Robots and Real World Amazon Dispute Cases
Disputes are a part of life and processing them takes away a huge chunk of manpower and time. But things get complicated manifold when you have to adopt a complex workflow just for handling deductions from only one customer ? Amazon. Amazon has ties with quite a number of vendors. However, the Amazon Vendor Central is a nightmare for deductions analysts because of its cumbersome processes for resolving disputes.
Robots and Real World Amazon Dispute Cases
1.Shortage Deductions
Why do they happen
“86% of companies said that shortage deductions have increased in the past 6 months ? Amazon Deduction Issues/Findings, Attain Consulting Group”
How they are currently resolved
- Analysts login to VC and download each claim manually
- The ASIN number in the claim is manually matched with the invoice number in the ERP. The ASIN appellation of Amazon is complicated and modified repeatedly
- Analysts go through the claims individually and identify the shortage disputes
- Analysts collect backup documents from carrier portals, emails, paper
- Analysts open each dispute separately in VC and upload the relevant documents such as POD, BOL, claim
- Analysts key-in the relevant information in VC for each dispute
How does Automation help 
2.Pricing Deductions
Why do they happen 
“65% of vendors said that they experience pricing challenges with Amazon† ? Amazon Deduction Issues/Findings, Attain Consulting Group”
How they are currently resolved
- Analysts login to VC and download each claim manually
- The ASIN number in the claim is manually matched with the invoice number in the ERP
- Analysts go through the claims individually and identify the pricing disputes
- Analysts login to VC and download negotiated pricing document
- Analysts upload the pricing documents relevant to that particular pricing dispute
- Analysts key-in the relevant information in VC for each dispute
How does Automation help 
3.Co-op Deductions
Why do they happen 
How they are currently resolved
- Analysts login to VC and download each claim manually
- The ASIN number in the claim is manually matched with the invoice number in the ERP
- Analysts go through the claims individually and identify the co-op disputes
- Analysts check product catalog and pricing agreement in VC
- Analysts go back-and-forth across Sales and Credit teams for deal sheets and trade documentation
- Analysts key-in the relevant information in VC for each dispute
How does Automation help 
4.Vendor Chargebacks
Why do they happen 
Amazon will review your performance from the prior six weeks and issue Amazon Vendor chargeback fees based on the following criteria:
- 2% cost of product: if the ASNs submitted have less than 100% compliance but greater than 95% from the trailing six weeks.
- 4% cost of product: if the ASNs submitted have between 70% – 95% compliance from the prior six weeks
- 6% cost of product:† if the ASNs submitted have less than 70% compliance from the prior six weeks
How does Automation help Audit trail
Auto- compliance
- Attaches all relevant documents for disputing
- Eliminates errors due to manual keying in
- Disputes as soon as a claim is raised
5.1 Bonus: Dispute Validity Predictor
Why auto-resolve disputes?
5.2 Bonus: Drill-down Capability Additional visibility with Reports
What Robots can do?
- Reports provide a view on the number of deductions and the type of deductions happening periodically for different geographies, warehouses, vendors and customers
- Reports provide C-level Executives with visibility on cash flow and working capital metrics such as Deductions Day Outstanding, write-offs, volume of deductions, deduction values and more
- Reports allow managers to track the productivity of analysts and take instant corrective actions on identifying process inefficiencies
