The world of logistics has considerably changed due to globalization, modern information technology, and especially increasing ecological awareness. Large Supply Chain Management (SCM) systems are developing to global logistic networks. This book reflects major trends of the recent decade in SCM and, additionally, presents ideas and visions for logistic networks of the 21st century. Among the various aspects of SCM, emphasis is placed on reverse logistics: closing the loop of a supply chain by integrating waste materials into logistic management decisions.

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

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.

Quality Management in Reverse Logistics intends to develop, collect, examine and evaluate a number of quality management (QM) tools and techniques, which can be applied in practice in order to understand, review and improve any closed-loop supply chain process. In other words, the book aims to examine the existing relationship between various well-developed and thoroughly studied quality issues, such as QM, quality assurance, standardization of processes and statistical quality control and the emerging research area of reverse logistics. Quality Management in Reverse Logistics contains modeling and quantitative methods that could be used by practitioners and academics in the reverse logistics industry, as well as a thorough description of QM tools and techniques. The book leads the potential reader to broaden their scope of thinking and acting in the new, promising area of reverse logistics, where QM can be applied.

Economic, marketing, and legislative considerations are increasingly leading companies to take back and recover their products after use. From a logistics perspective, these initiatives give rise to new goods flows from the user back to the producer. The management of these goods flows opposite to the traditional supply chain flows is addressed in the recently emerged field of Reverse Logistics. This monograph considers quantitative models that support decision making in Reverse Logistics. To this end, several recent case studies are reviewed. Moreover, first hand insight from a study on used electronic equipment is reported on. On this basis, logistics issues arising in the management of "reverse" goods flows are identified. Moreover, differences between Reverse Logistics and more traditional logistics contexts are highlighted. Finally, attention is paid to capturing the characteristics of Reverse Logistics in appropriate quantitative models.

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

The ways in which we design, make, transport and then discard clothes has a huge social and environmental impact. This book covers responsible business practices and sustainability in the fashion industry from the raw fibre stage, through production, to the point of customer consumption. The concepts of responsibility and sustainability are fast becoming essential factors in business decisions and Supply Chain Management and Logistics in the Global Fashion Sector leads the reader through the multiple stages in the supply chain that can impact on business strategy. A perfect resource for students studying fashion and for those working in the sector who wish to identify the latest thinking as they plan sustainability strategies, the book is divided into four clear sections. Part I of the book examines sustainability in the supply chain by identifying the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic and environmental) and considers how fashion brands are innovating in this area. Part II looks at fashion logistics and supply chain operations by assessing fibre, yarn and fabric considerations, logistical issues for both garment production, and service delivery, stock control, transportation, barriers and risks. Part III develops the logistics theme further by identifying recent trends and case studies that highlight agility and lean management structures, and the application of transparency enhancing radio frequency identification (RFID). This section further applies modelling and simulation techniques from the automotive and pharmaceutical industries to the fashion sector. Part IV considers how sustainability can be embedded into the multi-tiered fashion supply chain and its selling environment.