Reverse logistics pipeline

Beginning from its creation, a return order flows through a set of transactions and statuses until its completion. This chain of transactions and return order statuses is called the reverse logistics pipeline. There are two default pipelines, the standard Reverse Logistics pipeline and the Consumer Returns pipeline used to handle customer returns to the retail site.

A reverse logistics pipeline provides Sterling™ Order Management System with a means to perform actions, such as sending notifications or logging alerts, dependent on the location of the return order in the pipeline. It also provides you with a means to track a return order from creation to completion and perform any manual interventions, if necessary.

The reverse logistics pipeline from which your business runs is unique to how your system administrator has set up your business environment. However, every reverse logistics pipeline generally begins with a transaction that creates a return order and ends with a transaction that indicates a return order has been closed.

A transaction is an occurrence that needs to be tracked and can call certain actions to be performed. A return order status describes what state a return order is in and moves it from transaction to transaction.