Memphis, TN June 12, 2001 Lately, there's been a new buzzword popping up in the B2B world: reverse supply chain mangement . For a while, this one had the iSource editorial team officially stumped. Turns out, it's just a fancy name for the management of product returns, in other words, tracking items that end up back in inventory.
Like CRM, content management and all the terms before them, reverse supply chain management is poised to be the newest enabler niche in B2B. Of the companies to jump into this niche thus far are ReturnCentral and Kirus. Of course, reverse supply chain management companies do more than track returned inventory. Other offerings of such companies include resolving customer credit lines, automating return policies and curbing unauthorized returns.
The niche appeal seems to be working though, enticing logistics providers to make reverse supply chain management a part of their offerings. For example, FreightMatrix, a provider of online logistics marketplace services and a majority owned subsidiary of i2 Technologies, Inc., today announced a strategic alliance with ReturnCentral. As a result, FreightMatrix customers will be able to utilize ReturnCentral's ReturnMatrix, an automated returns management solution that distributes information throughout the reverse supply chain.
"Our partnership with ReturnCentral is a logical fit and further enhances our position as a leader in the e-logistics marketplace arena," said Mark Skoda, president and CEO of FreightMatrix, Inc. "Efficiently managing returned products and merchandise is a complex and critical task and we view ReturnMatrix as the clear front-runner in return management solutions."
"While the nature of the B2B returns process may vary depending on the industry, in general most companies haven't fully optimized their reverse supply chain. The result is an inordinately high cost structure when compared to the optimized portions of the forward supply chain," said David Hommrich, ReturnCentral CEO and founder. "We are excited about joining forces with our partners at FreightMatrix to provide a comprehensive and efficient reverse logistics solution that will deliver quantifiable cost reductions directly to a company's bottom line."
