For the Return Material Authorization transaction, the disposition code is a mandatory entry, but there are different places where one can enter it.
1. Right at the start, when the RMA line is created. One can put in a disposition code immediately, but only the ones that have an action 'credit only'. (see below for more details). This makes sense. Disposition codes can only be chosen when we have received the item and have inspected it, then decided what to do. But the "credit only" is the exception to that. The customer gets credit immediately!
2. In the Arrival journal line. In real life, the receiver would have authorization to determine the disposition. This is possible when the rules are strict and it is not a highly engineered product that requires disassembly and detailed inspection.
3. In the Quarantine order. In real life, this is the routine when we have inspectors in an engineering department that disassemble the product and do some detailed checking before a disposition code can be determined.
The disposition codes trigger quite interesting functionality. (which is also quite undocumented!)
There are SIX different hard coded actions. The user can create multiple disposition codes with the same basic action.
ACTION | WHEN | WHAT | Comment |
Credit | Post invoice | No special effects |
|
Credit only | Post invoice | This disposition code can only be entered when I create the RMA line. The status of this RMA line will switch to “received” immediately. | No receiving takes place. No Arrival overview is needed. |
Replace and credit | Post Return packing slip (from Arrival Journal or from RMA) will create the replacement sales order, Post invoice for the credit. | Provided the replace item has been defined on the RMA line, a regular sales order will be created. | This new sales order is referenced in the RMA header. The sales order itself has no reference |
Replace and scrap | Replace order created when Posted packing slip, scrap handled when Post Invoice. | Provided the replace item has been defined on the RMA line, a regular sales order will be created. | This new sales order is referenced in the RMA header. The sales order itself has no reference. A credit invoice is also generated in this scenario. |
Return to customer | When posting the Return packing slip. | The system creates a positive line in the RMA. You need to run another Packing slip post for this new line. | Post invoice is a “moot” step, because the invoice will be zero $, but we have to do it for AR reasons. |
Scrap | When posting the invoice | A quarantine order is created and ended immediately with full quantity = scrap | Works same for non-WAX and WAX-warehouses. Critical set up is the default receipt and issue location on the quarantine warehouse. |
LESSON LEARNED WHEN USING WAX (Warehousing module in R3)
The quarantine warehouse should not be “enabled for WAX”
One can link the traditional quarantine warehouse to a WAX-enabled warehouse without problem
CRITIQUE on replacement order functionality:
It seems silly that the system “does not know” what item to use as a replacement item. The user has to set it up in the RMA line. Any item can be defined and any quantity which seems a little unreal. I would prefer that the default is the same item that was returned and the same quantity. That is what the system would do unless the user intervenes and defines an alternative replacement. NOTE: The Post packing slip will fail when the user has not defined the replacement item.