This decision tree is part of the supplier return authorization guide. It helps a retail finance advisor move from the person who knows the records to the person who can say yes.
Three kinds of people around a return
Every return record has someone who made it, someone who keeps it and someone who can commit it. They are rarely the same person.
| Record | Made by | Kept by | Committed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return request and RMA | Buyer or merchandise operations | ERP, supplier portal | CEO |
| Return shipment | Distribution center | Warehouse and carrier systems | CEO |
| Inspection notes and rejection reasons | Supplier | Supplier portal or buyer email | Supplier terms, then the CEO |
| Appeal correspondence | Category manager | Buyer mailboxes | CEO, after privacy review |
| Credit memos | Supplier | Supplier side, then ERP | Finance controller advises; CEO signs |
| Write-off approvals | Finance controller | ERP or finance workflow | CEO |
Oracle's help shows the approval step built into the process: a NetSuite vendor return authorization starts as Pending Approval before it can move to Pending Return. Whoever approves returns, though, is approving an operational transaction. That is a different authority from licensing the company's history of returns.
Oracle
NetSuiteThe tree, as yes or no questions
Ask each question of the person in front of you.
- Do you run the returns process? If yes, you are the convener, typically the merchandise operations director. Go to question 2.
- Can you commit company records to an agreement? If yes, you are the introduction. If no, which is the usual answer for an operations director, go to question 3.
- Who owns the finance side? Name the finance controller: credit memos, write-offs and the accounts payable match are theirs. They advise; go to question 4.
- Who knows what the supply agreements and portal terms say? Name the legal or procurement lead. They flag limits; go to question 5.
- Who signs for the company? Name the CEO. This is the introduction, with the merchandise operations director as convener.
- Does anyone above them need to consent? A parent group, a board or an investor may. Note it for SourceX.
Login access to the ERP or a supplier portal, whether held by a consultant, a buyer or an IT administrator, answers none of these questions. It is access, not authority.
Branches that leave the company's hands
Some return records involve parties outside the company. The partner notes each one and stops.
| Branch | Why it needs sign-off | Who reviews | Usual outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection reports on the supplier's portal | The supplier created them, often under portal terms | Legal or procurement lead, then SourceX's rights review | Included only if terms allow |
| Supplier credit memos | Issued by the supplier; on SAP Business Network the supplier creates them and can reduce the price for damaged items | Finance controller and counsel | Usually included as received documents, subject to terms |
| Store photos and customer complaint notes in appeals | May identify customers or staff; under the GDPR, information relating to an identifiable person, including by name or identification number, is personal data | Privacy lead and counsel | Removed or de-identified |
| Negotiated return allowances in supply agreements | Commercially sensitive | CFO and counsel | Often excluded or summarized |
| Returns under active dispute | May be subject to a hold | Counsel | Left out |
SAPNone of these branches disqualifies a retailer. They set scope. Why data rights matter explains the review, and rights-cleared data explains what clearance means in practice.
Where the answer stays unknown
A partner can identify the right people. A partner cannot settle four things, and should say so in the introduction:
- Supplier-held records. Whether inspection notes on a supplier's portal can be licensed depends on contracts the partner has not read.
- Scope after review. Which record classes and years survive the privacy and contract checks.
- Demand. Whether any buyer wants supplier return histories when SourceX reviews them.
- Terms. Whether an offer follows, and its payout and schedule.
A company that wants to understand how SourceX itself handles these questions can use the vendor due diligence questionnaire.
Mapping the tree to two retailers (Illustrative)
| Question | 260-person family-owned furniture retailer | 1,400-person investor-backed home goods chain |
|---|---|---|
| Convener | Head of merchandising | Merchandise operations director |
| Finance owner | Controller | Finance controller for merchandise |
| Contract owner | Outside counsel | In-house procurement counsel |
| Signer | The owner, who is also the CEO | The CEO, with the CFO preparing the case |
| Extra consent | None | The investor, under its governance rights |
| Main side branch | Inspection reports only on two suppliers' portals | Store photos in appeal emails |
Both companies are fictional. The second path is longer but leads to the same kind of introduction: one convener, one named signer, and a list of branches for review. The system map helps the convener describe the records, and the preservation timeline shows what a supplier renegotiation can put at risk.
The introduced company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), documented operating history, rights to license and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 90% of the data is in English. Partners sign the Channel Partner Agreement before submitting introductions; the first valid introduction within the 90-day window is credited when the company submits a verified application, and one partner is credited per company. If the company you know is the supplier rather than the buyer, read whether you can refer a supplier your company buys from. The supplier return referral brief template records the convener and signer on one page.
Next step
Refer a company. Earn up to $100,000. Default reward: 25% of Actual Supplier Payout, capped at $100,000 cumulatively per referred company. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.
When the merchandise operations director has agreed to convene and to bring in the CEO, who signs, register as a partner, confirm the company on who qualifies and read the program terms before making the introduction.