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Finance, GST & Accounting · Inventory

Faulty Material / RMA

Follow a returned, faulty unit from inspection to the vendor or service centre, and through to repaired, replaced or scrapped.

Try it in the live demoFinance → Inventory → Faulty Material / RMA

What it is for

When a customer returns a faulty unit under warranty, the unit does not just disappear. An RMA case (return merchandise authorisation) tracks what happens to it: inspected, sent to your vendor or a service centre, and then repaired, replaced or scrapped.

It keeps the faulty serial number, the customer, the original invoice and the warranty claim together, with a history of every step.

How it works

  • A case is opened for a unit that came back faulty. Cases for units returned on a warranty claim link to that claim; you can also open one by hand from a returned or faulty serial number.
  • A case moves through its statuses as you act on it: Pending inspection, then sent to the vendor or service centre, Under repair or Awaiting replacement, Repaired or Received back, and finally Closed - or Scrapped when it cannot be fixed.
  • Every action is written to the case's history with its date, so you can answer where a unit is now.

Step by step

Every screenshot is from the live demo. The highlighted button is the one to click - nothing here is saved in the demo, so you can follow along freely.

  1. 1

    Open Faulty Material / RMA

    Finance → Inventory → Faulty Material / RMA. Each case is a row with its case number, the faulty serial number, the product, the customer, its status, where it was sent and when it was opened. Search by case number, RMA reference or vendor, or filter by status.

    Faulty Material / RMA - Open Faulty Material / RMA
    New RMA case (highlighted) is at the top right.
  2. 2

    Open a case by hand

    Click New RMA case. Type part of the serial number and pick the returned or faulty unit from the matches - only units that came back are listed. Describe the fault and click Open case.

    Faulty Material / RMA - Open a case by hand
    Search a returned serial number. Nothing is saved in the demo.
  3. 3

    Inspect the case

    Click a case to open it. It shows the product, the faulty serial and, if a replacement was already given to the customer, the serial that replaced it, together with the original invoice, the warranty claim, the fault and the history. A new case is Pending inspection: once you have checked the unit, decide whether to send it away or scrap it.

    Faulty Material / RMA - Inspect the case
    A case waiting for inspection: Send to vendor / service center (highlighted).
  4. 4

    Send it to the vendor or service centre

    Click Send to vendor / service center. Choose Vendor or Service Center, pick the vendor on record if there is one, or type the name, add the RMA or service reference they gave you, a contact person and number, the date it was sent and the date it should come back. Click Send.

    Faulty Material / RMA - Send it to the vendor or service centre
  5. 5

    Track the repair and receive it back

    Once sent, the case shows where it is and when it is due back. Use Mark under repair or Mark awaiting replacement as the vendor tells you. When the unit returns, click Mark repaired / received and note what was fixed - or click Receive replacement and enter the replacement's serial number and the date it arrived.

    Faulty Material / RMA - Track the repair and receive it back
    A case under repair at the service centre, with its reference and expected return date.
  6. 6

    Scrap or close

    If the unit cannot be repaired or replaced, click Scrap and enter the date, the reason, who approved it and any scrap value. When everything is finished, click Close case. A closed case stays on the list as the record of what happened.

    Faulty Material / RMA - Scrap or close
    A closed case with its full history.

Key fields

Returned / faulty serial number *
The unit that came back. Only returned or faulty serials can be picked.
Problem / fault description
What is wrong with the unit.
Vendor or service center
Where the unit was sent. Pick a vendor on record or type a name.
RMA / service reference
The reference the vendor or service centre gave you.
Sent date / Expected return
When it left and when it should be back.
Replacement serial number
The serial of the unit you received in return, when the case ends in a replacement.
Scrap reason, approved by, scrap value
Required to scrap: why, who approved it, and any value recovered.

Tips

  • Always add the vendor's RMA reference when you send a unit - it is the first thing they will ask for when you chase.
  • Check the Expected return dates every week and chase cases that are overdue.
  • Link a case to its warranty claim so you can see the customer's side and the vendor's side in one place.