ReturnMate

Faults & Diagnostics Configuration

Set up the three-level fault classification hierarchy for product diagnostics.

2 min read
Last updated 4 April 2026

Configure a hierarchical fault classification system for product diagnostics under Settings > Faults / Diagnostics. This enables consistent fault recording across your team and feeds into failure analysis reporting.

Three-Level Hierarchy

Faults are organised in three levels: Product Family > Category > Subcategory.

Level 1: Product Families

Group your products into families for fault tracking.

FieldDescription
Family Namee.g. "Powerstation", "Solar Panel", "Battery"
CodeShort code (e.g. PWR, SOL, BAT)
DescriptionOptional description
Include in Failure AnalysisInclude in analytics reports
ActiveEnable/disable

Level 2: Fault Categories

Define fault categories within each product family.

FieldDescription
Category Namee.g. "Screen", "Charging", "BMS", "Physical Damage"
CodeShort code (e.g. SCR, CHG, BMS)
DescriptionOptional description
ActiveEnable/disable

Level 3: Fault Subcategories

Define specific faults within each category.

FieldDescription
Subcategory Namee.g. "Screen not turning on", "Backlight flickering"
Codee.g. SCR_NO_POWER, SCR_FLICKER
DescriptionDetailed description for technicians
SeverityLOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, or CRITICAL
Warranty DefaultUNKNOWN, WARRANTY_LIKELY, or CUSTOMER_DAMAGE_LIKELY
ActiveEnable/disable

The Warranty Default helps technicians quickly assess whether a fault is likely covered under warranty or caused by customer damage.

SKU-Product Family Mapping

Under the second tab, assign SKUs to product families so the correct fault categories are shown when diagnosing returns for those products.

  • Assign individual SKUs to a family
  • Bulk assign multiple unmapped SKUs at once
  • Unassigned SKUs will show all fault categories

How It's Used

When a technician adds a fault to an RMA:

  1. The product's family is identified via SKU mapping
  2. Relevant fault categories are shown
  3. Technician selects category and subcategory
  4. Severity is pre-filled from configuration (can be overridden)
  5. Fault data feeds into Analytics > Faults & Diagnostics reports
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