The rapid technological development of new products, coupled with the growing consumer desire for the latest technology, has led to a new environmental problem: products that are discarded prematurely. But behind every problem lies an opportunity. Many of these products can be reprocessed, leading to savings in natural resources, energy, landfill s

This book addresses decision making in reverse logistics, which concerns the integration of used and obsolete products back into the supply chain as valuable resources. It covers a wide range of aspects, related to distribution, production and inventory management, and supply chain management. For each topic, it highlights key managerial issues in real-life examples and explains which quantitative models are available for addressing them. By treating a broad range of issues in a unified way, the book offers the reader a comprehensive view on the field of reverse logistics.

Increasing legislative and environmental pressure requires businesses to become more responsive to products that either have been returned or that are at the end of their useful lives. Life cycles are getting shorter, and efficient handling can save large amounts of money since many materials can be extracted and reused or redistributed. Reverse lo

Closed-loop supply chain activities such as remanufacturing, recycling, dismantling for spare parts, and reverse logistics have helped many companies tap into new revenue streams by finding secondary markets for their products, all while reducing their overall carbon footprint. Written by academic experts, in language that is accessible to practitioners, this authoritative resource examines recent research and case studies of companies running profitable reuse/remanufacture operations in various industries. It illustrates profitable practices in returned and recovered products, clearly explaining how to: design a reverse logistics network, conduct production planning, implement effective marketing strategies, and apply closed-loop supply chain strategies in industries besides manufacturing. From product development to materials to assembly and profitability, this complete resource explores the impact of these processes across all aspects of the supply chain.

The complexity of distribution systems is augmented by various trends: globalization of the manufacturing industry, rising customer demands, and the reverse flows within closed-loop systems. In this light, the need for ‘advanced’ planning methods that are based on quantitative optimization is constantly increasing. This book takes up the challenges posed by these developments. In doing so, it presents recent results and case studies from a group of researchers that regularly meet at the IWDL (International Workshop on Distribution Logistics). The text covers the design of distribution networks, vehicle routing, warehousing and reverse logistics. It also contains a comprehensive review of more than 60 case studies in reverse logistics.

Closed loop supply chains and their management have become mandatory for firms to stay competitive and profitable. This book provides insights into designing supply chain networks by understanding and incorporating key return parameters into the network design, which will affect profitability. The book discusses how customer categories and their acceptance behavior are incorporated into the network design. It also shows how to analyze the interaction of parameters on supply chain network design and profitability, offers modeling framework for incorporating uncertainties in the return product parameters, and shows how to design a robust network. Invaluable for managers in designing a sustainable, robust, and profitable supply chain network and ideal for managers, practitioners, and researchers in the area of supply chain network design and optimization.

Winner of IIE Book of the Month, December 2013The introduction of reverse supply chains has created many challenges in network design, transportation, selection of used products, selection and evaluation of suppliers, performance measurement, marketing-related issues, end-of-life (EOL) alternative selection, remanufacturing, disassembly, and produc