Inspection and Logistical Follow-Up (LFU)

You use this process to enter the results of an inspection performed on returned goods and subsequently decide what is to happen to the goods. Later in returns refund determination (RRD), the inspection results can be used as the basis for determining an appropriate refund for the customer or for the supplying plant. For more information, see Returns Refund Determination (RRD).

Depending on the returns scenario, you maintain the results of an inspection in one of three places:

The returns order
The warehouse inspection screen
The vendor inspection screen

In the case of simple customer returns, when the goods are returned directly to the counter, you can maintain inspection results and specify logistical follow-up directly in the returns order.

However, for more complex customer returns and supplier returns, the returned goods must be received into a warehouse or sent to the original vendor for inspection. The results of the inspection are then entered and subsequent logistical follow-up is specified in a separate step.

Note Note

Inspection and logistical follow-up are one step in Advanced Returns Management. However, depending on the roles in your organization and the authorizations assigned to these roles, inspection and logistical follow-up may be performed by different people. The roles and authorizations are configured in Customizing for Advanced Returns Management using inspection profiles and user groups.

End of the note.

Prerequisites

You have made all the settings for inspections in Customizing for Advanced Returns Management. For more information, see Customizing for Advanced Returns Management.

Process

Simple Returns

In the following cases, you enter inspection results and logistical follow-up information directly in the returns order:

The customer returns goods that can be inspected on the spot.
The goods were inspected at the customer site and the results have been communicated to the plant.

Complex Returns

The following table explains when you enter inspection results and logistical follow-up information in a separate step:

Maintenance of Inspection Results for Complex Returns
Returns Scenario	Maintenance of Inspection Results
The goods have been received into the warehouse of the plant and are inspected here.	You open the Material Inspection in Warehouse screen, select the relevant inbound delivery, and enter the inspection results and logistical follow-up information. For more information, see Entering Inspection Results in the Warehouse.
The goods have been inspected by the vendor and the results have been communicated back to the plant.	You open the Material Inspection by Vendor screen, select the relevant outbound delivery, and enter the inspection results in line with the information received from the vendor. For more information, see Entering Inspection Results from a Vendor.

Result

Once you have entered the inspection results and specified logistical follow-up where necessary, the system creates the required follow-up documents. For more information about automatic document creation, see Automatic Creation of Follow-Up Documents.

The system also ensures that subsequent stock movements are reflected correctly in the Warehouse Management System. For more information, see Integration into Warehouse Management System (WMS).

You can get an overview of the returns process and the documents created in the returns overview. For more information, see Returns Overview.

Example

The following are examples of when inspection results are entered in the customer returns order.

The customer returns goods to the branch. The sales person performs an on-the-spot inspection and specifies the appropriate inspection code and logistical follow-up directly in the returns order.
The customer calls the branch and informs the sales person that they want to return some goods. The sales person creates a returns order and specifies that the inspection must be performed at the customer site (follow-up activity Inspection at Customer Site). Once the inspection has been performed and the results communicated to the branch, the sales person can enter the appropriate inspection code in the returns order and change the follow-up activity accordingly.

The following are examples of when inspection results are entered in the warehouse.

A branch returns goods to its distribution center (DC) by creating a returns stock transport order (rSTO). The subsequent inbound delivery appears in the worklist of the DC warehouse inspector, who specifies the appropriate inspection code and proposes a follow-up activity. The delivery appears in the worklist of the warehouse manager, who checks and confirms the proposed activity.
The customer returns goods to the branch. The sales person creates a returns order and decides that the goods must be received into the warehouse for inspection (follow-up activity Receive into Plant). The subsequent inbound delivery appears in the worklist of the warehouse inspector, who specifies the appropriate inspection code and proposes a follow-up activity. The delivery appears in the worklist of the warehouse manager, who checks and confirms the proposed activity.

The following is an example of when inspection results from a vendor are entered.

The inventory manager in a branch warehouse wants to return goods to an external vendor. The inventory manager calls the vendor for permission to return the goods and receives an RMA number. He or she then creates a returns purchase order (rPO), and the goods are shipped to the vendor. The vendor inspects the goods and e-mails the results back to the branch. The inventory manager enters the inspection results for the corresponding outbound delivery.