Optimize returns: How integration streamlines returns management operations

Returns management isn’t just an unwanted obligation for ecommerce businesses—it’s an opportunity to build lasting customer relationships.

A smooth returns process can increase conversions, boost customer loyalty, and help companies stand out from the competition. One study found that 92% of consumers would buy again from the same company if the return process were friction-free.

Successful ecommerce companies optimize returns processes by integrating their returns apps, ecommerce platforms, finance systems, and ERPs. These integrations automate returns management workflows—initiating refunds, updating order statuses, and notifying customers—without human intervention, significantly reducing errors.

Benefits of returns management optimization

By integrating ecommerce platforms, returns management solutions, and finance systems, businesses can turn what used to be a logistical headache into a streamlined, customer-friendly process. Here are some of the biggest benefits of a fully integrated returns management strategy:

• Real-time updates: Provide customers with full visibility into the status of their return directly through their ecommerce account or notifications. This transparency reduces the need for support inquiries and builds trust by keeping the customer informed at every stage—return initiated, item received, refund issued.
• Faster refunds and exchanges: With real-time data synchronization between returns, ecommerce, and finance systems, refunds and exchanges can be processed immediately. Customers get their money back or receive replacement items faster, improving satisfaction and encouraging repeat business.
• In-store returns: Give your customers more flexibility by allowing them to return items directly to your physical stores. Integrated systems support omnichannel return capabilities, enabling customers to return online purchases in-store and vice versa.
• No error-prone data entry: Without integration, staff often need to manually enter return data into multiple systems, increasing the risk of mismatched records and errors. Integration ensures data flows seamlessly and accurately between systems, improving operational efficiency and compliance.
• Accurate inventory: Returned items can be restocked or flagged for inspection the moment they are scanned back into the system. This enables faster restocking and reselling of returned items, minimizing losses.
• Quickly resolved support tickets: Customer service teams get immediate access to return status, tracking information, and refund processing updates, all from a single interface. This enables quicker, more informed responses to customer inquiries.
• Accurate refunds: Integrated systems can confirm the physical receipt of returned goods through scanning and tracking data before issuing a refund. This helps prevent revenue loss from refunding items that were never received.

Returns integration best practices

Use your ERP as the central hub

To establish a solid foundation for a smooth returns process, start by implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This will serve as the central hub for all your ecommerce operations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency across financials, inventory, storefronts, and returns processing.

Offer self-service returns

Offering a self-service option can expedite returns for your customers. A few popular self-service returns apps include Loop Returns and Happy Returns. This convenient approach makes return shipping easy by allowing customers to create and print return labels at home. Customers can also provide a reason for the return, helping you proactively identify and address issues before they become widespread.

It’s important to ensure any self-service returns apps that you choose to leverage are integrated with your ERP and ecommerce applications. This allows you to automate processes, drive efficiency, and ensure full visibility. For example, when you integrate your self-service return application you can automate the returns process and refund notifications.

By integrating with platforms BigCommerce or Shopify, you can automate return authorization and refund status. Additionally, with integrated logistics, you can promptly alert your warehouse about incoming returns and receive alerts upon receipt.

Utilize customer support and help desk apps

Once you’ve integrated your ERP and your ecommerce apps, you can focus on building processes that make returns easier for customers. One way you can do this is by allowing customers to initiate returns within the help desk.

With an ERP-to-help desk integration, you ensure this is a smooth process. For example, you can connect your ERP with Zendesk to efficiently handle a large number of return requests efficiently by creating RMAs (return merchandise authorization) within Zendesk and automatically initiating returns processes in your ERP.

Integrate your help desk with internal communications apps

Streamlining your customer service processes is crucial to ensuring your customers are getting the best experience. You can achieve this by integrating your communication apps with your help desk. For example, you could integrate Zendesk to Slack to automatically synchronize ticket status. This helps your team stay on top of customer concerns and resolve them quickly.

Optimizing ecommerce returns

Have a clear returns policy

Creating a straightforward returns policy for your shoppers ensures they are informed of returns requirements and prevents confusion and frustration. Here are a few key aspects to include:

• Types of items that can be refunded
• What recourse the customer will receive (refund, exchange, replacement, or repair)
• Who covers the cost of return shipping
• Shipping and delivery timelines

Give customers a generous window of time to return

Although research shows that 80% of customers return items within 14 days, providing a generous window of return time shows your customers that you care about their satisfaction with the product. A larger window also reduces the perceived risk of making a purchase. Studies indicate that more lenient return policies correlate with increased purchases overall.

Encourage exchanges instead of cash returns

While you should certainly offer a refund, it’s worth first trying to satisfy the customer with a different product. This allows you to ensure you aren’t losing out on returns and keeps shoppers engaged with you.

You can do this by offering shoppers an immediate exchange or an instant merchandise credit at the beginning of the return process. A more creative approach is to offer shoppers 20% off their entire purchase if they redeem their credit within 12 hours. This makes the shopper feel like they are receiving something extra while you convert a return into a purchase. This also makes it easy for consumers to shop right away while they are on the website without waiting for refunds to hit their accounts.

How Celigo optimizes returns management

The Celigo Platform connects ecommerce, returns, finance, and ERP systems with ease. With Celigo, you can automate key returns processes such as return authorization, refund initiation, RMA creation, and inventory updates—ensuring seamless data flow across platforms like Shopify, NetSuite, Loop Returns, Zendesk, and more.

Celigo’s prebuilt connectors, intuitive interface, and scalability empower both technical and non-technical teams to orchestrate complex workflows without manual effort. By enabling end-to-end visibility and automation, Celigo not only reduces operational overhead but also delivers a smoother, faster returns experience for your customers.