Returns management is an often-overlooked aspect of working in the Purchasing field. It can actually be a significant part of the job for Buyers who work in catalog companies because the customer service team often hands over returns (that are the fault of the manufacturer) to the Buyers since the Buyers have relationships with the manufacturers.
Warranty management is also overlooked in the Purchasing field. I have personally been able to save companies money on several occasions by checking contracts and agreements for warranty status and stopping the company from paying unnecessarily for service. The vendors often either don't know the warranty status or don't share it if they can make money from service and repair calls. It is incumbent upon the Buyer to know warranty status when making service and repair requests.
There is help out there for Buyers. In fact, there is an entire conference dedicated to this topic and it is being held next week (September 26-28) in Chicago: The 2nd Annual Warranty & Returns Management Summit
Also, take this Warranty Survey sponsored by Manufacturing Insights for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift certificate.
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