Edition 115, September 2021

What's Up RLA: Reverse Logistics Directory of Service Providers

Reverse Logistics Association

The Reverse Logistics Association (RLA) is pleased to announce The Reverse Logistics Directory of Tools and Service Providers. The directory, a dynamic database, provides contacts for resources such as software, equipment, and consultants and a listing of third-party service providers segmented into functions – returns, repair, resales, and recycling. In addition, extensive profiles of companies are also included. This tool will help manufacturers, retailers, and other businesses to identify potential partners and resources to augment their returns management.


The directory will be accessible on the association’s website and available to the public in September. A physical copy of the directory will also be available, published in partnership with supply chain media company DC Velocity. Detailed company profiles will not be available in the physical directory, but instead, it will promote the profiles available only on the RLA website.

WHO IS INCLUDED?

First and foremost—RLA members who provide information are included and arranged based on their membership levels. Following RLA members’ listings are other companies, including those affiliated with other trade associations such as Seri R2 certified companies. It is our goal to make this directory and buyers’ guide as comprehensible as possible. Therefore, while this first edition is focused on North American companies, future editions will include European, Asian, and Latin American resources.

EDIT YOUR PROFILE

If you are a member of the RLA community, you can edit your company profile even if not a paying member. The primary community member is authorized to do the edits. You can tell if you are designated as the primary member by looking at your membership profile page. Right under your name and the name of your company, there will be a green button that says
UPDATE THIS COMPANY.

If that button doesn’t appear, send an email to directory@rla.org, and we will inform you of the name of the designated primary account member. For example, some companies have more than fifty employees as members of our community. Of course, we can change the status of any member, but only one person per company can edit the profile. Changes can be made in the printed edition annually, and any company updates will be made immediately on the online directory at RLA.org/directory.

YOUR PROFILE


What are you editing? The profile consists of basic business information such as location, number of employees, and a matrix of services and products. Select as many services and products that are appropriate for your company. You will be listed in each function through the filters at the top of the profile page.

You are also asked for which kinds of products you provide for these services and in which regions. Together with the other information, a comprehensive profile of your company can be presented to potential partners seeking third-party solution providers.

While community members are listed in the directory for free, full members have many additional perks and benefits.

Full members have access to the extended directory. In addition, manufacturers, retailers, and third-party service providers will have access to the entire database. The general public and community members can also access this extended directory by taking a temporary paid membership for a month at a time. Otherwise, the public database will only include full member companies—ranked by membership levels, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Copper.

MARKET RESEARCH

We believe that the financial impact of the reverse logistics industry has not been accurately depicted in what few research reports there are about it. With the circular economy growing in importance, we believe that while returns management may represent 10-15% of product sales, they will grow to 20-30% over the next decade. Product re-use and remanufacturing are concepts whose time has come. Sustainability and upcycling are not fads; they are trends. The RLA will be collecting a lot of data with these profiles. We are working with various research organizations to use this database to document and analyze the entire ecosystem of this industry. This research will develop a clearer picture of best practices and optimized returns management.

Please visit RLA.ORG/Directory and see for yourself.