Purpose – The purpose of the study is to develop guidelines for effective returns management in manufacturing companies that provide both standard and customized products. To answer the purpose, it was broken down into three questions: [1] How does the return management process differ between standard and customized products in manufacturing companies? [2] What challenges exist in the return management process in manufacturing companies for standard and customized products? [3] What guidelines can be implemented for standard and customized products when streamlining the return management process in manufacturing companies? Method – This study used the case study research method, with a qualitative approach together with a case company. The empirical data was composed using the data collection techniques of interview, observation, and document study. Pattern matching was used to provide a basis for analysis by comparing the theoretical framework with the collected empirical data. Findings – The result of the study is that the management of customized products is more time-consuming and involves more stakeholders than for standard products. It also identified six challenges that can be linked to the return flow. Finally, nine guidelines were developed to streamline returns management in manufacturing companies. Implications – The study contributes with both practical and theoretical implications. This is because the guidelines developed can be used by manufacturing companies in their returns management process to streamline the flow. These guidelines also go towards a more focus on a standardized approach that decision makers can follow. The study also contributes to guidelines to work with, as an addition to the established research. Limitations – This study has been limited to returns and thus complaints have been chosen to be excluded. This is because complaints arise when there is a fault in a product, which is based on a lack of quality in manufacturing. The interest of the study is instead to investigate how returns are handled. In addition, the study has only been conducted at one company, which may have an impact on generalizability.

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of the study is to identify key-factors for the development of reverse logistics in a distribution central. The study should contribute to cover the knowledge gap that is the problem area: development of reverse logistics in a distribution central. This, since former research primarily deal with the problem area: development of reverse logistics between costumer and focal firm. The purpose of the study has been broken down into two research questions. The first one deals with which forces that affect the development of reverse logistics in a distribution central. Further, important factors for the development of reverse logistics in a distribution central will be identified. Method – The method for the study is an one case study since only one process will be studied. Also, to be able to obtain more profound knowledge within the problem area. The chosen business case is named Ikea distribution central and is located on the industrial area Torsvik. The company is active on the furniture market. The literature collection has been done through four different methods which are: recommendations of search words, recommendations of articles, database searches and snowball sampling. Further, the data collection has been made through interviews, document studies and observations. Finally, the internal validity of the study is high under the circumstance that theories regarding the development of reverse logistics based on B2C is considered to be applicable on the problem area which is based in B2B. Further, the external validity of the study is considered to be low since only one business case was studied. Although, the theory and empiricism of the study has been analysed which in turn strengthens the external validity. Findings – With the collected theories and empiricism as background the authors has produced a basis on which key-factors that are important for the development of reverse logistics in a distribution central. The key-factors that were identified as important and should be taken under consideration is: driving- and hindering forces for the development of reverse logistics in a distribution central, the primary causes of reverse logistics in a distribution central, return avoidance, gatekeeping, supplier relationship management and green logistics. Further, it was discovered that a big factor for a favourable development of reverse logistics in a distribution central was continuous training of the personal simultaneously as the development of the reverse logistics process. Implications – Through the analysis of the study it became clear that a big amount of hinders that can occur in association with the development of reverse logistics, comes as a result of the gap in understanding between the management and the operating core. With this as background the authors of the study recommends that whenever a process is developed, great importance should be added in developing the personal working in the process. Limitations – The limitations which lowers the internal validity and in turn the credibility of the study is that many of the theories used in the study is based on B2C. Another limitation is the choice of one case study since the research questions aimed at obtaining general conclusions. Keywords – Reverse logistics, Return management, Return avoidance, Gatekeeping, Supplier relationship management, Green logistics, Distribution central / Syfte – Syftet med studien är att identifiera nyckelfaktorer för utvecklingen av returlogistik på en distributionscentral. Studien skall bidra till att täcka det kunskapsgap som finns i problemområdet utveckling av returlogistik på en distributionscentral. Detta då tidigare forskning primärt behandlat problemområdet mellan kund och fokalfirma. Studiens syfte har brutits ned i två frågeställningar. Först vill studiens författare ta reda på vilka krafter som påverkar utvecklingen av returlogistik på en distributionscentral. Vidare skall viktiga faktorer för utvecklingen av returlogistik på en distributionscentral identifieras. Metod – Studiens valda metod är enfallsstudie då endast en process studeras, även för att kunna erhålla mer djupgående kunskap om det valda problemområdet. Studiens fallföretag är Ikea distributionscentral som är lokaliserade på industriområdet Torsvik utanför Jönköping och är verksamma inom möbelbranschen. Litteraturinsamlingen har genomförts med hjälp av fyra olika insamlingsmetoder: rekommendation av sökord, rekommendation av artikel, sökning i databaser och snowball sampling. Vidare har studiens insamlade data erhållits genom intervjuer, dokumentstudier samt observationer. Slutligen anses studiens interna validitet vara hög, under förutsättningen att teorier om utvecklingen av returlogistik baserade på B2C även anses vara applicerbara i B2B. Vidare anses den externa validiteten vara låg då endast ett företag har studerats. Dock har teorin och empirin analyserats för att nå generella resultat, vilket stärker den externa validiteten. Resultat – Med studiens insamlade teori och empiri som bakgrund har författarna tagit fram underlag för vilka nyckelfaktorer som är viktiga för utvecklingen av returlogistik på en distributionscentral. De nyckelfaktorer som identifierades som viktiga och bör tas i beaktande var: drivande- och hindrande krafter för utvecklingen av returlogistik på en distributionscentral, grundorsaker för returlogistik på en distributionscentral, return avoidance, gatekeeping, supplier relationship management och grön logistik. Vidare upptäcktes att en stor påverkande faktor för en gynnsam utveckling av returlogistik på en distributionscentral var kontinuerlig utbildning av personal i samband med utvecklingen av sin returlogistikprocess. Implikationer – I studiens analys framkom det att många av de hinder som kan uppstå i samband med utvecklingen av returlogistik handlar om det förståelsegap som finns mellan ledning och den operativa kärnan. Med detta som bakgrund rekommenderar studiens författare att ett företag måste lägga stor vikt på att se till att en utveckling sker både på process-nivå och personal-nivå. Begränsningar – Det som anses begränsa den interna validiteten och i sin tur studiens trovärdighet är att många av de teorier som har använts primärt är grundade i B2C. En ytterligare begränsning är valet av enfallsstudie, detta då forskningsfrågorna och syftet formulerades för att söka generella slutsatser. Nyckelord – Reverse logistics, Return management, Return avoidance, Gatekeeping, Supplier relationship management, Green logistics, Distributionscentral

While varies of supply chains are working on moving products towardsthe end consumers, there is also an increasing amount of productsbeing sent back. This has meant an increasing importance of the returnmanagement process. As many businesses have realized that the returnprocess has little connection with their core value, the idea ofoutsourcing return management crossed the mind of many companies.Third-party logistics (3PL) provider have also sensed the opportunityand begun to explore the possibility of providing such services forcompanies in need.