Manage your Amazon FBA returns (add-on)

Balasubramanian Mahadevan

Updated March 19, 2024 06:22

Understand how the flow works
Install the add-on
Understand the advanced settings
Verify your data
Configure and run the flow
Find your return records in NetSuite
Support item aliases for FBA returns add-on

The FBA return management add-on helps you track and sync your FBA returns for order items that are returned to the Amazon warehouses. This add-on also lets you track the returned “sellable” and the returned “damaged” FBA inventory in NetSuite.

Understand how the flow works

The “Amazon (FBA) returns to NetSuite RA and item receipts” flow helps you sync the FBA customer return data from Amazon to NetSuite. This is a scheduled flow. When you run the flow, it requests for the “FBA returns report” from Amazon. For each record in the report, an associated invoice is fetched with “order ID.” If a matching invoice is found, the flow creates a return authorization (RA) record with 0 amount in NetSuite and with the status “Pending Receipt.” The flow creates an “item receipt” for each RA record and closes the RA record to complete the process. The item receipts are created based on the locations you select in the advanced settings in the integration app.

Note: If an order has an item with quantity 3, out of which 2 quantity is returned, the Amazon FBA returns report tracks the returned items as separate lines. In this scenario, in NetSuite, the returned items will be part of separate RMA records.

The following items are supported by this add-on:

Inventory items
Matrix items
Kit and Assembly items
Item aliases
Serialized items
Lot Numbered items

Install the add-on

You can install this add-on from the "Subscriptions" section of your Integration App. For more information on how to install add-ons, refer to add-ons.

Understand the advanced settings

In NetSuite, on the ”return authorization” record, you can configure the locations at the body-level or at the line-level (each item level). To track the returned items as per the locations specified in the advanced settings, ensure that you configure your locations on the ”return authorization” record at the line-level. If you do not have your locations configured at the line-level, the flow does not consider the locations you provide in the advanced settings. The locations are considered from the invoice.

Example: In the “sellable” advanced setting, you select the location as “A” and in the “damaged” advanced setting, you select the location as “B.” On the invoice, you have the location as “C.” if the locations are not configured at the line-level, the ”return authorization” and “item receipt” records pick the location from the invoice, which is “C”.

If you only select the location in the NetSuite inventory location for "sellable" returns drop-down list,

The flow syncs only the items with disposition “sellable” and ignores the remaining items. In NetSuite, the “return authorization” and “item receipt” records are created only for the “sellable” items. The items with the disposition “damaged” are ignored.
If you have only “damaged” items on your return order, the flow ignores that return order.

Note: An item whose disposition is “customer damaged” and the status is “repackaged successfully” is considered as a “sellable” item and is tracked in the “sellable” location.

If you select locations in the NetSuite inventory location for "sellable" returns and NetSuite inventory location for "damaged" returns drop-down lists, the “return authorization” and “item receipt” records are created for all the return transactions with disposition “sellable” and “damaged.”

Verify your data

Before you sync your return data, ensure the following:

An invoice exists for the returned order.
All the items you want to return exist on the invoice.
The returned item quantity matches or is less than the order quantity.

Configure and run the flow

In integrator.io, click Amazon - NetSuite Integration App tile.
Enable the Amazon (FBA) returns to NetSuite RA and item receipts flow.
- In the flow’s Settings, check the Set a start date box to select a start date for this delta flow to bring the historical returns data. There is no impact on the scheduled run time if you check this box.
  
  RECOMMENDED: If you run this flow for the first time, select the box to fetch the historical adjustments. Refresh the page after you check this box.
- Click Save.
Go to Settings > FBA returns.
1. In the Lookup criteria to search matching invoices in NetSuite setting, define the lookup criteria to search the matching invoices in NetSuite. By default, the flow looks for the "eTail order ID" from the FBA returns report. The default value is [‘custbody_celigo_etail_order_id’ ‘is’, {{order-id}}]. You can change the lookup criteria as per your business needs.
2. From the NetSuite inventory location for "sellable" returns setting, select a NetSuite location to track your inventory for “sellable” returns. If you are not using a different location to track your inventory for “damaged” returns, the return authorization record will have only “sellable” records.
  
  Note: This is a mandatory setting.
3. From the NetSuite inventory location for "damaged" returns setting, select the location to track your returned inventory that is “damaged.”
  If you don’t select any location in the NetSuite inventory location for "damaged" returns setting:
  - In NetSuite, if the Advanced Receiving checkbox is checked (Setup > Company > Setup Tasks > Enable Features page > Transactions tab > Shipping & Receiving sub-tab), then you can find the “damaged” returns on the item receipt with “restock” as No.
  - If the Advanced Receiving checkbox is unchecked, the “damaged” returns are ignored. The item receipt will only have “sellable” disposition records.
    
    IMPORTANT: It is recommended to select an account in the Write-off account for returns drop-down list (Setup > Accounting > Accounting Preferences page> Order Management tab > Returns sub-tab) to track the damaged returns on the item receipt. If you do not select any account in the Write-off account for returns drop-down list, the restock value is "Yes" for all the item receipt lines, irrespective of the Amazon disposition or the location selected in the NetSuite inventory location for "damaged" returns integration app setting.
4. In the Offset time to sync Amazon FBA returns setting, enter the value in minutes to wait before syncing Amazon FBA returns. Amazon recommends a value of 4320 (= 72 hours or 3 days).
  
  Example: If the start date and time is set as 08:00 AM, 04th January; current date and time is 05:00 PM, 07th January; and you entered the value as 4320, the returns will be synced from 08:00 AM, 01st January till 05:00 PM, 04th January.
  You can set a value of more than or less than the recommended value of 4320 ( = 72 hours or 3 days) as needed. If the value is set more than the recommended value, say 5760 ( = 96 hours or 4 days), existing records may get synced again for the time duration that exceeds the recommended value. If the value is set less than the recommended value, say 2880 ( = 48 hours or 2 days), records may be skipped for the time duration that is less than the recommended value.
  The most important thing to remember is that the returns will be synced from the adjusted start date & time (Selected date & time – Value entered in the Offset time to sync Amazon FBA returns setting) to the adjusted end date & time (Current date & time – Value entered in the Offset time to sync Amazon FBA returns setting).
  
  Information only for existing flows: When you enter a value in this setting for the first time in this setting, if the flow was last run on 08:00 AM 04th January and you enter the value as 4320 (72 hours), the flow will run as scheduled for the next 3 days (08:00 AM 04th January to 08:00 AM 07th January) with no records being updated for this time period. If you run the flow on 09:00 AM 07th January, the returns will be updated from 08:00 AM 04th January to 09:00 AM 04th January (09:00 AM 07th January - 4320 minutes = 09:00 AM 04th January).
5. Click Save.
Run the Amazon (FBA) returns to NetSuite RA and item receipts flow.

Find your return records in NetSuite

After you run the “Amazon (FBA) returns to NetSuite RA and item receipts” flow, the following records are created in NetSuite:

Return authorization: For each record in the FBA Returns report, if a matching invoice is found, the flow creates a RA record in NetSuite with the status “Pending Receipt.” The flow overrides the amount to $0 for each line item to avoid the double GL impact of the RA and credit memo that was created as part of the Amazon settlement. The RA record is closed after the “item receipt” is created.
Item receipt: An item receipt is created for each RA record and the RA record is closed. The item receipts are created based on the locations you select in the advanced settings in the integration app.

Support item aliases for FBA returns add-on

While processing FBA returns, the “Amazon (FBA) returns to NetSuite RA and item receipts” flow does a lookup search on the Amazon item. If the item is not found, then the flow checks for the “Etail Original SKU” field in NetSuite (on the invoice record at the item line-level.) and identify the returned items. The flow is further enhanced to support item aliases. If the “Etail Original SKU” field does not has any value and in the integration app > Settings > Order (FBA) > General tab, if the Item aliases are configured in NetSuite checkbox is checked, the flow further searches the item in the “Celigo eTail item alias” list using the item name.

Note: If the “Item aliases are configured in NetSuite” box is not selected, the integration app does not perform item search using the item name.