Internet of Things Augmented Effectiveness in Returns Management: An Empirical Validation

Returns management is one of the important constructs of Supply Chain Management (SCM) that includes all the activities pertaining to return of products post sales. Returns management is not construed as the reverse of sales process. It is a unique process and needs to be handled carefully, since the impact of the same is visible on the sales process. In case of a manufacturing organization, returns management is a full-fledged channel as there are customer offerings such as warranty etc. where the products are examined for failures. Effective returns management particularly in the international business hovers around the facts and data requirement for the organization that aids the visibility and brings in the requisite transparency in the system. Researchers, on the basis of this empirical research, recommend the use of an Internet of Things (IoT) landscape implementation for the data collection for improving the efficiency of the returns management system.