The thematic synthesis produced summary tables of RL digitisation barriers and consequences and practices and outcomes and evidence-mapping matrices linking barriers, consequences, practices and benefits. These outputs informed the conceptual framework for managing consumer returns through RL digitisation.
This section synthesises the literature on RL digitisation barriers in online returns settings and the consequences that arise when these barriers persist, thus answering RQ1 and RQ2. Online Appendix 1, Table 1-OA1 summarises RL digitisation barriers and related consequences.
Online Appendix 1, Table 1-OA1 shows that barriers to RL digitisation are clustered into four groups: financial constraint, organisational, IT and synergy barriers. Financial constraints include high upfront costs for systems, infrastructure and skills, and difficulty justifying investment when RL is seen as a cost rather than a value-add. Organisational barriers involve limited RL awareness, lack of top management commitment, management inattention, resistance to change, weak strategy and training gaps. Information technology barriers cover a lack of IT adoption, inadequate or incapable systems, insufficient infrastructure and technology and data risks. Synergy barriers relate to poor internal integration and limited collaboration and information sharing with partners. These RL digitisation barriers are mutually reinforcing. For instance, under-investment and weak governance limit IT acquisition and use, leading to ineffective systems and inefficiencies. Even with some IT adoption, the lack of integration and data sharing reduces system value. Therefore, the foundational barriers of resources, governance, skills and integration must be addressed alongside technology adoption.
The synthesis indicates that RL digitisation barriers generate consequences across several domains: cost (e.g. constrained budgets and profitability pressures), operational (e.g. inefficiencies and bottlenecks), information and IT (e.g. limited visibility, poor data management and weak systems), organisational and governance (e.g. ineffective RL management, weak planning and ineffective decision-making) and external (weak supply chain coordination and market-related pressures) domains. The dominant consequence pathways indicate that barriers undermine information and coordination mechanisms required for stable RL processes, visibility, control, information exchange and interoperable systems. As a result, operational inefficiency and uncertainty can be primary consequences because RL processes depend on accurate, integrated information.
This section synthesises the literature on RL digitisation practices and associated implementation outcomes, answering RQ3 and RQ4. Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1 provides a consolidated summary of the RL digitisation practices and related outcomes (barriers addressed and benefits realised).
The literature portrays RL digitisation as a portfolio of complementary interventions, spanning: (1) appropriate IT system functionalities (integration, adaptability, information management, and RL management and control) and IT systems (tracking and Web-based solutions, traditional IT systems, dedicated returns systems, Industry 4.0 digital technologies), (2) internal support and resources (financial commitment and resources, managerial commitment and strategic planning, and managerial support) and (3) external resources and supply chain relationships (outsourcing and supply chain collaboration and partnerships). Practice selection is best viewed as a socio-technical portfolio, where enabling practices support adoption and sustained use, and IT practices provide specific improvements (e.g. visibility, integration, automation and analytics).
Outcomes are conceptualised as the barriers addressed (i.e. the extent to which practices mitigate or remove RL digitisation barriers) and the benefits realised (i.e. the performance and value domains associated with practice implementation). Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1 links each practice with the main barriers that can be addressed and the benefits realised, indicating that practices function as mechanisms for barrier reduction while simultaneously enabling value outcomes. Barrier-related outcomes include addressing high investment and cost constraints, improving IT adoption and system adequacy, mitigating organisational constraints, reducing integration complexity and addressing supply chain synergy complexities. Benefit-related outcomes involve financial (cost savings, resource optimisation, recovery), operational (streamlined processes, reduced lead times and errors), IT and information (visibility, data management, automation and integration, analytics), organisational (RL management facilitation, strategic alignment and change readiness) and external (supply chain synergy and customer and market outcomes) domains.
Treating outcomes as both barrier reduction and benefit realisation strengthens the explanatory logic of RL digitisation programmes. Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1 can be used by retailers to match a desired outcome with practices that address relevant barriers. For example, financial outcomes may require a combination of IT systems with integration and control functionalities, tracking or Industry 4.0 technologies, internal financial support and external collaboration.
This reinforces the portfolio logic where benefits are more likely when enabling barriers are reduced alongside technology implementation.
RQ5 was addressed by interpreting the evidence-mapping matrices (Online Appendix 1: Table 3-OA1, Table 4-OA1 and Table 5-OA1) to distinguish dominant, cross-cutting relationship patterns from targeted pathways. A dominant relationship refers to a linkage with broad influence across multiple barrier, consequence, practice or benefit domains, while a targeted relationship refers to a bounded linkage addressing a specific bottleneck or outcome domain. Row-wise and column-wise readings identified systemic leverage points and bottleneck-specific links.
Online Appendix 1, Table 3-OA1 represents the RL digitisation barrier–consequence matrix based on the synthesis presented in Table 1-OA1.
Online Appendix 1, Table 3-OA1 identifies the dominant and targeted relationships between RL digitisation barriers and consequences.
The most cross-cutting barriers mapped to multiple consequence domains are financial constraints, inadequate and incapable IT systems, and lack of IT adoption, indicating wider exposure to cost and performance risks. These barriers are strong candidates for early-stage prioritisation because addressing them can reduce multiple downstream problems simultaneously. Barriers with narrower consequence linkage exhibit more bounded pathways, with impacts concentrated in fewer consequence domains. These targeted barriers are analytically valuable, indicating specific bottlenecks (e.g. a concentrated skills gap or discrete data-risk problem) that can be addressed through focused interventions once foundational constraints are stabilised. Consequence domains with wide linkage (i.e. operational and RL process inefficiencies and uncertainties, poor and incapable IT and information and integration problems) across the barriers indicate where RL performance is most sensitive to digitisation constraints, emphasising the significance of RL digitisation for effective returns management.
Consequence domains with fewer linkages (i.e. investment and lack of funding pressures, supply chain synergy problems and competitive and market-related problems) may reflect more context-dependent effects. Therefore, less frequently linked domains should be interpreted in the context of the online retailer’s business and strategic priorities rather than assumed to be unimportant.
Online Appendix 1, Table 4-OA1 represents the RL digitisation practice–barrier matrix, based on the synthesis presented in Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1.
Online Appendix 1, Table 4-OA1 identifies the dominant and targeted relationships between RL digitisation practices and barriers. High-coverage practices (i.e. outsourcing, cloud computing, the IoT, financial and managerial commitment and IT with integration capabilities) address multiple barrier categories and offer broader leverage for barrier removal and programme momentum. These practices can play a foundational, enabling role by supporting adoption, integration and sustained use across multiple constraint areas. Practices with narrower barrier coverage (i.e. Web-based tracking, adaptability functionality, CRM and WMS) can be interpreted as more targeted and positioned as complementary solutions once enabling conditions are established, or as targeted solutions where an online retailer’s barrier profile is narrow and clearly defined. Barriers associated with many practices (i.e. lack of IT adoption, ineffective IT systems and financial constraints) can be interpreted as more widely addressable through multiple intervention routes, allowing online retailers flexibility in practice selection and portfolio design. Barriers associated with fewer practices (i.e. skills and training gaps and a lack of top management commitment) can be interpreted as potential bottlenecks that may require explicit enablement or targeted interventions, such as partnerships and outsourcing.
Online Appendix 1, Table 5-OA1 represents the RL digitisation practice–benefits matrix based on the synthesis presented in Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1.
Online Appendix 1, Table 5-OA1 identifies the dominant and targeted relationships between RL digitisation practices and benefits. Reverse logistics digitisation practices linked with many benefit domains (i.e. the IoT, cloud computing and solutions, AI and ML, financial commitment and resources, and outsourcing) can be interpreted as broad-return interventions and may be valuable early in implementation, where the objective is to stabilise returns execution and deliver visible improvements across multiple performance areas. Practices linked with fewer benefit domains (i.e. adaptability functionality, managerial commitment and strategic planning) represent more focused interventions where selection will depend on alignment with specific outcome objectives. Benefits linked with many practices (i.e. RL process and operational efficiency and visibility and real-time information sharing) can be interpreted as more widely attainable benefit domains likely to emerge across multiple RL digitisation portfolios. Benefits linked with fewer practices (i.e. skills and training capability and access to IT systems and infrastructure) can be interpreted as more selective outcomes that require deliberate practice selection and explicit monitoring.
Overall, the relationship patterns supported a sequenced portfolio approach: address cross-cutting constraints with high-coverage practices, then use targeted interventions for specific bottlenecks and selective benefits, while monitoring barriers addressed and benefits realised.
Theoretically, these patterns confirm that RL digitisation value is not created by technology adoption alone, but by aligning technological capability with organisational readiness and inter-organisational information flows. Dominant relationships indicate where systemic constraints shape multiple outcomes, whereas targeted relationships indicate where specific interventions may resolve bounded bottlenecks. This interpretation supports the framework’s sequencing logic and explains why retailers should address enabling conditions before expecting benefits from advanced digital tools.
The framework translated the evidence base into a decision sequence: diagnose barriers and exposures, prioritise dominant versus targeted relationships, select a sequenced practice portfolio and monitor outcomes to embed RL digitisation as a capability for effective consumer returns management. Effective consumer returns management is defined here as the ability of an online retailer to execute the end-to-end returns process consistently and transparently while controlling costs, risks, value recovery, partner relationships and customer experience.
Stepwise decision framework for managing consumer returns through reverse logistics digitisation.
The steps and the framework outcomes are described as follows:
Step 1 – Diagnose (barrier profile and exposure profile): Use Online Appendix 1, Table 1-OA1 and Table 3-OA1 to identify the barrier profile (cross-cutting versus targeted barriers) and exposure profile (most affected consequence domains) to locate vulnerability points in the returns system.
Step 2 – Prioritise (dominant vs targeted relationships): Use Online Appendix 1, Table 3-OA1, Table 4-OA1 and Table 5-OA1 to prioritise cross-cutting barriers and performance domains first, then identify bottlenecks and selective benefits that require targeted monitoring.
Step 3 – Select practices (portfolio design and fit): Use Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1, Table 4-OA1 and Table 5-OA1 to design a sequenced portfolio based on practice–barrier fit and practice–benefit fit, combining enabling measures with targeted technologies.
Step 4 – Monitor and iterate (barriers addressed and benefits realised): Use Online Appendix 1, Table 2-OA1, Table 4-OA1 and Table 5-OA1 to track whether barriers are being reduced and intended benefits are realised, then use return data to refine the diagnosis, priorities and practice portfolio.
Target state – Effective consumer returns management through RL digitisation: Applying the framework should improve financial, operational, information, governance, relational and service outcomes by reducing costs and errors, increasing visibility and control, strengthening collaboration and improving customer experience.