Pouch sorter prompts returns rethink
MANY HANDS may make light work, but they are also expensive. With return rates of online purchases averaging 20-30% – up to 60% for fashion items – manual handling soon adds up to an unnecessary cost burden for the retailer.
Returns can also be a cause of customer dissatisfaction, increased complexity across different departments and stakeholders, and have a negative environmental impact with products that cannot be resold.
These issues can be solved, and the numerous steps involved in handling returns minimised, with a pouch sorter system designed like the BG Pouch System from BEUMER Group. This specialised sorting and sequencing system uses a series of pouches conveyed on an overhead rail to transport, sort, sequence and store outbound and returned items. It’s designed to maximise efficiency, streamline item flow and minimise the number of times an item is touched.
In the returns process, with the BG Pouch System, each item is placed directly into a pouch rather than sent back to the shelf or regular storage, where it must be picked again when ordered. The system serves as an intermediate buffer for newly picked as well as returned items, which are typically resold. Returned items needed to fulfil new orders are automatically retrieved from the buffer and sent to sortation.
The savings gained by employing the BG Pouch System to handle returns can be substantial. By reducing the number of touches needed to process returns, businesses can greatly reduce labour costs and achieve a faster turnaround for returned items. There is also less room for error, reducing the likelihood of goods being misplaced or misidentified. Additionally, the system can provide data to analyse on returns, enabling providers to identify patterns and trends to help improve the entire reverse logistics process.
For more information, visit www.beumergroup.com
