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SVDid you know around 30% of online purchases are returned? In today’s e-commerce landscape, returns aren’t just a cost center, they’re a critical part of the customer journey.
For IT managers, selecting the right returns management system (RMS) isn’t just about customer experience, it’s about building a future-proof, scalable, and integrated infrastructure. Here are the five most important factors to guide your decision.
1. Automation and efficiency
Manual return handling may work at low volumes, but it quickly becomes a bottleneck as business scales. An RMS with strong automation reduces labor, errors, and operational costs.
What to evaluate:
- Which return tasks are automated (label creation, refunds, inventory updates)?
- Can it process high volumes during peaks (e.g. holiday sales)?
- Is automation configurable by product type, geography, or return reason?
For IT, automation means fewer manual interventions, consistent workflows, and more predictable system performance.
2. Seamless integration
Your RMS must plug into your existing tech stack: e-commerce (Shopify, Magento), ERP, inventory management, and CRM. Disconnected systems create inefficiency and data silos.
Integration benefits:
- Operational efficiency: No duplicate data entry, reduced errors.
- Accurate inventory: Real-time updates prevent overselling.
- Unified insights: End-to-end view of order, return, and customer behavior.
Key IT questions: - Does the RMS support native integrations with your systems?
- How complex is setup—API, middleware, custom builds?
- Is synchronisation real-time or batch-based?
Poor integration adds technical debt. Strong integration ensures smoother workflows and better data visibility.
3. Customer experience (CX)
Returns are now a loyalty driver. Critical RMS features for CX:
- Intuitive self-service portal with QR code labels.
- Transparent policies embedded in the return flow.
- Automated notifications (return received, refund issued).
- Fast refund/exchange processing with minimal manual handling.
For IT, this means supporting systems that balance usability with operational robustness, while reducing pressure on customer service teams.
4. Scalability
Return volumes increase with growth, seasonal peaks, and international expansion. Your RMS must scale without degradation.
Capabilities to look for:
- Load handling during spikes.
- Multi-currency and multi-language support.
- Regional logistics capabilities (local hubs, carriers, compliance).
From an IT perspective, scalability ensures resilience during demand surges and flexibility for new market rollouts, without costly replatforming.
5. User-friendly interface
A system is only as good as its adoption. Both staff and customers need simplicity. A clunky RMS drains productivity and frustrates users.
What matters:
- Clean, intuitive dashboards for staff with minimal training required.
- Easy customisation—different return flows, currencies, or product categories.
- Clear navigation that reduces errors and accelerates resolution.
For IT, ease of use minimizes training time, reduces support tickets, and drives faster ROI on technology investments.
Take your time
For IT leaders, choosing an RMS is about more than processing returns. You are creating a scalable, integrated and efficient ecosystem that improves CX and strengthens business resilience. Focus on:
- Automation to free up resources.
- Integration to eliminate silos.
- CX to retain customers.
- Scalability to handle growth.
- Usability to ensure adoption.
The right RMS doesn’t just manage returns; it drives operational efficiency and customer loyalty. Take the time to evaluate options carefully. Your decision will have long-term impact on both IT infrastructure and business performance.
