 LOS
SIETE PECADOS DE LA LOGÍSTICA INVERSA
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| A continuación se
enuncian los 7 pecados capitales de la logística inversa que presentó James R. Stock de
la Universidad del Sur de Florida. El texto pertenece al libro "The 7 Deadly Sins of
Reverse Logístics", donde James R. Stock analiza los siete pecados capitales de la
Logística Inversa y los considera como un medio de identificación de los principales
errores en las estrategias y programas de Logística Inversa. Así mismo, para cada pecado
se señalan una serie de preguntas que las empresas deben plantearse para intertar evitarlos. |
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 El orgullo La envidia
La ira
La pereza
La avaricia
La gula
La codicia
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El orgullo:  |
"No reconocer que la
logística inversa puede ser un factor de ventaja competitiva"
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As many firms near
competitive parity, achieving and advantage is more difficult. Even on-time pickup and
delivery are quickly becoming the "price of adminission to the playing field".
Thus, firms must search out other opportunities form gaining competive advantage.
Because product returns are a part of almost every
firm´s operations, cost savings and service improvements here can have positive benefits
for firms that do a better job. In such a context, a good reverse logistics program
becomes a differentiator and means of gainin market advantage.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
 ¿Qué
diferencias existen entre su empresa y las de sus competidores?
¿Qué
parte de los costes podría pasarse a los consumidores para mejorar así el beneficio de
la organización?
¿Desean los clientes que se les haga logística inversa?
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| La envidia: |
"Creer
que las responsabilidades de la compañía han acabado una vez que la mercancía ha sido
enviada"
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It has become painfully
evident as a result of service failures in the e-tailing and Internet arenas, that
efficiently handling product returns is as important as delivering them in the first
place.
Taking a life-cycle approach to product distribution
is vital, especially to firms trying to optimize customer service at all stages of the
buying and return processes.
When the product returns occur, firms must ensure they meet
customer requirements of proper handling and administration, credit or refund of purchase
price and substitution of defective products.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
¿Qué
políticas de devolución ofrece la empresa a los clientes?
¿Qué
cantidad y tipo de productos se devuelven el día anterio al permitido?
¿Tiene la empresa un programa de gestión?
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| La
ira: |
"Fallar
al acoplar los procesos/sistemas (e.g. información/comunicación, informes financiero y
servicio al cliente) internos y externos con el comercio electrónico y los aspectos de
devolución de productos de la Logística Inversa"
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Most information and
administrative systems installed by firms were done so with formward distribution in mind.
Thus, firms developed near-optimal logistics systems for inbound and
outbound product flows. Reverse product flows, however, usually received
less attention. Activities such as transportation, warehousing and inventory control are
similar throughout the logistics process, but they are not identical in forward and
reverse flows. These differences must be incorporated into information systems, programs
and processes for best results.
E-commerce --"click-and-mortar"-- firms
are especially vulnerable to system deficiencies because product returns are typically
higher than they are in traditional "brick-and-mortar" environments. As the
number of returns increases, reverse logistics deficiencies and problems
magnify.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
¿Puede
el sistema de información de la empresa y las aplicaciones del software logístico
incorporar logística inversa?
¿Hace
la empresa previsión de ventas y estudios de la tasa de retorno de sus distintos tipos de
productos?
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| La pereza: |
"Suponer
que el esfuerzo parcial (presupuestario, de personal, tiempo, espacio...) es suficiente
para atender las actividades de Logística Inversa"
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Part-time effort usually
brings less than optimal results. Firms that are good at forward distribution are not
necessarily good at reverse distribution. There are enough differences
that make it difficult for firms to administer reverse flows well.
It is important that sufficient time, money and
personnel be assigned to reverse logistics tasks if a firm wishes to
attain optimum efficiency and effectiveness of the process. Adding the responsibility to
managers and employees with already full plates will only result in high costs, problems
and delays.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
¿Qué
cantidad de tiempo y esfuerzo requerirán las actividades de logística inversa en la
dirección y el personal de apoyo?
El
personal existente ¿ tiene tiempo suficiente y está capacitado para llevar a cabo las
actividades de logística inversa?
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| La avaricia: |
"Creer
que los tiempos del ciclo de retorno de los productos pueden ser mayores y con mayor
variación que aquellos de los artículos nuevos que se venden o distribuyen"
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Inventory carrying costs accumulate whether products
are distributed to customers as first-time sales or come back as a return. Costs incur in
both instances.
The value of returned items is usually lower than finished
goods sold for the first time (unless the returned item can be resold "as is").
But as a percentage of product value, inventory carrying costs are higher returns
As returned goods languish in a logistics
system, these costs increase (due to obsolescence, pilferage and damage), reducing overall
product value. In addition, inventory carrying costs as a percentage of product value
increase, further reducing profit margins.
In some firms, returned products are assumed to be somehow
less important than finished goods sold for the first time. Such items receive less
management attention and administrative oversight, because they may be handled when time
permits and after othe tasks are complete. The result is that these products are
generally in a firm´s logisctics system for longer and more variable time periods.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
¿Cúal
es la duración del ciclo de retorno de los productos?
¿Cuál
es el coste asignado al transporte del inventario de los procutos que se devuelven?
¿Cómo se determina el valor de los productos que se devuelven?
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| La Gula: |
"
Suponer que el retorno de productos y el reciclado/reutilización de embalajes se
procesarán por sí mismo, si se da suficiente tiempo"
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Probems typically do not
go away by themselves. Unfortunately, customers do! Reverse logistics
requires some specialty skills. For example, finished goods and returned goods are
transported and stored, but they have different requirements for handling, maintaining and
accounting for them.
To illustrate, produts sent out to customers are
usually arranged in neatly stacked and palletized groups. They are easily transported and
stored. Conversely, returned items may come back with or without packaging. That packaging
may or may not correspond with the produt contained in them. On top of this, multiple
product types, sizes and quantities are often returned on a single pallet.
Also, once returned to the warehouse or distribution
center, how are returns identified and recorded, and where are they stored? Obviously the
cannot be mixed with "new" products. But, should they be assigned a separate
part of the storage, facility, handled at different times than outbound finished goods,
and how should they be dispositioned? Enough differences exist that any problems not
specifically addressed will likely remain and worsen with time.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
¿Cómo se está llevando a cabo las actividades de logística
inversa?
¿Quién es el responsable de la logística inversa?
¿Cuál es el tiempo suficiente para que los problemas se
resuelvan por sí mismos?
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| La Codicia: |
"
Pensar que el retorno de productos no es suficientemente importante en términos de
costes, valoración de activos e ingresos potenciales"
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The importance of
inventory carring costs in reverse logistics has already been mentioned. However,
the revenue side of the equation is equally important. All assets have value, and can
generate returns that can be measured with the same financial ratios (such as return on
assets, asset turnover ratio) used for finished goods.
On the revenue side, the following are relevant
issues: What are the values of items returned that are ready to be resold, repackeged,
refurbished or remanufactured? How long does it take for returned assets to show up
on a firm´s income statement and balance sheet? From an asset management perspective,
firms need to know when, how many, and what kinds of products are returned.
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Preguntas
para reflexionar:
¿Qué tipo de productos son los que se devuelven?
¿Cuántos productos devueltos recibe la empresa en un período de
tiempo particular?
¿Existen algunos patrones (temporales, geográficos, de clientes,
de productos) de retorno de mercancías?
¿Cuáles son los costes de procesamiento de las
devoluciones?
¿Cuáles son los costes asociados con procesar una
devolución, reprocesamiento, reembalaje, regresar un artículo al almacén, transporte de
inventario, implementación de programas para eliminar las devoluciones, y realizar las
actividades de logística inversa con personal propio y externo?
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| Nota: Todas las imágenes son copyright© 2000 Mira
Reisberg (
http://www.mirareisberg.com/digital/sins.htm ) |
