01
Authorization
- Requested
- Evidence needed
- Approved
- Rejected
- Expired
Shows whether physical movement is allowed.
RMA tracking
RMA tracking system for every returned item
Track authorized items from ship-by date through transit, receipt, inspection, diagnosis, disposition, repair or replacement, and customer confirmation.
The tracker should answer where the item is, what decision is waiting, who owns it, when the promise is due, and what the customer last heard.
- Generated RMA and item identity
- Movement, inspection, disposition, and fulfillment states
- Age, blocker, SLA, owner, due date, and customer update
Use a small set of states that correspond to real work
Do not collapse shipment, receipt, inspection, technical decision, and fulfillment into one ambiguous “in progress” status.
02
Movement
- Not shipped
- In transit
- Delivered
- Carrier exception
- No return required
Locates the item before internal receipt.
03
Inspection
- Queued
- In progress
- Blocked
- Complete
- Mismatch
Separates physical review from arrival.
04
Disposition
- Pending
- Restock
- Repair
- Replace
- Refund
- Reject
- Supplier return
- Scrap
Makes the approved operational and customer outcome explicit.
05
Closure
- Fulfillment open
- Customer update due
- Confirmation pending
- Verified closed
- Reopened
Prevents “decision made” from being mistaken for “customer resolved.”
Measure where RMA cycle time is accumulating
Segment duration by stage so the team fixes the right constraint.
Authorization age
Time from complete request to authorization decision.
Find policy, evidence, and approval delay.Transit age
Time from authorization or first scan to matched receipt.
Separate customer and carrier exceptions.Inspection age
Time from receipt to completed diagnosis or recommendation.
Plan technician capacity and missing-evidence work.Outcome age
Time from disposition approval to fulfilled and customer-confirmed outcome.
Protect replacement, repair, refund, and communication promises.Keep the customer case, physical item, and movement events connected
One RMA can contain several items, and each item can take a different route. Separate the records without losing the shared customer and authorization context.
RMA case
Customer, order, authorization reason, approved scope, return window, requested outcome, and communication owner.
EnablesA single customer-facing reference and consistent policy decision.
Returned item
Product, serial or lot, quantity, expected condition, received condition, diagnosis, disposition, and current owner.
EnablesItem-level tracking when a multi-item return splits into different outcomes.
Movement and action history
Shipment event, receipt match, inspection update, approval, repair, replacement, refund, supplier handoff, and customer confirmation.
EnablesAn auditable timeline that explains delays and prevents status from being overwritten.
Build the tracker around today’s next actions
Managers should be able to open each signal and see the exact cases that require action.
What is overdue before receipt?
Authorization date, ship-by date, tracking state, customer contact, and owner.
What is blocked after receipt?
Identity match, condition, failure reproduction, evidence, assigned technician, and blocker.
What has a decision but no completed outcome?
Disposition, fulfillment owner, promise date, availability, payment or shipment event, and customer update.
Keep item status and customer status aligned
What should an RMA tracker show?
RMA number, customer, item, authorization, shipment, receipt, inspection, diagnosis, disposition, owner, due date, blocker, promised outcome, customer update, and closure confirmation.
Can one RMA contain multiple items?
It can, but model item-level identity and disposition when products may arrive, be inspected, or resolve differently. A parent RMA can summarize the customer case.
How do teams track RMA exceptions?
Use standard exception types and filtered queues for shipment, identity, evidence, diagnosis, parts, approval, supplier, and customer-confirmation blockers.
Can Jodoo notify owners before due dates?
Yes. Workflows can send reminders or route escalations based on stage, due date, SLA health, and exception status.
Work the RMA exception queue
Open the RMA trackerKnow where the item is and what must happen next
Use the populated Jodoo application to test stage definitions, owner queues, due-date reminders, exception views, and customer confirmation.