Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA)

The Return merchandise authorization (RMA) functionality allows you to handle situations when a customer returns items for repair and maintenance, refund, or replacement.

The functionality can be switched on at Settings -> System settings -> Enterprise functions -> RMA.

If RMA functionality is switched on, then:

• the tab Customer returns (RMAs) appears in the CRM section,
• and tab Inspections appears in the Procurement section.
• It's possible to accept returned goods, inspect them, repair or maintain them, provide replacements, and refund them.

Jump to:

1. What is a customer return? What is an RMA order?
2. What are the available RMA types?
3. What are the steps of the RMA process?
4. How to add returned items to inventory?
5. How to receive returned products into stock?
6. How do we inspect the returned products to decide the RMA type?
7. How to process a refund only?
8. How to receive returned products and process a refund?
9. How to receive returned products without a refund?
10. How to process a repair or maintenance of products?
11. How to process a replacement product?
12. How to receive returned products and reject the return?

Types of customer returns, RMA types

The following RMA types are available:

1. Credit only - provide a refund only without returning the products.
2. Repair - repair the products.
3. Repair and invoice - repair the products and invoice the customer.
4. Replacement - send replacement products to the customer. Possible to receive returned products.
5. Receipt and credit - receive the returned products and provide a refund. 
6. Receipt and no credit - receive the returned products without a refund.
7. Reject and ship back—based on the inspection of the returned products, reject the return, and ship the products back to the customer.

Generally, the RMA process has several steps

Processing a customer return takes place in several steps:

1. A new RMA order must be created when a customer wishes to return items.
2. When items are received, a target stock lot is created, and it goes to inspection to decide whether the items should be repaired, replaced, refunded, just received to stock, or rejected and shipped back. The decision can be made upfront by choosing the RMA type in the RMA's details.
3. Items received for RMA inspection are not counted in inventory. However, they can be found in Stock -> Stock lots by statuses that start with “RMA.”
4. A new service order should be created if the item is repaired. (A service order is a special type of Manufacturing Order)
5. If the item should be replaced, a new item should be booked.
6. When an item can be shipped (after the service order is fulfilled, the replacement item has been booked, or the item was rejected), the status of the RMA order is automatically changed to Ready for shipment. To ship, open the RMA order, scroll to the Shipments section, and add a shipment. Once all items are picked for shipment, the status of the RMA order is automatically changed to Shipped and invoiced.

Issuing an invoice or giving a refunding

Invoices can be made in the RMA order's details in the Invoices section:

• If the repair should be done at the customer's expense, issue an invoice.
• If the return is rejected and shipping is at the customer's expense, issue an invoice.
• If the decision is to refund the customer, create a credit invoice.

Adding returned items to inventory

By default, items that are received via RMA orders are not added to inventory. If the item is returned and should be added to the inventory:

1. Open the RMA order at CRM -> Customer returns (RMAs)
2. Click on the target stock lot.
3. Change the status from RMA returned to Received.

Demo video