄，小型维修点与回收站点较分散。
（2）物流运输成本高。
由于废旧家电的特殊性，物流运输成本相对较高，且效率不高。
（3）信息系统不健全。
回收处理行业信息化程度不高，运营系统还处于初级阶段。
三、家电回收物流运营方案1. 智能回收网络布局（1）城市空间分级规划。
根据城市的不同规模和特点，划分不同的回收区域，制定相对应的回收处理方案。
（2）建立回收站点。
在城市中心、各主要商业区、小区附近设立回收站点，方便市民投放废旧家电。
2. 物流运输优化（1）构建智能调度系统。
采用信息技术手段，结合数据分析与智能算法，实现实时调度，提高运输效率。
（2）配合废旧家电特点选择合适的运输工具。
例如，采用专门回收设备和车辆，根据不同型号和尺寸进行分类，实现物流多式联运。
3. 信息化系统建设（1）建立回收信息平台。
实现线上线下融合，为市民提供回收信息查询、预约等服务。
（2）推广RFID技术。
废旧电子产品逆向物流模式的选择在了解废旧电子产品逆向物流模式之前，我们先来认识一下逆向物流。
逆向物流是指将产品从消费者手中回收，然后进行再处理、再利用或安全处置的过程。
逆向物流与常规的物流方向相反，但同样涉及到了物品的流动、信息的传递和处理。
生产者责任延伸制：生产者责任延伸制是一种要求生产者在产品设计阶段就考虑产品生命周期结束后如何回收和处理产品的制度。
在废旧电子产品领域，生产者责任延伸制可以促使生产者承担产品回收和处理的责任，从而减少消费者的负担。
第三方逆向物流：第三方逆向物流是指委托第三方专业物流企业处理废旧电子产品的回收、处理和再利用过程。
这种模式能够提高废旧电子产品处理的效率和专业性，同时降低企业的成本。
联合逆向物流：联合逆向物流是指多个企业或组织联合起来，共同制定和实施废旧电子产品逆向物流计划。
这种模式可以实现资源共享、降低成本、提高效率，同时可以建立稳定的回收渠道。
在选择废旧电子产品逆向物流模式时，需考虑以下因素：成本效益：不同的逆向物流模式成本效益不同。
生产者责任延伸制和第三方逆向物流的成本较高，但能够提高处理效率和专业化程度。
联合逆向物流则可以实现资源共享，降低成本。
企业战略：企业的战略目标对逆向物流模式的选择有着重要影响。
如果企业注重社会责任和环保，那么生产者责任延伸制可能更合适；如果企业希望提高处理效率和专业化程度，第三方逆向物流或联合逆向物流可能更合适。
处理能力：不同模式的处理能力各有优劣。
生产者责任延伸制能够提高处理的专业性和效率，但需要生产者具备强大的处理能力；第三方逆向物流和联合逆向物流可以借助外部资源提高处理能力，但需要注意合作伙伴的选择和管理。
法规政策：法规政策对废旧电子产品逆向物流模式的选择具有重要影响。
在一些国家和地区，政府可能对生产者责任延伸制给予支持，而对第三方逆向物流和联合逆向物流进行监管。
企业需要当地的法规政策，合理选择逆向物流模式。
在实际应用中，一些企业已经成功地实施了不同的逆向物流模式。
某公司怎样处理回收物流1. 概述随着社会对环境保护意识的增强，回收和再利用变得越来越重要。
作为一家环保意识较高的公司，某公司积极致力于回收物流的处理和管理。
本文将介绍某公司是如何处理回收物流以及相关措施和策略。
2. 回收物流网络建设某公司为了有效处理回收物流，建立了一套完善的回收物流网络。
该网络包括以下几个关键环节：2.1 收集站点的设置某公司在各个地区设立了多个收集站点，以方便居民将废品和可回收物送至指定位置。
这些站点设有专门的回收箱和分类指导，以确保回收物质能够被正确分类和收集。
2.2 回收物流运输某公司与物流合作伙伴建立了长期合作关系，确保回收物质的安全运输和及时送达。
物流公司配备了专门的回收物流车辆和设备，以便于回收物质的装运和运输。
2.3 仓储设施某公司在各个地区都建立了专门的仓库，用于储存和处理回收物质。
这些仓库配备了必要的设施和设备，包括分类区域、储存区和处理设备。
3. 回收物流的分类处理为了最大限度地提高回收物质的再利用率，某公司采取了严格的分类处理措施。
3.1 分类收集在收集站点，某公司设有专门的分类指导，指导居民将废品和可回收物进行分类投放。
不同的废品被收集到不同的箱子中，以便后续的处理和分类。
3.2 分类处理一旦回收物质被送至仓库，某公司将进行进一步的分类处理。
根据回收物质的特性和再利用潜力，将其进行进一步的分类和处理。
比如，纸张和塑料袋被送至指定的再生厂进行再加工处理。
3.3 有害废品的处理有些废品可能含有有害物质，比如电子废弃物和化学品。
某公司将这些废品送至专门的处理中心进行安全处理，以防止对环境和人类健康造成伤害。
4. 清洁回收物流的措施为了确保回收物流的清洁和卫生，某公司采取了一系列措施。
4.1 定期清洗和消毒收集站点的回收箱和仓库设施定期进行清洗和消毒，以确保回收物质在收集和处理过程中的卫生和安全。
4.2 建立监管系统某公司在回收物流网络中建立了监管系统，对收集站点和仓库进行检查和监控，以确保操作符合相关的卫生和环保标准。
促使回收物流合理化应采取的措施2004年以来，我国迎来了家电报废的高峰期，每年都有计1 500万台左右的家电报废。
目前全国电冰箱保有量达1．2亿台、洗衣机1．7亿台、电视机4亿台、电脑l 600万台。
其中大部分已进入或即将进入报废期。
预计在近几年内，城市中70％-80％家庭的彩电、冰箱、洗衣机需要更新换代。
面对这一组庞大的数字，更需要考虑回收物流合理性的问题。
家电制造企业方面(1)绿色设计。
家电制造企业是旧家电产生的根源，如在制造时尽量进行绿色设计，使用不会对环境造成污染的原材料，就会减少流程中下游环节的压力。
这方面不仅需要企业具有环保意识，更需要国家法律进行约束。
企业通过进行绿色设计，还可以提高企业的信誉。
(2)生产者责任制。
家电制造企业在对旧物品的处理中，应该负有一定的责任。
如果让制造企业支付一部分废弃物的处理费用，就可以使企业倾向于使用绿色原料。
销售企业方面(1)尽量利用销售企业是连接制造企业和用户之间桥梁的作用，一方面在销售时可以向用户宣传旧家电对环境的危害，提高民众的环保意识，另一方面，销售企业可以向制造企业传达人们的购买意向，使制造企业进行绿色设计。
(2)重视二手家电市场。
目前，我国每年都有大量的二手家电交易，这些二手家电大多是流入教育相对落后的地区，这些地方人们的环保意识还比较差，二手家电的使用寿命又不长，所以每年都有很多的家电废弃后被随意抛弃，给环境造成了很大破坏。
销售企业必须重视这个市场，做好废旧家电回收物流。
(3)兼做家电回收。
销售企业在销售家电的同时，可以回收旧家电进行物流资源整合。
物流企业方面家电物流是整个家电市场得以顺利运行的基本保障，它在废旧家电回收合理化中应发挥积极的作用。
(1)物流中心的合理化作用。
可以把家电回收物流纳入到物流中心系统中，这有利于资源的合理分配。
物流中心有商品周转、商品拣选、商品保管、流通加工、信息处理等功能。
回收企业或销售企业可以利用物流中心的这些功能为本企业服务，从而降低成本，使企业的物流过程合理化。
分析废旧家电逆向物流随着我国家电市场的不断发展，废旧家电的数量也在不断增加，如何对废旧家电进行有效的回收利用已逐渐成为一个难题。
为了解决这一问题，逆向物流的思想应运而生。
逆向物流是指从消费者到生产者的物流活动，其中包括退货、换货、维修、回收等一系列活动。
在废旧家电回收利用方面，逆向物流可以直接将废旧家电从消费者手中回收，并进行分类处理，判断废旧家电是否可以进行二次加工或深加工，从而降低了资源浪费和环境污染。
在进行废旧家电回收利用的逆向物流过程中，需要进行以下几个步骤：第一步，建立废旧家电回收系统，包括设立废旧家电回收点、购买回收设备、招募回收工人等。
第二步，对回收来的废旧家电进行分类处理，将可以二次加工或深加工的废旧家电进行区分，并且将其中有价值的零部件进行拆卸。
第三步，利用科技手段，对废旧家电零部件进行再制造或二次利用。
例如，将其中的铜、铝、钢等金属零部件进行地球化学分析，从而制成纯度高的新材料。
同时，对于使用寿命短的零部件，可以进行再制造，并重新组装成新的家电。
第四步，将经过二次加工或深加工后的家电进行销售或出口，并将获得的利润分配给消费者和制造商。
通过以上几个步骤，我们可以看到废旧家电回收利用的逆向物流不仅可以减少环境污染和资源消耗，还可以带来巨大的经济效益。
同时，在逆向物流过程中，制造商也可以得到更多有关消费者需求方面的信息，从而提高产品质量，并提高消费者的满意度。
总之，废旧家电回收利用的逆向物流是一个全新的思路，可以在降低资源浪费的同时，创造经济效益，对于促进我国家电市场的可持续发展具有重要的作用。
未来，我们应该进一步推动逆向物流在废旧家电回收利用中的应用，倡导环保经济，共同努力实现可持续发展的目标。
电子产品回收处理流程随着科技的快速发展和更新换代的速度加快，电子产品的寿命越来越短，大量的废弃电子产品也随之产生。
为了解决电子垃圾对环境的污染和资源的浪费问题，电子产品回收处理流程应运而生。
本文将就电子产品回收处理流程进行详细介绍。
一、回收触发电子产品回收处理流程的第一步是回收触发，即消费者或企业将废弃的电子产品投放到回收渠道。
消费者可以选择将废弃的电子产品寄回给原厂商或指定的回收机构，也可以将废弃电子产品投放至回收箱。
对于企业来说，他们可以选择将废弃电子产品委托给专业的电子回收公司进行处理。
二、回收收集回收触发后，废弃电子产品将被回收渠道的工作人员进行收集。
他们会对废弃电子产品进行分类、整理和包装。
分类主要根据电子产品的种类和材料进行，例如手机、电脑、电视等，材料包括塑料、金属、玻璃等。
三、物流运输在回收收集后，废弃电子产品将通过物流渠道进行运输。
物流公司将根据收集到的废弃电子产品数量和地点进行合理规划，确保废弃电子产品能够安全、高效地运送到下一步处理环节。
四、初步处理废弃电子产品到达处理环节后，将进行初步处理。
这一步骤包括对电子产品的拆解和分解。
专业的技术人员将电子产品进行拆解，分离出不同的部件和材料，例如电池、电路板、塑料外壳等。
通过初步处理，既可以方便后续的资源回收利用，又可以减少对环境的污染。
五、资源回收初步处理后，废弃电子产品中的各种部件和材料将被进一步回收利用。
电池会被进行专门的处理，有害物质如镉、铅等将被安全地处理，而正常的金属元素则会被回收再利用。
电路板中的宝贵金属如金、银等会被提取出来，供再生产行业使用。
废弃电子产品中的塑料和玻璃等材料将根据不同的特性进行再利用或进行合理处理。
六、环境友好处理除了资源回收利用，电子产品回收处理流程还注重环境友好处理。
其中一个重要环节是有害物质的处理。
电子产品中的有害物质，如汞、镉、铅等，会被专业的处理机构采取环保措施进行处理，以免对环境和人体造成危害。
回收逆向物流流程
答：回收逆向物流流程通常包括以下几个主要环节：
1.回收。
这是将最终顾客所持有的废旧物品从消费者手中返回到供应链的“上
游”节点，这些节点可以是供应商、生产商、配送中心或零售商。
回收可以通过零售商退货回收、消费者退货回收、回收中心回收等多种方式进行。
2.检验。
回收后的产品或零部件首先需要接受检验，以确保其功能正常，并评
估其是否适合进行下一步处理。
检验过程包括对产品性能、成分的检测，以及确定产品的回流原因，以便对逆向物流进行分流处理。
3.分类。
在检验过程中，需要对产品进行分类，以确定产品回流的原因，并便
于对流经各级节点的逆向物流进行分流处理。
4.处理。
根据检验结果和分类情况，对逆向物流中的产品或零部件进行不同的
处理。
这可能包括直接再销售、再加工后销售、分拆后零部件再利用、报废处理等。
对于无法修复或存在重大缺陷的产品，可能进入再制造或再循环环节。
5.运输。
在逆向物流中，商品从一地返回至另一地的实际移动过程称为运输。
由于制造商通常不希望成为退回商品的最后目的地，因此运输步骤广泛地存在于逆向物流的各个方面。
6.再循环。
对于那些无法进行再销售、再加工或再制造的零部件，可能进入再
循环环节，即将这些零部件分解，回收可再生的材料，使其进入再循环系统。
整个回收逆向物流流程的目的是通过适当的处理和再利用，恢复产品的价值，减少环境污染，并优化资源利用。
1．什么是回收物流（又称逆向物流 Reverse Logistics）目前，理论界对逆向物流概念表述也有很多，较专业、准确地概括其特点的定义是：与传统供应链反向，为价值恢复或处置合理而对原材料、中间库存、最终产品及相关信息从消费地到起始点的有效实际流动所进行的计划、管理和控制过程。
可见，逆向物流的表现是多样化的，从使用过的包装到经处理过的电脑设备，从未售商品的退货到机械零件等等。
也就是说，逆向物流包含来自于客户手中的产品及其包装品、零部件、物料等物资的流动。
简而言之，逆向物流就是从客户手中回收用过的、过时的或者损坏的产品和包装开始，直至最终处理环节的过程。
但是现在越来越被普遍接受的观点是，逆向物流是在整个产品生命周期中对产品和物资的完整的、有效的和高效的利用过程的协调。
然而对产品再使用和循环的逆向物流控制研究却是过去的十年里才开始被认知和展开的。
其中较知名的论著是罗杰斯和提篷兰柯的《回收物流趋势和实践》，佛雷普的《物流计划和产品再造》等。
在我国，由国家质量技术监督局发布、2001年8月1日起正式实施的《中华人民共和国国家质量标准物流术语》中的所讲的"逆向物流"就是狭义的逆向物流，它不包括废弃物物流，具体表述如下："逆向物流(returned logistics)是指不合格物品的返修、退货以及周转使用的包装容器从需方返回到供方所形成的物品实体流动。
比如回收用于运输的托盘和集装箱、接受客户的退货、收集容器、原材料边角料、零部件加工中的缺陷在制品等的销售方面物品实体的反向流动过程。
""废弃物物流(waste material logistics)是指将经济活动中失去原有使用价值的物品，根据实际需要进行收集、分类、加工、包装、搬运、储存等，并分送到专门处理场所时形成的物品实体流动。
"综上所述，逆向物流有广义和狭义之分。
狭义的逆向物流(returned logistics)是指对那些由于环境问题或产品已过时的原因而产品、零部件或物料回收的过程。
回收物流合理化措施(一)回收物流合理化随着社会的发展，人们逐渐意识到回收可回收物品的重要性。
然而，回收物品的过程如果不合理，既会浪费时间和人力资源，也会增加环境污染。
因此，为了实现回收物流的合理化，可以采取以下措施：1. 建立回收物流系统建立回收物流系统，将回收点与回收中心相连，通过统一物流调度，降低回收成本并提高回收效率。
2. 提供回收容器在公共场所、小区、企事业单位等地方放置回收容器，方便市民投放可回收物品，并加强回收容器的维护和清洁，避免回收容器产生二次污染。
3. 优化回收路径通过技术手段优化回收路径，避免重复收运和漏收等情况的发生，提高回收效率。
此外，还可以采用智能化管理系统，进行实时监控和调度，确保回收工作的顺利进行。
4. 挖掘回收价值提高可回收物品的利用率，将废旧物品加工成新产品或进行再利用，实现资源的最大化利用，降低对环境的影响。
5. 推行分类回收加强对可回收物品的分类回收，减少废物的产生，提高废物的综合利用率，减少环境污染。
6. 加强宣传教育加强回收宣传教育，提高市民回收意识，促进公众积极参与回收工作，形成良好的社会氛围。
结论回收物流合理化是一项长期的工程，需要社会各界的共同努力和持续改进。
只有通过以上措施的实施，才能实现回收物资的最大化利用，为环境保护和可持续发展做出贡献。
建议在实践中，为了实现回收物流的合理化，还可以采取以下措施：1.积极引入新技术，如物联网、无人机等，提高回收物流的自动化水平，减少人力资源的浪费。
2.积极探索回收物资再利用的新途径，如废物置换、农业废弃物的利用等，提高资源利用效率。
3.加强回收工作的监管和管理，建立回收机构的信用评估和信用体系，规范市场秩序，防止不法分子的侵犯。
4.着力改善环保立法和法规的制定，完善相关政策，促进回收工作的规范化、科学化、可持续发展。
5.创新回收物品的处理方式，加强绿色回收，提高回收过程的环保性，为可持续发展献出一份力量。
结语回收物流合理化是环保工作的重要内容，也是实现“循环经济”的重要契机。
How Philips Reduced ReturnsThey?realized?that?the?company?needed?to?develop?a?core?competency?in?returns? management,?whether?the?actual?processes?were?handled?in?house?or?via?outside? partners.?Management?believed?that?it?needed?a?department?with?a?dedicated? director?and?focused?staff?to?accomplish?these?goals,?hoping?that?such?a? department?would?end?up?paying?for?itself?in?the?process.?When?Ken?approached?me,?I?was?working?in?the?product?marketing?group?after?a? decade?in?sales?with?regional?and?national?accounts.?My?background?was?new?for? the?returns?management?role.?Normally,?the?credit,?finance,?or?service?groups? within?most?companies?handle?returns.?But?Ken?understood?that?returns?really? are?"reverse?sales,"?and?they?are?often?caused?by?product-marketing?decisions.As?we?began?to?study?the?situation,?we?discovered?a?returns?environment?that? was?out?of?control.?In?general,?returns?in?the?United?States?have?been? increasing?due?to?a?"take?it?back"?culture,?propagated?by?retailers?with?liberal?and?almost?unlimited?return?policies.?Retailers?were?found?to?be?giving?refunds?to?consumers?over?two-thirds?of?the?time.?In?many?of?those? situations,?consumers?did?not?have?a?copy?of?the?sales?receipt?for?their? purchases.?Store?policies?that?were?in?place?were?not?easy?to?enforce,?making?it?difficult?to?reduce?improper?product?returns.?The?rise?of?returns?was?further?fueled?by?the?increase?in?products?that?could?not?be?serviced?in? the?home?coupled?with?the?demise?of?the?independent?service?providers?who? performed?in-home?repairs.?Most?consumer?electronics?companies?viewed?returns?as?the?cost?for?the?steady?sales?growth?in?new?retail?channels.?But?along?with?the?increase?in?overall? returns?was?another?disconcerting?statistic—the?rate?of?products?returned? with?"no?defect?found"?(NDF)?was?very?high,?averaging?more?than?70?percent? for?consumer?electronics,?more?than?85?percent?for?PC?products,?and?even?over? 90?percent?for?some?small?appliances.?Retailers?and?manufacturers?were?paying? significant?reverse?logistics?costs?to?move?products?that?were?not?defective.?The?situation?at?Philips?reflected?this?external?environment.?Because?we?had? no?one?focused?on?returns?and?no?clear?returns?policy?or?procedures,?Philips? had?developed?a?culture?of?"take?anything?back?from?anybody?anytime."?The? total?cost?of?returns?had?never?been?exposed?to?the?product?business?owners? or?even?identified?collectively?for?the?company.?Philips?had?never?attempted? to?implement?returns?solutions?across?department?lines?or?by?working?with? retailers.?This?lack?of?attention?to?returns?was?hurting?us:?Until?2000,?the? returns?rates?at?Philips?were?even?higher?than?the?industry?average.?Adding? to?our?problems,?many?major?retailers?had?begun?the?practice?of?deducting? for?returns?upon?shipment?back?to?vendors.?The?claims,?counter?claims,?and? reconciliation?processes?became?time-consuming,?manual-intensive?nightmares? for?manufacturers?like?us.?Finally,?the?secondary?market?for?these?goods?in? the?United?States?was?costly?for?Philips.?Many?of?the?liquidators?that? Philips?dealt?with?had?questionable?finances.?Additionally,?in?the?secondary? market?we?were?experiencing?poor?recovery?on?the?factory?costs?of?our? products.?As?an?example,?for?DVDs?sold?at?liquidators,?Philips?was?only? recovering?20?to?30?cents?on?the?dollar.Clearly,?changes?needed?to?be?made.?Philips?first?needed?to?analyze?its? returns?numbers?to?understand?their?size?and?total?cost?to?the?company.?We? also?had?to?understand?the?consumer?and?retailer?environment?in?order?to? make?improvements.?This?involved?researching?consumers'?reasons?for? returning?products—particularly?those?without?defects.?Finally?a?paradigm? shift?was?needed?in?many?areas.?That?is,?we?needed?to?take?proactive?steps,? both?internally?and?in?cooperation?with?our?retail?partners?and?service? providers,?to?address?the?root?causes?of?returns.Understanding?the?Problem:?Measuring?Returns?Everyone?recognizes?the?axiom?that?what?gets?measured,?gets?done.?For?those? of?us?in?returns?management,?this?meant?realizing?that?a?key?to?solving?the? returns?problem?lay?in?having?a?common?set?of?measurements?with?the?right? level?of?detail.?At?Philips,?the?main?problem?was?a?lack?of?consistent? measurements.?Returns?were?measured?and?defined?differently?in?the?United? States?than?in?the?rest?of?the?world,?and?different?parts?of?the?Philips? organization?used?different?IT?systems?to?measure?them.?Furthermore,?we? could?not?agree?on?what?time?period?to?use?(year?to?date,?monthly,?rolling? 12?month,?delayed?measure?for?retail?lag,?etc.)?or?how?to?classify?the? returns?(carrier?damage,?stock?balance,?defectives,?warehouse?errors,? service,?etc.).?These?differences?in?measurement?led?to?misleading?results.Finally,?in?2001,?a?Philips?cross-departmental?team?established?some? measurement?standards.?The?team?decided?to?separate?returns?identified?as?defective?from?returns?for?all?other?reasons?(for?example,?carrier?damage,? stock?balancing,?and?order?errors).?They?also?agreed?to?use?a?rolling?12-month?comparison?over?two?periods.?This?meant,?for?example,?that?returns? from?one?dealer?for?September?2002?to?August?2003?would?be?compared?to? returns?for?that?same?dealer?from?September?2001?to?August?2002.?The?team? believed?that?this?would?provide?the?most?realistic?view?of?dealer?returns,? which?are?less?affected?by?seasonality?trends.Return?reports?are?now?issued?by?dealer,?by?product?category,?and?by?model.? (An?example?of?a?template?for?such?a?report?is?shown?in?Exhibit?1.)?To?keep? the?return?numbers?in?perspective,?we?chart?them?against?gross?sales?and? trends?in?return?and?sales?rates?for?the?entire?company,?which?would?show? any?specific?increases?or?decreases.?The?reports?also?include?a?target? percentage?reduction?and?a?return?percent?rate?column?to?keep?all?eyes?on? our?goals.My?role?in?returns?management?for?Philips?requires?that?I?disseminate?this? returns?information?to?the?key?sales,?service,?finance,?and?product?groups,? including?senior?management.?But?I?understand?that?information?alone?is?not? knowledge.?For?this?reason,?each?summary?review?has?to?include?key?returns? issues?by?model,?group,?or?dealer,?along?with?my?recommendations?or?updates? of?activities?for?improvement.The?consistency?of?the?reports?played?a?key?role?in?getting?the?key?players? to?accept?both?the?reports?themselves?and?the?responsibility?for?returns-reduction?goals.?Product?managers?had?to?see?the?same?results?for?their? categories?as?the?sales?groups?saw?for?their?totals.?Our?newly?installed? information?system?(SAP)?enabled?us?to?provide?this?level?of?consistency.? Anyone?in?Philips,?anywhere?in?the?world,?who?is?trained?to?access?the? reports?will?see?the?same?data.?SAP?also?enabled?our?return?reports?to?drill? down?to?model-?and?dealer-level?detail.?This?is?a?massive?report?for?a? company?like?Philips,?where?we?ship?over?10?million?boxes?per?year.?In? addition,?the?built-in?flexibility?of?SAP?still?allows?us?to?generate?some? reports?that?track?returns?at?the?monthly?and?year-to-date?level.?These? reports?are?given?to?groups?such?as?finance?and?logistics?that?need?the? information?presented?this?way?for?forecasting?and?warehouse?planning.Getting?Inside?the?Consumer's?Head?Understanding?the?returns?situation?depended?on?knowing?not?only?how?many? returns?we?were?handling?but?also?why?products?were?being?returned.?In?2001,? Philips?was?able?to?work?with?a?national?retailer?to?survey?its?customers? who?had?bought?and?returned?selected?Philips?products?with?higher?than? budgeted?return?rates.?The?retailer's?market?research?group?contacted?some? 400-plus?consumers?with?an?agreed-upon?list?of?25?questions?about?their? shopping?and?return?experience.?To?get?participation?and?hopefully?to?gain? more?accurate?feedback,?we?offered?gift?certificates?for?these?extended? phone?interviews.?Surprisingly,?more?than?75?percent?of?the?consumers? admitted?knowing?their?returned?products?were?not?defective.?The?survey? identified?the?primary?reason?for?the?returns?as?"misinformation?at?point?of?sale."?The?secondary?reasons?related?to?difficulties?in?hook?up,?use,?or?operation.Another?disconcerting?statistic?was?that?the?retailer?gave?cash?or?credit? refunds?for?two-thirds?of?the?returns.?This?statistic?was?particularly? troubling?to?Philips?because?in?the?majority?of?these?cases?the?retailer?did?not?use?a?repair?service?provider.?Instead?most?of?the?returns?were? sent?back?to?the?manufacturers?as?defective.?As?returns?increased,?carrier? volume?grew.?In?response?to?that?increase,?we?had?begun?to?develop?reverse -logistics?processes?that?made?moving?these?goods?back?through?the?supply? chain?more?efficient.?Yet,?while?efficient?reverse?logistics?helped? minimize?our?losses,?they?did?nothing?to?address?the?profits?that?were? still?being?lost?at?every?point?of?the?returns?process.Based?on?the?survey?results,?Philips?and?the?retailer?recognized?that? returns?were?not?tied?to?the?actual?quality?of?the?product.?Instead,?many? of?these?issues?were?related?to?product?packaging?not?clearly?representing? the?product?or?the?product's?operating?requirements,?such?as?subscription? services.?An?additional?factor?was?inadequate?training?of?retail? salespeople?for?communicating?product?features?and?benefits?to?the?consumer.At?Philips,?the?research?also?helped?us?to?understand?better?the?reasons?for the?increase?in?call?center?time?spent?on?many?of?our?new,?digital?products,? such?as?home?theaters,?satellite?systems,?digital?video?recorders,?and?even? DVD?players?without?standard?antenna?jacks.?The?complexity?and?technical?problems?with?these?products?was?further?increased?by?products?from?one? hardware?manufacturer?having?to?work?with?software?or?services?from?a? different?provider,?such?as?TiVo,?AOL,?or?WebTV.?One?digital?Internet?device? with?this?dual?ownership?had?return?rates?of?more?than?25?percent?and?a?no-defect-found?rate?of?more?than?90?percent.?Such?results?point?to?usability? problems?and?lack?of?product-packaging?clarity.The?survey?substantiated?many?intuitive?beliefs?for?the?retailer?and?for? Philips.?It?was?obvious?that?steps?needed?to?be?taken?to?improve?product? clarity,?usability,?and?interoperability.?But?the?real?challenge?was?how?to?correct?the?perceived?entitlement?among?American?consumers?for? returning?purchases?back?to?retailers.?This?phenomenon?is?much?more? prevalent?in?the?United?States?than?in?other?countries.?In?most?other? countries,?consumers?are?encouraged?to?repair?damaged?products?or?accept? alternative?solutions,?such?as?contacting?the?manufacturer?directly,?instead?of?receiving?cash?refunds?for?returns.?But?in?the?United?States,? Philips?(and?other?global?companies)?have?to?find?ways?to?start?working? differently?with?retailers?so?that?they?can?reduce?the?flow?of?goods?in?the?reverse?supply?chain—especially?those?products?that?are?not?truly? defective.?If?we?don't,?the?estimated?costs?for?both?sides?are?enormous.Manufacturer's?Steps:?Improving?the?Out-of-the-Box?Experience?Based?on?this?research,?we?identified?factors?at?the?manufacturing,?retail,?and?service?supply?chain?that?were?contributing?to?the?high?rate?of?returns?and?looked?for?potential?actions?to?take?to?alleviate?them.?One?of?the?main?messages?of?the?survey?was?that?it?wasn't?poor?product? quality?that?was?driving?returns,?but?the?complexity?of?the?product.? Internally,?at?Philips,?we?recognized?"ease?of?use"?as?the?next?barrier?for?consumers?and?began?working?to?improve?the?out-of-box?experience?for? the?consumer.?We?have?increased?service?support?with?Web?and?call?center? enhancements,?such?as?FAQs,?hook-up?downloads,?and?free?product?upgrades? for?DVD?and?other?digital?products.?Additionally,?Philips?is?now? including?"stop?sheets"?in?the?box?with?the?product.?These?sheets?are? emblazoned?with?a?stop?sign?and?direct?the?consumer?to?contact?the? manufacturer?first?before?taking?the?product?back?to?the?retail?store.?All?of?these?actions?have?helped?reduce?returns?by?encouraging?the? consumer?to?contact?the?manufacturer?to?try?to?solve?the?problem.Philips?is?also?examining?ways?to?increase?local?or?central?depot?repair? and?offer?easy?exchange?programs.?Under?such?a?program,?Philips?would? pay?retailers?or?servicers?a?handling?fee?to?send?returned?products? directly?back?to?us.?These?programs?might?possibly?include?providing?drop-off?centers?for?returns?at?places?like?Staples?or?Mail?Boxes?Etc.?or?providing?UPS?call/ship?tags?for?warranty?service.In?addition?to?these?efforts,?Philips?joined?the?Ease?of?Use?(EOU)? Roundtable??in?2002.?The?Ease?of?Use?Roundtable?is?a?PC?and?consumer?electronics?industry?association?committed?to? improving?the?consumer?experience?with?high-tech?products.?Participants?include?leading?manufacturers?and?retailers.?Intel?founded?the? roundtable?in?1998?when?industry?data?indicated?that?the?number-two? reason?people?were?not?buying?PCs?was?because?they?were?too?hard?to? use.The?Ease?of?Use?Roundtable?looks?at?how?companies?can?base?new?product? creation,?design,?and?operability?on?the?desired?user?experience?rather? than?developing?a?technology?and?looking?at?how?to?sell?it?afterwards.? For?example,?high-?tech?companies?may?look?at?designing?printers?and? computers?so?that?a?when?a?printer?is?hooked?up?to?a?computer,?the? computer?recognizes?and?sets?up?the?software?needed?for?it?to?work.? This?is?accomplished?through?using?human-factor?engineering?(HFE)—a? growing?discipline?in?the?PC?and?consumer?electronics?industries—to? create?Initial?Experience?Predictors?(IEPs).?An?Initial?Experience? Predictor?is?a?checklist?tool?that?provides?the?design?team?with?a?series?of?questions?that?help?predict?what?a?user's?out-of-box? experience?with?a?product?will?be.?The?IEP?was?invented?by?Intel?and?further?developed?by?the?EOU?Roundtable.?It?can?be?used?during? product?development?to?take?the?end?consumer's?needs?into?account? when?designing?the?operation,?packaging,?and?instructions?for?use?of?a?new?product.?Doing?this?should?decrease?the?number?of?no-defect-found?returns?as?well?as?reducing?support?center?calls?and?improving? customer?satisfaction.?Such?improvements?will?add?significantly?to?the? bottom?line?for?all?manufacturers,?avoid?unnecessary?returns?at?retail,? and?lower?call?center?and?other?support?costs?driven?by?product?complexity.?All?of?this?will?help?expand?the?market?for?easier-to-use? PC?and?consumer?electronics?products.Yet,?while?there?is?much?potential?in?using?human-factor?engineering?and? Interactive?Experience?Predictors,?room?for?improvement?still?exists.? Philips?has?begun?using?these?techniques?in?designing?its?products?but? with?varying?degrees?of?success.?While?returns?have?decreased,?we?have? found?it?difficult?to?account?for?differences?in?how?consumers?around? the?globe?approach?electronic?products.EOU?Roundtable?members?also?participate?in?setting?industry?standards?for? usability.?The?EOU?also?publishes?guidelines?to?help?development?teams? produce?design?enhancements?that?reduce?the?setup?time?for?new?computer? operating?systems.?The?Ease?of?Use?Roundtable?guidelines?and?white? papers?have?helped?the?high-tech?industry,?including?Philips,?develop? and?expand?the?use?of?quick?setup?guides?and?reduce?over-designed? owner's?manuals.?Manufacturers,?such?as?Philips,?that?adopt?"ease?of? use"?as?the?next?frontier?beyond?quality?will?win?at?the?retail?and? consumer?level.Retailer?Steps:?New?Policies?and?TechnologiesRetailers,?for?their?part,?also?have?been?making?changes?to?reduce? returns?and?their?reverse?logistics?flow.?Based?on?Philips?research,? some?retailers?have?improved?store?signs?to?include?important?information,?such?as?subscription?service?fees?and?minimum?systems? requirements,?at?the?point?of?sale.?Retailers?also?are?training?their?sales?associates?to?provide?customers?with?more?information?about? product?operation?and?subscription?service?fees?for?such?things?as? satellite?TV.Additionally,?in?the?last?two?years,?retailers?have?made?an?effort?to?gain?more?control?of?returns?from?consumers.?Some?of?these?efforts? simply?involve?enforcement?of?previously?existing?return?policies.?Many? retailers,?such?as?Best?Buy,?now?post?their?return?policy?in?plain?sight.?These?policy?statements?identify?any?restocking?fees—and?more? retailers?are?actually?collecting?them.?Some?retailers,?like?Target?and? Kmart,?have?begun?to?strongly?enforce?their?requirements?that?all?product? returns?must?have?a?receipt?and?fall?within?the?specified?return?period.? Other?retailers?have?added?new?policies?to?deal?with?the?problem.?Some? retailers?are?offering?manufacturer?contact?information?(such?as?1-800? numbers)?or?local?servicer?information.?To?reduce?arguments?at?the?store? service?desk,?Wal-Mart,?now?offers?a?direct-to-vendor?warranty?repair? program?to?accommodate?customers?without?a?sales?receipt?or?with?products? beyond?the?return?period.?Under?this?new?policy,?Wal-Mart?offers?to?send? the?"defective"?unit?to?the?manufacturer?for?repair?or?like?replacement.? This?policy?has?maintained?customer?satisfaction?while?also?avoiding? large?numbers?of?returns?as?consumers?frequently?choose?not?to?send?back? the?product—possibly?since?the?goods?are?not?truly?defective.In?some?cases,?new?industry?circumstances?have?required?changes?to? existing?policies.?The?rapid?turnover?of?new,?improved?models?for? technology?products,?such?as?CD?burners?and?digital?cameras,?has? challenged?the?90-day?return?policy?popularized?by?mass?retailers.? Because?these?products?have?such?a?quick?lifecycle,?the?90-day?policy? allows?consumers?to?return?their?nondefective?products?for?a?new,?higher -speed?CD?burner?or?higher-resolution?digital?camera.?To?cut?down?on?the? number?of?"upgrade"?returns,?many?retailers?have?reduced?the?window?for? returns?for?selected?products?(such?as?digital?products)?and?some?have? reduced?the?window?for?all?products.?This?policy?change?also?has?helped? to?decrease?weekend?or?vacation?"rental"?use?of?products?and?the?number? of?fraudulent?returns.Consumer?abuse?of?returns?policies?has?received?publicity?from?such? media?channels?as?The?Phil?Donahue?Show?and?the?Wall?Street?Journal.? The?attention?has?served?to?highlight?the?problem?and?to?encourage? retailers?and?manufacturers?to?step?up?efforts.?With?experts?estimating? that?10?percent?of?all?returns?are?stolen?goods?returned?for?cash,?some?retailers?have?chosen?to?eliminate?cash?refunds?and?offer?store? credits?as?the?only?option.?Likewise,?Philips?has?been?more?vigorous? about?enforcing?its?own?return?policies?with?the?retailers?themselves.In?addition?to?these?policy?changes,?retailers?also?implemented?many? improvements?to?point-of-sale?systems?to?help?them?identify?and?stop? repeat?policy?offenders.?Some?of?these?systems?track?returns?by?customer?or?by?credit?card,?which?allows?the?retailer?to?ensure?that?a?customer?bought?that?product?at?its?store?and?also?to?track?repeat? returners.?Additionally,?many?point-of-return?desk?computers?are? beginning?to?show?photos?of?the?product?and?key?accessories?for?the? clerks?to?match.?Both?of?these?systems?provide?retailers?with?strong? backup?materials?that?allow?them?to?refuse?an?improper?or?fraudulent? return.One?of?the?most?promising?systems-based?approaches?to?eliminating? unqualified?product?returns?is?SiRAS??a?patented?electronic?registration?program.?Many?national?and?regional?retailers? have?implemented?this?system,?which?captures?a?product's?serial?number? at?point?of?sale.?This?program?gives?retailers?the?best?way?to?validate?a?return?when?there?is?no?receipt—which?may?be?more?than?75?percent?of? the?time.?SiRAS?has?worked?with?retailers?such?as?Wal-Mart?and?Target?to? flag?selected?higher-ticket?electronic?products?to?be?scanned?a?second? time?at?the?point-of-sale?register?for?the?serial-number?bar?code.?The? information?about?the?store?and?date?of?sale?for?that?specific?product? (but?not?about?the?consumer)?is?transmitted?to?the?SiRAS?data?warehouse? for?use?as?needed?in?the?future.?When?the?consumer?wants?to?return?one? of?these?registered?products?but?does?not?have?a?sales?receipt,?the? retailer?can?validate?proof?of?purchase?either?with?a?scan?or?a?phone? call?to?the?SiRAS?database?to?confirm?where?and?when?the?unit?was?sold.? In?as?many?70?percent?of?the?cases,?the?database?identifies?that?the? product?was?not?sold?by?that?retailer?or?is?well?beyond?the?approved?store?policy?period?for?a?return.Philips?and?other?manufacturers?have?found?the?SiRAS?program?to?be? invaluable?and?have?been?able?to?stop?recording?the?serial?numbers?of? individual?product?shipments.?The?complexity?of?the?forward?supply? chain?made?such?a?practice?too?costly?and?ineffective?for?the? manufacturers?to?do?themselves.?Current?warehouse?tracking?systems? cannot?provide?the?type?of?information?needed?to?enforce?warranty?and? return?policies.?Warehouse?systems?only?identify?point?of?shipment?and? retailer.?Warranty?periods?and?return?policies,?however,?depend?on?the? date?of?purchase?by?the?end?consumer?not?date?of?shipment.?At?the?same? time,?new?tracking?systems?such?as?RFID?(radio?frequency?identifica-tion)?are?still?years?away.?SiRAS?has?provided?a?good?alternative.Warranty?validation?is?also?complicated?by?the?fact?that?very?few? consumers?send?in?warranty?cards,?and?fewer?still?save?their?original? receipt.?Return?periods?for?consumer?electronics,?however,?can?be?very? long?with?the?average?lifecycle?of?a?model?being?one?year.Furthermore,?some?dealers?may?extend?that?warranty?up?to?one?year? after?the?last?shipment?they?receive?from?the?manufacturer?or?until?the?last?inventory?of?a?model?is?sold.?All?of?this?makes?it?difficult?to?ensure?that?the?store?is?following?the?proper?warranty? policy.?According?to?research?by?Philips?and?a?national?retailer,?a? significant?number?of?returns?occur?well?beyond?the?store?policy—after?the?end?of?the?product?life?and?the?last?sales?of?the?product.Electronic?registration?allows?retailers,?manufacturers,?servicers,? return?centers,?and?call?centers?to?apply?fair?business?policies?to?a?return?or?to?provide?properly?qualified?support?to?the?end?consumer.? All?licensed?partners?have?easy?access?to?the?date?and?place?of? purchase?from?the?SiRAS?system.?Because?the?program?is?installed?in? the?point-of-sale?register?systems?at?most?retailers,?costs?are? minimized?and?the?manufacturers?pay?the?registration?cost?per?unit.?A?growing?number?of?manufacturers?(primarily?of?higher-cost?goods)? are?licensing?this?electronic?registration?program,?making?SiRAS?a?de?facto?industry?standard.Like?many?other?manufacturers,?Philips?has?seen?the?benefits?of? SiRAS.?For?example,?in?2000?when?Philips?and?a?national?retailer? planned?a?one-day?sales?blitz?for?a?product,?we?decided?to?use? SiRAS?to?help?reduce?improper?returns.?Normally,?a?sales?item?of? this?type?generates?7?to?9?percent?consumer?returns.?But?by?using?the?electronic?registration?program,?we?ended?up?with?a?returns?rate? of?less?than?2?percent,?which?is?much?closer?to?the?true?defect?rate?of?consumer?electronics?products.?The?SiRAS?program?was?so?successful? that?Philips?arranged?to?use?electronic?registration?on?another?sales? blitz?item?in?2001Servicer?Steps:?Revitalize?the?NetworkA?thorough?returns?management?program?would?not?be?complete?without?a? network?of?authorized?service?centers,?either?as?fully?owned?factory? branches?or?independent?chains.?While?Philips?has?a?large?number?of? authorized?servicers,?our?network?has?declined?dramatically?over?the? past?few?years.?The?decline?in?the?number?of?servicers?has?come?as?the?quality?of?most?consumer?electronics?has?improved.?Additionally,? servicers?in?the?past?derived?a?significant?share?of?their?revenue?from?both?warranty-claim?repairs?and?from?affordable,?out-of-warranty?repairs?for?higher-cost?products.?A?growing?number?of? products,?however,?have?turned?into?exchange-warranty?products.?The? price?of?consumer?electronics?has?decreased?while?the?speed?of? product?upgrades?has?increased.?As?a?result,?it?is?often?more? economical?for?consumers?to?buy?a?newer?and?better?product?than?to? repair?an?out-of-warranty?one.?Manufacturers?have?not?been?able?to? increase?repair?rates?at?the?levels?needed?by?the?independent?servicers?to?grow?their?business.The?growth?of?these?less-easily-repaired?digital?products,?such?as? computers,?requires?a?paradigm?shift.?The?repair?industry?needs?to?offer?a?wider?range?of?services?to?grow?revenue?and?to?support? manufacturers'?efforts?to?reduce?the?flow?of?nondefective?returns.?Some?servicers?now?perform?additional?activities?for?Philips,?such?as?product?plug-and-play?testing?of?returned?products?or?inspection?programs?at?selected?retailers.?Servicers?also?have?begun?to?work?with?retailers?and?manufacturers?to?provide? installation?assistance?for?customers?of?complex?electronic? products,?such?as?home?theatre?systems?and?large-screen?TVs.? The?need?for?this?type?of?service?is?growing?because?home?delivery? business?is?increasing?but?carriers?are?not?able?to?provide? installation?expertise.In?addition,?servicers?can?work?with?manufacturers?to?analyze?a? product's?quality,?first?failure?of?new?models,?and?consumer? operational?issues.?This?collaborative?effort?encompasses?not?only? providing?immediate?feedback?to?the?manufacturer?on?these?issues? but?also?identifying?key?problems?for?new?models?just?released? into?the?marketplace.?Philips?has?begun?working?with?servicers?to? provide?this?sort?of?analysis?and?is?looking?to?expand?these? efforts?into?more?product?categories.?The?servicers?can?also?help? manufacturers?provide?a?same-day?response?program?to?repair?high -priced?products?in?the?consumer's?home?and?prevent?a?costly? product?return.?They?also?can?offer?to?handle?the?manufacturers'? exchange-warranty?products.?This?might?involve?an?advance?swap? program,?where?the?manufacturer?ships?replacement?units?to?the? servicer?before?the?defective?units?actually?arrive?back?at?the? manufacturer's?facility.?By?offering?all?these?programs,?the? service?provider?could?become?a?one-stop?shop?for?handling?a? manufacturer's?returns.Servicers?can?and?will?act?as?a?third-party?intermediary?for? inspections,?field?scrap,?and?claims?reconciliation?in?the?returns? arena.?But?all?of?these?activities?require?revitalizing?the?service? network?to?focus?on?preventing?high-tech?products?from?moving?back? to?manufacturers?in?the?reverse?supply?chain.?Expanding?such?a? proactive?service?network?would?be?beneficial,?as?companies?can?no? longer?afford?to?focus?solely?on?reverse?logistics?to?minimize? returns.?Reverse?logistics?is?generally?concerned?with?providing? the?lowest?cost?movement?of?goods?back?to?manufacturers.?A? servicer,?however,?can?add?value?by?stopping?the?return?and? enhancing?customer?satisfaction.?This?type?of?service?would?be? particularly?useful?for?high-priced?digital?electronics?that?have? rapid?price?erosion,?such?as?computers.?Additionally,?the?right? service?support?can?build?brand?loyalty?with?retailers?and? consumers.?Ultimately,?well-structured?service?programs?not?only? will?reduce?costs?as?well?as?the?most?efficient?reverse?logistics? system?but?also?will?provide?additional?benefits?to?consumer? electronics?manufacturers.?Philips?is?currently?in?the?midst?of? transforming?its?service?network?to?provide?these?high-value? services?to?the?end?customer.The?Results?The?results?of?all?of?these?returns?reduction?initiatives?over?the? last?five?years?have?been?significant?for?Philips.?The?first?two?。
