Beyond Reverse Logistics, Web-based Collaborative Reverse Logistics

by Tom Dziersk
President & CEO of ClearOrbit

Reverse logistics, though always a bother for any company, used to be a lot simpler. If a customer got an unwanted or damaged product, he packed it back up in its original box and sent it back to the manufacturer, which typically had all operations (manufacturer, shipping, and receiving) consolidated at one geographic location. When the product was received, credit was issued; new products sent out and old products discarded or repaired onsite.  Full Article

An Inside Look at Current and Emerging Practices in Return Management of Spare Parts

by Michael Blumberg, President
D. F. Blumberg Associates

Recently conducted research by our firm examined the current practices and emerging trends for Service Parts Return Management (SPRM) in the High Tech service industry. This research identified key requirements and needs for SPRM services, in terms of form, fit, and function, requirements, willingness to pay, and key selling points, as a function of key market segments.

A total of one hundred (100) respondents participated in the research. Study participants were representative of a number of industry segments, which included: Information Technology, Office Equipment and Automation, Communication and Network Equipment and Systems, Industrial Equipment and Automation, Building Equipment and Systems, Medical and Scientific Equipment, Transportation Equipment, and Consumer Goods/White Goods.  Full article and associated charts

RLTS Singapore 2005
REGISTER NOW FOR EARLYBIRD SAVINGS!

October 25-27, 2005
Pan Pacific Hotel
Singapore

Get ready for Asia in October 2005. Companies from the South Pacific, Asia and many other international delegates will be in attendance. ODMs and OEMs will be looking for 3PSPs that can manage ReverseLogistics™ in the Far-East, along with identifying ReverseLogistics™ solutions for Europe and North America.

Stay at the newly renovated Pan Pacific Hotel and get the group rate for the Reverse Logistics Conference & Expo. Online Room Reservations form

For more information visit www.RLTShows.com.

Dan Gilbert RLA Advisory Board member and former PalmOne Vice President has recently joined Cisco Systems as Vice President, Worldwide Reverse Logistics.

Emily Rodriguez — after spending four years helping eBoomerang build software solutions for Reverse Logistics, Emily is now helping companies in Reverse Logistics as a consultant with Rapid Results.

Bert Munnikhuis formerly of Teleplan has joined Solectron as Vice President, Services Program Management.

David Chiang joined RLA as Manager of Asian Pacific Region. David brings with him over 20 years of experience in software engineering, program and project management, product marketing, and partner relationship management.

Six Reverse Logistics Tips for Better Replacement Management

by Paul Rupnow, Director
Reverse Logistics Systems
Andlor Logistics Systems Inc.

When a customer is on the phone with a warranty issue that requires a replacement product, they are looking to be satisfied immediately. Often however, this is a difficult challenge due to the high cost, limited resources and low inventory levels allocated to manage your replacements.

How can you manage the conflict between maximizing your level of customer service and minimizing the cost to your organization? How can you provide a high level of customer service while keeping your replacement inventory levels as low as possible? Full Article

Easy Solution for OEM/Retailers and Great Opportunity for 3PSPs

RL Quote is a new service of the Reverse Logistics Association that gives OEMs, ODMs and Retailers a way to connect with 3PSPs who provide Reverse Logistics services. With RL Quote a manufacturer / retailer can send out RFIs anonymously to a database of over 10,000 suppliers, screen through the 3PSP responses online and narrow down the prospects.

RL Quote is a proprietary service of RLA available for all manufacturers and retail companies at no cost. 3PSPs that are members of RLA can respond to these RFIs after agreeing to the terms of RL Quote. The RL Quote supports over 100 Reverse Logistics processes including but not limited to: Repair, Refurbishing, Testing, Recycling, Asset Management, Call Center Support, Third Party Logistics, End-of-Life Manufacturing, and Contract Manufacturing.
Learn more about RL Quote

Reverse Logistics Association Chicago Workshop and Seminar a great event!

Participants in the Reverse Logistics Work-shop and Seminar held in Chicago on July 19 were impressed with the open dialog format and industry mix at this one-day event.
Throughout the day topics spurred discussions between OEMs, service providers, and consultants on how to resolve issues and achieve success through shared best practices. "The RLA workshop in Chicago was awesome – the networking aspect of the workshop will continue to pay dividends. The workshop sessions were informative and I learned so much. Thank you for a great event." said Christopher Thompson, Reverse Logistics Project Manager, Colgate-Palmolive Company.  Read more...

RLA has advertisement opportunities available in the Weekly News Clippings and Monthly Newsletter as well as on the RLA and RLTS websites. For more information, please click HERE or contact Chris Morrow at chris@rltinc.com.