2021 November

Companies and their supply chain managers can no longer afford to treat reverse logistics as an afterthought. There is just too much at stake in terms of brand protection, sustainability requirements, and ultimately profitability.

Managing product that does not sell, is entering the end of its life, or has been returned due to buyer’s remorse is now generally understood to be a critical part of product life cycle management.

Yet this has not always been the case. Historically, most of the attention paid to product management has focused on the introductory phase or on the volume-shipping portion of the product life cycle.

The leaders have greatly broadened this perspective. They know that the difference between a product’s success (and profitability) and failure often depends on how the end of life is managed.

The leaders understand, too, the business importance of taking good care of consumers. They know that customer satisfaction holds the key to long-term success and that enabling them to return products without penalty is a big part of the equation.