A delivery return handles goods coming back from a customer, bringing them back into stock and restoring traceability. It is the reverse of a delivery, and in practice it is one half of a return: the goods side, paired with a credit note for the money.
- How a return brings stock back in
- Why a return is two coordinated documents
- How it links to the original delivery
How it behaves
Goods back into stock
A return is recorded as an inbound receipt with a sales-return source and the customer as the sender, against the original order or delivery. Posting it brings the returned quantities back into inventory at a location, reversing the stock that went out, with serial and batch traceability intact. It runs the usual Draft, Verification, Posted, Cancelled cycle.
Against the original
The return references the original order or delivery, so what comes back is matched against what went out, and the delivery can be seen as partially or fully returned.
Worked example
A customer returns 10 of 50 units as faulty. You raise a delivery return for the 10 against the original delivery, which brings them back into stock (into an inspection group if you quarantine returns), and a credit note with purpose Return Refund for their value, which credits the customer. Together they close the return on both goods and money.
Edge cases and good practice
- Always pair the two documents: the return for stock, the credit note for the customer's account.
- Receive returns into a non-sellable group if they need inspection before resale.
- Reference the original delivery so the return is matched to what went out.
Related
- Reference: Credit Note (the money side)
- Reference: Delivery Order (the outbound it reverses)
- Reference: Stock Grouping (quarantining returns)