This is a behind the scenes look at how RMAs work at RIGAS (and probably other repair facilities like ours):
1. Customer contact:
• Usually there is a phone call or email that starts a dialog regarding a misbehaving analyzer
• Sometimes simple problems can be “worked around” just by talking with an expert
2. Customer requests a RMA (return material authorization)
• while RMAs are not required at RIGAS, it is nice to ensure that you have some sort of activity/tracking number … just in case your boss asks about it!!
3. RIGAS generates a RMA from its ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system
• the RMA is also the assigned job number
• BTW, we use Infor’s ISM ERP
4. We send you the RMA number and address to ship the material to
5. When we receive the material from you, we either call you or email you to let you know that it arrived, and the condition that we received it in
6. We evaluate the material (analyzers mainly) within 24 hours of its receipt
• we’ll send you an email about what we found
7. We’ll proceed with minor repairs, or maybe do a major component substitution in order to prove a theory
8. Then we’ll write up an estimate
• This is where you, the customer, can say “yes” or “no” to having us proceed with the repair.
• 99.49% of the time our estimates are approved (I don’t know that it’s ‘actually’ 99.49%, but it is a very high percentage!!)
9. Once the repairs are complete, we’ll do some overnight testing
10. Then a second person will run through a quality assurance checklist
11. The technician will polish his handwritten notes; the front office will enter those notes into the system; and a depot service report will be printed
12. Then it’s boxed, readied for shipping, and shipped (UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc.)
13. A few days later Accounting generates an invoice
14. Once the payment is received, the job is fully closed
So why do we do “second person checks?” Two reasons:
1. you probably hate getting something back that doesn’t work … and then you have the hassle of reboxing it and reshipping it
2. we hate hearing that it didn’t work when you got it back … and then there’s the warranty expense that we incur