Manage customer returns, the RMA flow and credit notes under a single return order
Sighthem's returns management software ties customer returns to the flow that runs from sales to shipment, not to a separate spreadsheet or email chain. You open a return order from a sales order or shipment reference, pick the reason code, and move it through an approved lifecycle. At goods receipt the product re-enters stock with its lot information, a return invoice (credit note) is generated, and a credit entry drops to the customer's current account. Returns stop being an exception lost at the edge of the operation.
The return order: opened from an order or shipment reference
If return tracking is weak from the start, it gets lost which product came back from which shipment. Sighthem opens the return order tied to a sales order or shipment, keeping the reason code and the returned line on a single card.
- Open the return order from a sales order or shipment reference, tying to one record which customer returned how much from which shipment
- Pick the return reason code (damaged, wrong item, short quantity, quality, customer cancellation), keeping the reason of every return on record
- Pull the returned line, quantity and unit price from the original shipment line, avoiding the error of retyping the amount by hand
- Attach notes, photos and documents to the return order, gathering customer correspondence and the return condition in one place
Lifecycle and approval: a controlled flow from draft to closure
Because a return affects money and stock, it should not move uncontrolled. Sighthem runs the return order through an approved lifecycle from draft to closure, using the existing approval flow pattern.
- Move the return order through draft (DRAFT), approved (APPROVED), received (RECEIVED) and closed (CLOSED) stages, keeping every stage on record
- Close an ineligible return with cancellation (CANCELLED), keeping the trace and reason of the rejected request
- Tie the approval step to a gate with role-based access, requiring an authorized approval before stock re-entry and the credit note
- See who changed each status and when, proving the return process step by step at audit
Goods receipt and stock re-entry: a return movement with lot info
A returned product should not be written to stock before it is physically received. Sighthem takes the product back into stock with its lot information at goods receipt, creating the return-type stock movement automatically.
- Take the returned product back into stock with lot and shelf-life info at goods receipt, keeping traceable which lot came back
- Let the return-type stock movement be created automatically, recording the return as a separate movement type from normal receipts and issues
- In a multi-warehouse model, take the return into the correct warehouse and, if needed, a separate quarantine area, not mixing the sound with the damaged
- Verify the returning lot by scanning the GS1 barcode, matching the physical receipt to the system record exactly
Credit note: a credit entry on the current account
The financial counterpart of a return is reducing the customer's debt correctly. Sighthem generates a return invoice (credit note) from the return order and drops a credit entry to the customer's current account.
- Generate the return invoice (credit note) from the return order, carrying the returned line and amount from the original shipment exactly
- Get the UBL return document as a downloadable output, keeping the document ready independent of the integrator
- Drop the credit entry to the customer's current account, seeing the post-return balance current and from a single source
- Link the credit note to the original order and shipment, keeping traceable whether the sale was returned partially or in full
Return reasons and reporting: see why returns come in
A return is not just a transaction but a signal; a recurring reason points to a product or process problem. Sighthem ties the reason code to every return, keeping traceable why which product came back.
- Report returns by reason code, product and customer, seeing which line comes back most and for what reason
- Separate returns caused by damage and wrong shipments, diagnosing early whether the cause is quality or logistics
- Track the return rate and amount in a given period, not overlooking returns as an invisible cost
- Feed return-reason data into product and supplier decisions, solving recurring complaints at their root cause
End-to-end flow: unbroken traceability from sale to return
A return is not an island on its own; it lives in the same flow as sales, shipment, stock, invoice and the current account. Sighthem places the return inside this chain, gathering fragmented tracking onto one platform.
- Link from the sales order to shipment, from shipment to the return order, from the return to the stock movement and the credit note, leaving no link of the chain in a spreadsheet
- Track partial returns by line and lot, keeping clear the case where only part of a shipment came back
- Update the return with the current account and stock balance at the same time, seeing the difference between sale and return on one screen
- Keep the return operation on the same platform as the export, warehouse and invoice flows, completing the process without switching to a separate tool
Access, traceability and mobile: the right data, with the right person
Operations, warehouse and accounting use return data in different scopes; not everyone needs to approve everything. Sighthem opens the right data to the right person with role-based access and lot traceability.
- Separate who opens, who approves and who invoices a return with stackable permission presets, tying control to the role
- Record which shipment the returning lot came from with lot and shelf-life traceability, proving the return chain at audit
- Tie return approval to an authorized user, preventing uncontrolled action before stock re-entry and the credit note
- Update return status and goods receipt instantly from the field with the mobile PWA, while preserving tenant isolation within a single workspace
Always open the return order from a sales order or shipment reference. When the line, quantity, unit price and lot come from the original shipment, you do not retype the credit note and the stock movement by hand; the customer return goes on record in minutes and the current account updates in one step.
When you tie a reason code to every return, a return stops being a lost cost and becomes a measurable signal. Reporting which product came back for which reason by period, you see the recurring quality or logistics problem at its root and lower the return rate over time.
Returns management is an operation and document layer; it does not replace the official accounting ledger. The credit note and the return-type stock movement produce accurate data and feed accounting, but the legal recording and declaration responsibility stays with accounting. Also, do not write a product back to stock before physically receiving it; do not widen the gap between the record and actual stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the returns management software replace the official accounting ledger?
No. Sighthem returns management is an operation and document layer; it does not replace the official accounting ledger or declaration system. It lets you track the return order, reason code, approved lifecycle, stock re-entry and the return invoice (credit note) on one screen, and it drops a credit entry to the customer's current account. This data is produced accurately and in an organized way and feeds accounting, but the legal recording and declaration responsibility stays with accounting.
How do I open a return order, do the order and shipment details come automatically?
You open the return order from a sales order or shipment reference; the returned line, quantity, unit price and lot are pulled from the original shipment, so you do not retype the amount by hand. You pick the return reason code (such as damaged, wrong item, short quantity, quality or customer cancellation) and move the order from draft to approval, goods receipt and closure. This way which customer returned how much from which shipment stays tied to a single record.
How does a returned product re-enter stock, is the lot information preserved?
At goods receipt you take the returned product back into stock with its lot and shelf-life information, and a return-type stock movement is created automatically. This movement is recorded as a separate type from normal receipts and issues, so you do not confuse return-driven stock changes. In a multi-warehouse model you take the return into the correct warehouse or, if needed, a separate quarantine area, keeping sound and damaged products apart. You can verify the returning lot by scanning the GS1 barcode.
How is the return invoice (credit note) generated, how does it affect the current account?
You generate the return invoice (credit note) from the return order; the returned line and amount are carried from the original shipment exactly. You get the UBL return document as a downloadable output and keep the format ready independent of the integrator. Once the document is created, a credit entry drops to the customer's current account and the post-return balance shows current from a single source. For partial returns, the credit note is generated only for the line and amount that came back. You confirm the final accounting entry with your accountant.
How do I move from scattered spreadsheets and email threads to this structure?
You can try Sighthem free for 14 days on the PRO plan, move your open returns, shipment and customer data in, and test it on a real flow. Once you tie the return order to the sales and shipment record and move it through the approved lifecycle, you bring customer-return tracking that was fragmented across spreadsheets and email onto a single platform, with stock and the current account updating at the same time. You can start with no card required.
Manage return orders, the approved lifecycle, stock re-entry with lot info, credit notes and the current account on the same platform as the rest of your foreign trade. Try Sighthem free for 14 days on the PRO plan, no card required.
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