Business Analyst in E-commerce: Automating Returns
Evaluate bottlenecks in a manual return verification workflow and specify an integrated solution balancing speed and fraud control.
Context
You are a Business Analyst at a regional e-commerce platform. Customer returns currently require up to 6 business days to process because customer operations manually inspects uploaded photos for every return claim. Both buyers and merchants are dissatisfied with the resulting settlement delays. The engineering lead proposes adopting a third-party image recognition service to automate approval decisions immediately. However, the operations manager fears increased fraud and erroneous refunds. The project manager has asked you to assess the workflow and define the system requirements for a revised return process before the next sprint.
Your Task
Submit your analysis for the IT Project Manager and Operations Lead covering exactly:
- Recommendation — one concrete system and workflow design decision.
- Impact — projected cycle time, merchant dispute rates, and operational savings.
- Implementation Plan — phases, cross-functional responsibilities, and timeline.
Available Data
Return Verification Performance (Last Quarter)
| Return Category | Monthly Claims | Avg Manual Review Time | Current Rejection Rate | Merchant Dispute Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel & Fashion | 45,000 | 4.2 days | 8.5% | 3.1% |
| Electronics & Gadgets | 18,000 | 5.8 days | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| Home & Living | 12,000 | 3.6 days | 5.0% | 2.2% |
| Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) | 10,000 | 2.1 days | 3.2% | 1.8% |
| Total / Average | 85,000 | 4.3 days | 8.6% | 5.4% |
Current As-Is Process
- Buyer files return claim and uploads item photos on the mobile app.
- Claim enters a central queue; support agents manually verify photo condition against merchant return policy.
- Agent approves return label generation or rejects claim with text reason.
- Buyer drops parcel at logistics hub, where weight is recorded upon intake.