Day 3

Tony Sciarrotta, Former Director of Asset Recovery, Philips Consumer Lifestyle
Timothy Quinn, Manager of Logistics, Budget and Analysis, BJ's Wholesale Club
Anthony Mitchell, Senior Director, Service, Huawei Device USA
Jodi Meyer, Returns Recovery Manager, Colony Brands

The team behind Worldwide Business Research’s (WBR) Consumer Returns conference – with help from an advisory board of senior-level reverse logistics, supply chain and operations executives from international companies – has created a benchmarking survey that will be distributed online prior to the conference. The survey asks firms about their returns reduction strategies and plans to further optimize their reverse supply chain, while looking ahead to 2015 and what changes may be in store. One of the benefits of attending will be a thorough analysis of the survey results with members of the advisory board.

---

---

---

---

Rob Bromley, Operations Manager, Lenovo National Returns Center

Lenovo implemented a new approach to continuous improvement by engaging cross-functional teams in a program called Bold Work Out. Lenovo’s Bold Work Out is modeled after GE’s Work Out program, developed by Jack Welch in the early 1990s. Through the implementation of this program, Lenovo has created operational flexibility to handle all brands, models and platforms of products, crafted work schedules enabling a seven day per week operation (at no additional cost) and created in-house test capabilities for refurbishment of all systems. This case study will enable attendees to:

• Identify focus areas: Improving the efficiency of refurbishment, reducing cycle time, driving quality improvements
• Establish targets
• Roll out a program within their own organization with executive support

---

Laurent Kitzinger, Business Development Manager, SoftThinks USA

Refurbishers are facing an increasing number of challenges. They need to ensure their process exceeds customers’ expectations in terms of quality, meets regulations and still generates a profit. SoftThinks will present how one of its customers managed to solve this dilemma.

---

Erin McKie, Ph.D. Student, Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina

Remanufacturing is increasingly providing new profit opportunities for firms, and more product condition options – such as new, refurbished, and/or used – for consumers to choose between. Using secondary data and choice model analysis techniques, this presentation estimates the influence of various factors – such as percent discount, availability, and age of product – on consumers’ purchasing decisions.

---

The Consumer Returns Innovation Spotlight features snapshots of today’s bleeding edge companies who are leading the way in technology advancements and service methodologies. These sessions are tailored to help you better understand what you can do to help your organization streamline and improve your returns management processes and practices.

Lee Gibson, Director, Reverse Logistics, Huawei Device USA
Michael Deaton, Director, Americas Repair Operations, Microsoft
Roy Garcia, Associate Director, Reverse Logistics, Verizon Wireless
Jack DeButts, Director, Returns Management, Spinnaker
Laurent Kitzinger, Business Development Manager, SoftThinks USA

Many OEMs overinvest in restoring their product to “like new”/A-grade. If a $500 laptop is returned to you, you shouldn’t spend hundreds repairing it but some OEMs struggle to identify what they’re spending and what their maximum threshold should be given the value of the
product. Just because you know how to make something beautiful again doesn’t mean that it makes economic sense to do so. In fact, in many cases it makes sense to sell ‘B’ or ‘C’ grade goods because there’s still a market for that product and a company can get better financial performance around it. Manufacturers need to place their product in the best condition/channel/market to yield maximum recovery.

---

---

---

---

---

Michael Anderson, Chief, Advanced Technology and Machinery Division, U.S. International Trade Commission

As one of the largest exporters of used electronics, there is considerable interest in measuring the flow and trends of exports and the factors that influence trade in these products. Given the lack of official statistics on international trade in used or refurbished goods, this presentation will provide an update on recent efforts to quantify such exports and associated factors influencing trade in these products.

---

Brian Eddy, Director, Sales & Marketing, The Rehabilitation Center

Want to explore innovative ways to streamline your reserve logistics process, minimize your costs and increase the recovery yield on your products? The nonprofit network and its labor force are a hidden but untapped asset & outsourcing solution for the reverse logistics industry.

The entire reverse logistics process will never be completely automated and labor is needed. Nonprofits offer a cost effective solution for companies to achieve their zero waste/sustainability goals and objectives. Learn how you can collaborate with non-profit service providers through pilots and partnerships, demonstrating corporate social responsibility along the way.

---

1. Best Practices In 3PL Management - Facilitated by Michael Ketzenberg, Associate Professor of Information and Operations Management, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University & Joyce Cruts, Director, Return Management, Acer America Corporation

2. Greening The Reverse Supply Chain: Tactics, Tools And Technology - Facilitated by Amy T. Augustine, Manager, Reverse Logistics, U.S. Cellular

3. Partnering For Sustainability: Developing A Recycling Program - Facilitated by Chuck Johnston, Director of Repair and Returns, The Home Depot

4. Identifying The Best Sales Channels For Refurbished Goods - Facilitated by Kathy Murphy, Senior Sales Operations Manager, Jarden Consumer Solutions

5. Repair Partner Management - Facilitated by Doug Ugarte, Senior Vendor Manager, Handset Service & Reverse Logistics, ZTE USA, Inc.

6. Analyzing The Impacts Of Kill Switch Legislation - Facilitated by Ed Rayeski, Director, Handset & Device Support, ZTE USA Inc.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

These informal discussions will enable you to reflect on what you've learned throughout the conference and apply it to your business.