Words Manish Kumar
NEW DELHI (India CSR): One of the most important and intricate aspects of supply chain management that affects profitability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness is reverse logistics. Through data-driven approaches and strategic implementations, SAP Supply Chain Finance Architect Arun Chinnannan Balasubramanian has led new innovations in this sector and set new industry standards. Through his efforts, reverse supply chain valuation has not only been optimized but also transformed into a function that generates profits, resulting in cost savings of millions of dollars.
All through his career, Arun has overseen major changes in the retail, high-tech, and telecom sectors, transitioning from techno-functional consultant to strategic lead architect. His leadership in a $42 million cost-benefit initiative for a global telecom-retail company speaks to his proficiency in improving reverse logistics, integrating ERP systems, and optimizing warehouse operations. Because of his contributions to pricing and material valuation models, financial forecasting accuracy has increased, which has improved market segmentation tactics.
Arun has been essential to his company’s efforts to minimize operational inefficiencies and increase financial returns. As a result of his efforts, secondary market recovery rates have increased by 20%, and valuation accuracy has improved by 30%, establishing long-term revenue streams through platforms like Verizon’s Trademore. The implementation of intelligent grading models and performance-based valuation systems has significantly reduced processing cycles, cutting reverse logistics timelines by 25% and automating over 40 million master data records monthly.
Paving the way in advanced SAP MDG and S/4HANA deployments that transformed financial master data governance in reverse supply chains, Arun is a major contributor to industry white papers and thought leadership. His expertise in serialized asset valuation has earned him recognition within Verizon leadership, further cementing his reputation as an industry innovator.
Among his most impactful projects, Arun has designed multi-3PL logistics frameworks to mitigate supply chain disruptions, developed AI and machine-learning-powered demand forecasting models, and built ML-driven triaging mechanisms for reverse logistics. These initiatives have minimized dependency risks, automated decision-making processes, and ensured that returned assets are processed efficiently to maximize recovery value.
The challenges Arun has overcome in reverse logistics are extensive. Standard SAP solutions initially struggled to handle the sheer volume and complexity of serialized asset tracking, leading to bottlenecks in valuation and financial reconciliation. By implementing custom AMDP (ABAP Managed Database Procedures) and CDS (Core Data Services) Views, he enabled batch-based data processing without system overload, reducing valuation processing time by 40% and improving fair market value (FMV) accuracy by 30%.
His developments have also improved reverse valuation models’ performance constraints to evaluate past price movements, market trends, and product conditions in real time. These enhancements have minimized manual interventions, improved warehouse efficiency, and ensured compliance with regulatory requirements.
Beyond his corporate contributions, Arun has shared his knowledge through various publications, including works on store serialization in SAP-IS Retail, intelligent return processing, and product management strategies. He forecasts a move toward ML powered optimization, hyper-automation, and circular economy models in the future of reverse logistics. With cloud-based SAP S/4HANA solutions offering real-time tracking and predictive analytics, businesses are poised to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability in managing reverse supply chains.
The multi-million dollar impact that Arun Chinnnannan Balasubramanian had on reverse logistics highlights the possibilities of supply chain transformation driven by technology. By transforming conventional cost centers into revenue-generating businesses and influencing the direction of supply chain finance, his inventions have established a standard for the sector. His expertise continues to influence industry-wide best practices, reinforcing his role as a key architect in redefining reverse logistics management.
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Manish Kumar is a news editor at India CSR.
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