Read your submittal out loud. I highly doubt you actually talk like that :). I will be looking for the ideas to be reformatted into your own words for the case study .

PROFESSORS NOTES – Great research. I am concerned, however, fill in more with your own words. Read your submittal out loud. I highly doubt you actually talk like that :). I will be looking for the ideas to be reformatted into your own words for the case study .

Objective:

You have been tasked by your new boss to design a returns management or reverse logistics systems for your company. The design is to be documented through a written report and a one-page presentation that will be shared with upper management. This is your chance to shine.

Returns Management System

Introduction

Returns management refers to a process that necessitates the association of members within a supply chain. Ideally, returns management comprises the evaluation of returned products that result in the identification of appropriate opportunities to lessen the number of undesirable returns (Holodnicki 3). Returns management is attributed to the growth in home delivery and e-commerce which has been associated with a notable increase of product exchanges and returns (Bernon, and Gorst 13). The study focuses on the footwear industry which relies on e-commerce to deliver shoes to customers. However, a challenge is encountered where the customer is unable to physically observe the shoe until it is received which sometimes leads to product dissatisfaction and consequently skyrocketing of returns.

Using mail as the method of returning the shoes further complicates the process. Therefore, there is a need for innovative solutions to address exchanges and customer returns within the footwear industry. The application of e-commerce in the footwear industry has the strength of a structural advantage since there are reduced operational costs compared to the brick and mortar stores (Lamb et al. 10). However, there is the weakness of dissatisfaction with a product resulting in returns and exchanges. Nonetheless, there is the opportunity for innovative solutions comprising live chat coupled with social media which enhances the shopping experience that is customer-friendly. The footwear industry is likely to face barriers in entry especially during regulatory and legal changes in e-commerce for a particular country (Vuylsteke, and Fraser 4)

The overall process will start with the customer visiting the website for the footwear industry and select the desired shoes as shown in Figure 1. The customer must indicate the size, color, and design which will have varying prices. The customer is at liberty to ask for alternatives especially when the prices appear to be very high, and the firm may decide to give some discount for items bought exceeding one. The customer will then specify the duration for delivery before making payment. The customer will then pick the order on the stated pick-up date and confirm delivery.

The customer is allowed to request for a refund or an exchange in case he or she is dissatisfied with the product and does not meet the earlier identified criteria. The industry will consider the request in case the product is returned within three days of the original pick-up date. However, the returned time should have the original tags in place, unused, undamaged, and unworn. Nonetheless, the customer will only have exchanges for product description marked “Final Sale” and no refund will be made in such cases

In conclusion, the returns management system will solve the challenges earlier identified in several ways. The system will heavily rely on social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp coupled with live chats which will comprise sending the shoe pictures to the customer before making the final order. The process will help prevent cases of dissatisfactions hence reducing product returns and exchanges. Additionally, the customer will be required to understand from the outset that returns and exchanges of products are allowed, but the refund is discouraged unless the product is found to be defective. In summary, the entire system will guarantee a customer-friendly process.