How to Return Stock to a Supplier in Unleashed

Before you start

• The original purchase order must be Complete. A Receipted PO has to be completed before its Supplier Return can be completed.
• Your role needs the Supplier Return permission.
• Set up Supplier Return Reasons in Settings > System > Supplier Return Reasons, so each line records why it went back.
• If you're sending stock back, it must be in the warehouse it was first receipted into.
• One return covers one PO. Items from several POs can't be combined in a single Supplier Return.

Step 1: Create the Supplier Return

1. 1Open the completed PO and select Return in the top right. Or, in View Purchases, choose Return from the PO's action cog. Or go to Purchases > Supplier Returns > Add Supplier Return and search the Purchase Order Number.
2. 2If a return already exists for the PO, Unleashed says so. Review it, or select Create New to make another.
3. 3The new return gets a number, Parked status, and all the PO's order lines and costs.

Step 2: Check the header

1. 1Update the Supplier Reference if the supplier gave you a return number.
2. 2Check the Warehouse is the one the PO was receipted into.
3. 3Set the Return Date for when the stock goes back.
4. 4Pick the Template used to print or email the return.

Step 3: Set the lines

1. 1Delete lines you're not returning or crediting with the bin icon.
2. 2Enter the Return Quantity. Base Unit Quantity calculates from it. You can't return more than was receipted.
3. 3Enter the Return Price, the per-unit credit due from the supplier.
4. 4Pick a Reason.
5. 5Tick Return if the stock is physically going back. Ticked lines remove the quantity from Stock On Hand. Unticked lines leave Stock On Hand unchanged, for a credit only.
6. 6Each line needs a Return Quantity or a Return Price above zero.

Step 4: Decide what happens to the costs

1. 1Freight and other costs from the PO appear in Cost Lines. A cost line can only be returned if at least one product line is on the return.
2. 2Adjust the Cost if only part of it applies.
3. 3Choose Refund if the supplier owes you a credit for the cost, or Write-off if you're absorbing it as an expense.
4. 4If you removed product lines, select Recalculate so the Total Return Cost matches the Cost Lines total.

Step 5: Complete and send it

1. 1Select Complete. The ticked quantities leave the warehouse's Stock On Hand and the stock value updates for the credited prices and costs.
2. 2Print or email the return from the buttons at the bottom of the page. The email uses your Supplier Return email template.
3. 3View Email Log shows who it was sent to and when.

What goes to Xero or QuickBooks

• Refund, same supplier for the PO and its costs: one Supplier Return exports, and a journal removes the value from the Stock on Hand account.
• Refund, different cost supplier: two Supplier Returns export, one for the PO and one for the costs, each with a journal against Stock on Hand.
• Write-off: a Supplier Return for the PO and one for the costs export. The costs post as a write-off journal to the expense account.

If something doesn't look right

• Error "Adjust costs to complete the Return": the costs on the return must match only the products being returned. Delete lines that aren't going back, then use Recalculate or the arrow in the cost column.
• No PO to return against: if the stock wasn't receipted on a PO in Unleashed, use a stock adjustment to remove it instead.
• Return won't complete on a Receipted PO: complete the PO first.
• Stock is in another warehouse: move it back to the receipting warehouse with a Warehouse Transfer first.

For stock that never came in on a PO, see How to make stock adjustments in Unleashed. To move stock back to the right warehouse, see How to transfer stock between warehouses.

Where Unleashed leaves the work to you

• Agreeing the return with the supplier, getting a return number and arranging collection all happen outside Unleashed.
• Someone has to check the supplier's credit note against the Return Price and costs you entered.
• Return Reasons only help if people pick them consistently. Otherwise they tell you little about supplier performance.

Where Logistify fits

Logistify doesn't create supplier returns in Unleashed, so returns and credits stay with your team. Logistify doesn't create or approve purchase orders, and your team keeps the buying decisions. The Procurement Service follows up with suppliers on open purchase orders, captures confirmed dates and quantities, and routes exceptions to your team.