Return Authorization (RA)
The Return Authorization or “RA” System is used to identify and process items that are being returned by your customers for credit, repair, or replacement. The primary tasks or business processes that can be performed using the RA System include the following.
Creating Return Authorizations
Return Authorizations are created to identify the customer, ShipTo and other information (items, quantities, amount to be credited to the customer, restocking or other return fees) that will be required to process each return.
The RA system supports entry of a preliminary or pro forma RA record. This option allows you to input and track a returns request without actually approving the request and issuing the RA number to the customer.
The RA programs allow you to research customer invoice, serialized inventory, and item specific returns information on-line during RA Entry or Editing to determine if items are eligible to be returned.
Processing Return Authorizations
Modifying existing RA records, adding notes, and images to RA’s and changing the other information used for processing the return.
Receiving the items sent back from the customer into the RA system. This step updates the RA Lines being received to show that they are in house, but it does not change the ownership of the items or result in any inventory transactions.
Tracking the status of the RA prior to and after items for the return are received into the RA system. Locations and workcells can be used to ID the specific in-house locations for each item on each RA
Sending out replacement goods
Replacement items can be sent to the customer before or after the receipt of the goods coming back from the customer.
Replacement orders are automatically created based on the information in the Return being processed.
Additional items can be added to each replacement order as required.
Disposing of the items returned by the customer
Returns can be disposed, or closed out by issuing a credit memo to the customer. This process returns the goods to inventory.
Items can be returned to inventory as normal or “depreciated stock”. And they can be returned to a sales or an RA specific “returns” warehouse or location as required.
RA items can also be received into the Pending file instead of the inventory file – this allows for additional processing such as returning items to the vendor they were purchased from, repair processing, and other more advanced RA procedures.
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RA Daily Processing Procedures