Should a warehouse management system integrate with a returns management system?

As a result of big changes in supply chain management, warehouse management system software needs to evolve further to deal with another phenomenon: Returns.

In regards to returns, 2 questions are relevant:

1. Should a warehouse management system (WMS) become a returns management system? or
2. Should a warehouse management system (WMS) integrate with a returns management system?

In a previous blog we concluded that it makes sense to have a dedicated returns management system taking care of product grading and storage of non-grade A products. This means that the warehouse management system (WMS) should not handle returns from the moment they arrive at the warehouse. The WMS should only handle pre-screened grade-A products.

So in a warehouse management system demo we would like to see an integration with a dedicated returns management system.

So, the next question would be: 

1. What does this integration look like?

Typically, a WMS needs a pre-alert to be notified about an incoming shipment containing products in good condition. This means that the returns management system should provide the WMS with a pre-alert for all returned products that have been received as grade-A in the returns management system.