Reverse Logistics: Best Practices & Equipment for Efficient Distribution Center Returns

Being busy with outbound order fulfillment is a good thing for a warehouse. It means your assets and space will likely see high utilization, and every on-time shipment that delivers on your company’s commitments keeps revenue flowing. But it also can come with a troublesome side effect: a surge in returns.

Processing returns in a distribution center (DC) is a key aspect of what is known as reverse logistics. And with the rise of ecommerce, it’s an expanding challenge facing the most successful warehouses. While some DCs have well-organized returns areas, for many operations, the returns processing area can be chaotic, consuming added space and labor.

Download this whitepaper to view the best practices including:

• Types of racks and aisle configurations that can be used in return areas
• How to think about workflow steps such as unloading, staging, and triage
• What types of material handling vehicles such as forklifts and end rider pallet jacks support efficiency