Your Returns & Refund Processing Data Template

The Activity Name describes a distinct step or milestone in the return lifecycle. It represents a single action or status change, such as 'Return Request Created', 'Item Received', or 'Refund Processed'. These activities form the building blocks of the process map.

In analysis, this attribute is used to visualize the process flow, showing the sequence and frequency of different steps. Analyzing activities helps identify common pathways, deviations from the standard process, and areas where rework occurs. It is fundamental to understanding what actually happens during a return and is used in nearly all process mining dashboards and KPIs.

It defines the steps of the process, allowing for the visualization of the process map, analysis of process variants, and identification of bottlenecks or rework loops.

This information is often derived from status change logs, event tables, or transaction codes within the source system.

The Event Time, or timestamp, records the precise date and time that an activity took place. This chronological data is essential for ordering events correctly within each case and forms the timeline of the return process.

This attribute is critical for any time-based analysis. It is used to calculate cycle times between activities, measure the total duration of a return case, and monitor compliance with service level agreements (SLAs), such as the time to process a refund. By analyzing timestamps, organizations can pinpoint delays, understand process performance over time, and identify opportunities to accelerate the return cycle.

This attribute provides the chronological sequence of events, which is essential for calculating cycle times, identifying bottlenecks, and measuring SLA compliance.

Typically found in system logs, transaction records, or document creation timestamps associated with each activity.

The Return Case ID is the primary key that uniquely identifies a single return process instance. Each return initiated by a customer is assigned a unique ID, which is used to track all subsequent events, documents, and communications related to that specific return.

In process mining analysis, this ID is essential for correlating all related events into a coherent process flow. It allows the tool to reconstruct the end-to-end journey of each return, from the initial request to the final resolution, such as a refund or exchange. Without a consistent Case ID, it would be impossible to analyze process variants, measure cycle times, or identify bottlenecks accurately.

This is the fundamental attribute for process mining, as it groups all related events into a single case, enabling the reconstruction and analysis of the end-to-end return process.

Typically found in the header of return order documents, return merchandise authorization (RMA) records, or case management systems.

This attribute records when the dataset used for the process mining analysis was last extracted or updated from the source systems. It provides context for the freshness and currency of the insights being generated.

While not directly used in calculating process metrics like cycle time, this information is crucial for report consumers to understand the timeliness of the data. It ensures that stakeholders are aware of the data's recency and can properly interpret the analysis, for example, by knowing if the dashboards reflect performance up to yesterday or last week.

It provides crucial context on data freshness, ensuring that stakeholders understand how current the process analysis is.

This is typically metadata generated during the data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) process.

The Source System attribute identifies the originating application or platform where the activity was recorded. In many organizations, the returns process spans multiple systems, for example, a CRM for the initial request, a WMS for receiving the item, and an ERP for processing the refund.

Identifying the source system is important for data governance and for understanding the technological landscape of the process. In analysis, it can help trace data quality issues back to their origin or reveal process fragmentation where tasks are frequently handed off between different systems, which can be a source of delays and inefficiencies.

It helps in understanding data provenance and analyzing process handoffs or delays caused by interactions between different IT systems.

This is often a metadata field added during data extraction or available in system log headers.

The Actual Refund Amount is the final sum credited back to the customer. This value may differ from the requested amount due to factors like restocking fees, promotions, shipping cost deductions, or adjustments based on the condition of the returned item.

This attribute is essential for financial reconciliation and for measuring process outcomes. It is the primary component of the 'Refund Amount Accuracy' KPI when compared with the requested amount. Analyzing this data helps understand the financial impact of return policies and the reasons for refund adjustments, offering insights into value leakage or recovery.

It's critical for financial analysis, measuring refund accuracy, and understanding the true financial impact of the returns process on the business.

Found in the credit memo, financial posting documents, or final case closure records in the ERP or accounting system.

The Customer ID uniquely identifies the person or company returning the product. This attribute links the return transaction to the customer's overall history with the company.

This attribute enables a customer-centric view of the returns process. Analysis can reveal if certain customers have a high frequency of returns, which might indicate fraudulent behavior or chronic dissatisfaction. It can also be used to segment the returns process, for example, to see if VIP customers experience a faster or different return process compared to standard customers.

Enables customer-centric analysis, helping to identify frequent returners, segment customers, and evaluate the return experience for different customer groups.

Found in the header of the return order or linked customer account information in CRM or ERP systems.

While Event Time marks the start of an activity, the Event End Time records its completion. This is particularly useful for activities that have a measurable duration, such as 'Item Inspection' or 'Quality Check'.

The primary use of this attribute in analysis is to calculate the processing time or duration of individual activities. By subtracting the Event Time from the Event End Time, analysts can measure how long each step takes. This is vital for bottleneck analysis, resource capacity planning, and identifying activities that consume the most time within the overall process.

It enables the calculation of activity durations, which is critical for performing detailed bottleneck analysis and understanding resource utilization.

Found in system logs or transaction data where both start and end timestamps for an operation are recorded.

The Product ID is a unique code, such as a SKU or material number, that identifies the specific item being returned. It links the return case to the company's product catalog.

Analyzing returns by Product ID helps pinpoint items with high return rates. This analysis can reveal issues related to product quality, design flaws, or inaccurate online descriptions. Businesses can use this information to make decisions about discontinuing a product, improving its design, or updating its marketing materials. It's a critical dimension for understanding the financial and operational impact of returns on a per-product basis.

It allows for product-level analysis to identify items with high return rates, which can indicate quality issues or inaccurate product descriptions.

Available in the line item details of the return order, sales order, or return merchandise authorization (RMA) record.

This attribute represents the initial refund amount expected by the customer, typically based on the price of the returned item(s). It serves as the baseline value at the beginning of the return and refund process.

In analysis, comparing this amount to the Actual Refund Amount is crucial for the 'Refund Amount Accuracy' KPI. Discrepancies can highlight issues such as restocking fees, partial refunds for damaged goods, or incorrect initial calculations. Analyzing this value also helps in categorizing returns by their financial impact.

It serves as a baseline for measuring refund accuracy and helps categorize returns by financial value, enabling focus on high-value cases.

Typically found in the return request or initial return order document, linked to the net value of the items.

This attribute identifies the person or team that executed a particular task in the return process. It could be a customer service agent who approved the return, a warehouse worker who inspected the item, or an automated system that processed the refund.

Analyzing the Responsible User helps in understanding workload distribution, team performance, and training needs. It can reveal if certain users or teams are bottlenecks or if they follow different process variants. This data is also crucial for analyzing rework, as it can show who performed the original task and who had to correct it.

This attribute is key for resource performance analysis, allowing you to compare team efficiency, analyze workload distribution, and identify training opportunities.

Commonly found in transaction details, document change logs, or user activity logs under fields like 'User ID' or 'Processed By'.

The Return Channel specifies how the return was started, for example, 'Online Portal', 'In-Store', 'Customer Service Call', or 'Mail'. Different channels may have distinct processes, costs, and customer satisfaction levels associated with them.

By analyzing the return process through the lens of different channels, a company can compare their efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This analysis might reveal that one channel has a significantly longer cycle time or a higher rate of manual intervention than another. These insights can inform decisions on where to invest in process improvements or automation to create a more consistent and efficient customer experience across all channels.

Analyzing by channel helps compare the efficiency, cost, and customer experience of different return methods, guiding strategic investments.

This information is typically captured at the time of the return initiation and stored in the return request or case management record.

The Return Reason captures why an item was sent back. Reasons can vary widely, from 'Wrong item shipped' and 'Product defective' to 'Changed mind' or 'Did not fit'. This information is usually collected from the customer during the return initiation process.

This attribute is invaluable for root cause analysis. By analyzing the most common return reasons, a business can identify underlying issues with products, shipping accuracy, or product descriptions. This insight can drive strategic improvements in product quality, logistics, or marketing, ultimately reducing the overall return rate and improving customer satisfaction.

It enables powerful root cause analysis to identify patterns in product defects, shipping errors, or customer preferences, helping to reduce future returns.

Usually captured in the return request form or order document, often as a standardized reason code or free-text field.

In large, multinational organizations, a Company Code is used to differentiate between various legal entities or subsidiaries. This identifier ensures that financial transactions and inventory movements are correctly attributed to the right part of the business.

For companies operating with multiple legal entities, this attribute is crucial for segmenting the process analysis. It allows for comparing the performance of the returns process across different countries, business units, or brands. This can reveal regional differences in efficiency, policy adherence, or common return reasons.

For multi-entity organizations, it enables comparison of process performance and compliance across different business units, regions, or companies.

This is a fundamental organizational data field found in the header of financial and logistics documents within an ERP system.

The Disposition Code is assigned after the returned item has been physically inspected. It dictates the next step in the process, such as 'Return to Stock', 'Repair', 'Scrap', or 'Return to Vendor'.

Analyzing disposition codes provides insights into the outcomes of returns. It can quantify the financial impact of returned goods, for example, by showing the percentage of items that are scrapped versus those that can be resold. This data is critical for inventory management and for understanding the true cost of returns beyond just the refund amount.

It reveals the outcome of the inspection process, which is crucial for inventory management and calculating the financial loss or recovery from returned goods.

Typically recorded in warehouse management or inventory systems after the physical inspection of the returned item is complete.

When a return is not accepted, the Rejection Reason explains why. Common reasons include 'Outside of Policy Window', 'Item Damaged by Customer', or 'Non-returnable Item'.

This attribute is key to understanding process compliance and policy enforcement. Analyzing rejection reasons helps identify common points of customer misunderstanding regarding the return policy. It can also highlight inconsistencies in how policies are applied by different agents or teams. This insight can be used to clarify return policies for customers or to provide better training for staff.

It explains why returns are denied, offering insights into customer behavior, policy clarity, and the consistency of policy enforcement.

Found in the case notes or a specific status field within the return authorization or case management system.

The Return Status provides a snapshot of where the return is in its lifecycle, such as 'Pending Approval', 'Awaiting Receipt', 'Inspection Complete', or 'Closed'. It represents the state of the case as a whole.

While the Activity Name captures discrete events, the Return Status is useful for filtering and analyzing cases based on their current state. It helps in managing operational throughput by showing how many cases are in each stage of the process at any given time. This can be used to build dashboards that monitor work-in-progress and identify accumulating backlogs in specific process stages.

It allows for tracking the progress of returns and analyzing work-in-progress, which is essential for managing throughput and identifying backlogs.

This is a status field on the header level of the return order, RMA, or case record.