Many timely product deliveries depend on the streamlined and efficient logistical process. The deployment should be done with painstaking strategy to avoid wastage and losses. However, many companies only invest in the deployment stage. They forget that there is still a process at the other end of the spectrum. There are chances when there are excesses in the inventory or the used products need to go back to the plant again. Managing these can prove to be challenging without the right plan. This is why you need reverse logistics.
Reverse logistics, for starters, is a process that takes care of the reception of used goods, excess inventories, and damaged products. Therefore, it is a process where all the deployed products go back to your facility either for recycling, disassembling, or any necessary process.
Here are the four of the benefits of reverse logistics programs:
Benefit #1: Reusing Products
When you engage in reverse logistics, you are getting back your old products, which you have the option to repurpose and recycle. For one, you can get back old laptops, refurbish them, and sell them again at a much lower price. That way, you are putting another dimension on return on investment. You may even choose to refurbish your products and use them as your donation to charities and impoverished communities. Just make sure that you have a strong technical department that will take care of the fixes. This is to ensure that the refurbishment of your products will be quick and efficient.
Benefit #2: Helping the Environment
When you take back the products at the end of their life cycle, reuse them, and find a new purpose for them, you are helping the environment. You are reducing the waste that goes to landfill. When you do this constantly, your brand gets an image that will be admired by your customers and prospects. Engage in this advocacy and make it a part of your corporate social responsibility. This helps in attracting investors, especially those that believe in saving the environment.
Benefit #3: Improvement of After-Sales Procedure
Having a reverse logistics team can help in ensuring that you have a reliable after-sales service. For one, if your customers have complaints about the product, you can deploy your reverse logistics team to pick the defective product and have the technical team repair it. Having this as an aspect helps cement your reputation as a reliable brand and partner.
Benefit #4: Reducing Certain Business Risks
Your products may be engineered in a smart way, and your competitors are trying to reverse-engineer your designs and start with defective products. For one, IT products may have data in them that needs to be discarded even if the device is already damaged. You need to take these products back so that you will be able to destroy the data and prevent a possible breach.
The benefits of reverse logistics are undeniable and proven, which is why you need to integrate this into your existing logistical program. If you are planning to start this sooner than you would like, you ought to work with a reliable consulting company.