TutorialMay 12, 20267 min read

RMA and after-sales in Dolibarr: the workflow that saves 5h/week

Product returns, warranties, exchanges: a well-thought RMA workflow avoids improvised after-sales chaos. Here's how to build it in Dolibarr.

The hidden cost of improvised after-sales

Many SMBs handle product returns via emails, Excel files or a hacky 'returned' status on the order. Result: lost track of returned goods, defective products restocked as sellable, double or missed refunds, and no stats to show which suppliers cause issues. For an SMB with 50 returns/month, time lost in improvised handling easily reaches 5 hours weekly. A structured RMA workflow reclaims this time and mechanically improves customer service quality.

Goods lost from lack of traceability
Refunds either duplicated or forgotten
Defective products re-entered into sellable stock
No supplier stats to inform purchasing
5h/week lost on 50 returns/month on average

Define the standard 5-step workflow

A good RMA workflow has 5 statuses: Requested, Approved, Received, Processed, Closed. The client (or rep) creates an RMA referencing an existing order or invoice. After-sales approves or rejects with reason. When goods arrive, the warehouse agent moves to 'Received' and decides next: restock, repair, scrap. Once processing is done (exchange shipped, credit issued, repair done), it moves to 'Processed'. The ticket closes on client confirmation. DolicraftRMA implements exactly this workflow and remains configurable per industry.

5 statuses: Requested, Approved, Received, Processed, Closed
Creation always linked to an order or invoice
Explicit approval with mandatory reason
Reception decision: restock, repair, scrap
Closure on client confirmation

Link the RMA to orders and invoices

Classic trap: an RMA without link to the source order. You lose track of what was sold, at what price, under what warranty. DolicraftRMA enforces linking to an existing order or invoice and auto-pulls eligible lines. You tick affected products, the module pre-fills price, quantity, serial number, purchase date. If the buyer requests a credit, the module generates the draft document with the right lines and amount, ready to validate. This linkage saves 5 minutes per RMA and eliminates input errors.

Mandatory linking to source order or invoice
Auto-pull of eligible lines with quantity and price
Automatic credit note draft generation
Serial number tracking for identified products
Automatic warranty validity check

Supplier and root-cause stats

RMAs are a goldmine for purchasing optimisation. The module records on each return: original supplier, cause (defect, transport breakage, customer error, return-period exit), cost to you (shipping, refurb, write-off). Within months, you know precisely that supplier X generates 8% returns vs 1% average, or that delivery mode Y breaks 3x more than others. These data enable concrete decisions: change supplier, renegotiate, switch carrier.

Original supplier tracking on every RMA
Cause categorisation (defect, transport, customer, return)
Economic cost per RMA and per supplier
Top problem suppliers over 6 or 12 months
Carrier comparison on breakage rate

Notifications and customer experience

A customer requesting a return is in a fragile moment: they want reassurance on timing and tracking. The module auto-emails on every status change: request confirmation with RMA number, approval with return instructions, warehouse receipt confirmation, finalisation with details (credit issued, exchange shipped). The customer never has to call to know where things stand. This automation turns an often-negative experience into a positive differentiator.