El crecimiento continuo del comercio electrónico, las mayores exigencias de los consumidores y clientes en cualquier tipo de canal y la mayor conciencia medioambiental de la sociedad, convierte al flujo de retorno de las mercancías entre dos puntos de la cadena de suministro, en una variable cada día más importante y con una mayor incidencia en la competitividad de las compañías. El flujo de retorno que hoy en día conocemos como logística inversa debe ser, planificado organizado y controlado con los mismos criterios que el flujo directo de la mercancía. Es necesario clasificar los diferentes flujos de retorno que nos aparecen en la empresa y definir procesos adecuados a cada tipo de flujo, tanto de cara a quien debe realizar los procesos como a las características de los mismos. En el libro analizamos las características que debe tener la red de logística inversa y las principales variables y aspectos que debemos tener en cuenta a la hora de definir los procedimientos operativos de la compañía que se desarrollan en este flujo de retorno. Mención y capítulo aparte tienen dos de las situaciones que cada día tienen más peso en la logística inversa: • El retorno y tratamiento de productos fuera de uso que tiene una clara incidencia en la imagen medioambiental de la compañía y que analizamos de manera específica en un capítulo dedicado a los Sistemas integrados de Gestión. • El comercio electrónico, ya que este proceso se convierte en una herramienta básica de cara a garantizar el triunfo de nuestro negocio online, por la incidencia tanto en costes como en el servicio al cliente. En este siglo XXI la importancia de la logística inversa ha ido en continuo crecimiento, y todavía no ha tocado techo.

Organizational Management Sustainability in VUCA Contexts is an insightful and comprehensive book that delves into the complex interplay between sustainability and the challenging landscapes of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA). With a focus on bridging the gap between present and future generations, this book navigates the intricate web of economic success, social development, environmental health, and societal stability. Drawing upon a blend of theoretical foundations and practical examples, this book aims to unravel the phenomenon of sustainability in VUCA contexts by analyzing both exemplary and detrimental management practices across public and private sectors. Through a series of meticulously crafted chapters, the authors assess, treat, communicate, monitor, review, and discuss the methods, best practices, and requisite conditions for fostering sustainable organizations. Targeting a diverse audience of academics, policy makers, and entrepreneurs, this book serves as an invaluable resource for academic institutions, students specializing in business disciplines, and organizations in both public and private spheres. Moreover, anyone with a vested interest in contemporary business issues, prospective strategies, organizational sustainability, and economies in VUCA situations will find this book an indispensable guide.

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.

Supply chains are currently globalized and companies operate internationally owing to the fact that raw materials, production processes, and the consumption of the final products are carried out in different countries. This implies high material and information flow, which incurs high costs associated with the supply chain and logistics, sometimes up to 60% of the total cost of the product. Therefore, companies seek to optimize their resources to reduce these costs and improve sustainability in a globalized market. This book, entitled Tools, Methodologies and Techniques Applied to Sustainable Supply Chains, contains 15 chapters that report case studies applied to industrial and service sectors. The authors come from areas such as Mexico, Colombia, Italy, Sweden, Slovakia, China, and Australia. They indicate how managers make use of tools and techniques to solve problems associated with supply chains to reduce their cost and remain competitive. A great effort has been made to analyze this problem, and the methodologies are clearly described here to facilitate the reproducibility of each technique and tool. This was done in the hope that hoping that they may one day be applied in more companies.

Most developed economics show the tendency of an increasing importance of modern services such as tourism, logistical services, finance, and others. In many cases, complex optimization problems can be found in this context, and the successful operation of modern services often depends on the ability to solve the obtained optimization models. Metaheuristics on the other hand present an interesting problem-resolution paradigm that has attracted considerable interest in past years. The book combines a set of selected and peer-reviewed articles, presenting novel results of metaheuristics for modern services. In particular, applications in the area of transportation and logistics are considered, while other areas include production and financial services. Novel methodological approaches as well as improved results are obtained, resulting in a considerable contribution to the state-of-the-art of research in metaheuristics.

Advances in Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling: Management, Processing and Environmental Assessment is divided over three parts. Part One focuses on the management of construction and demolition waste, including estimation of quantities and the use of BIM and GIS tools. Part Two reviews the processing of recycled aggregates, along with the performance of concrete mixtures using different types of recycled aggregates. Part Three looks at the environmental assessment of non-hazardous waste. This book will be a standard reference for civil engineers, structural engineers, architects and academic researchers working in the field of construction and demolition waste. - Summarizes key recent research in recycling and reusing concrete and demolition waste to reduce environmental impacts - Considers techniques for managing construction and demolition waste, including waste management plans, ways of estimating levels of waste, and the types and optimal location of waste recycling plants - Reviews key steps in handling construction and demolition waste

This essential guide brings supply chain theory to life. Intended for readers with a business interest in supply chain management, the book covers the key topics in eleven chapters, including planning, sourcing, making, delivering and returning, as well as strategy, people, finance, customer service and outsourcing. Each chapter starts with a brief summary and learning objectives that guide the reader through the text. This second edition also explores digital, sustainability and innovation impacts on today’s global supply chains. The book is written in a clear and simple way, featuring a variety of figures, tables and recommendations for further reading. The respective chapters conclude with real-life case studies from different companies, illustrating best practices. In the course of their work, the authors have met professionals all over the world who are passionate about their business achievements. By including their vivid examples, the guide brings theory to life, enabling readers to understand and embrace the concepts and ideas presented. Colin Scott, Henriette Lundgren and Paul Thompson are experts in supply chain management and have worked with practitioners in businesses across the globe. Endorsement: This guide is a really useful reminder of what good practice is and how it should be applied within supply chain management. The book is relevant for students of supply chain management and professional practitioners alike. This book offers an invaluable guide to understanding the specific dynamics of your supply chain and the fundamentals underpinning it. It provides the framework for delivering a supply chain strategy based upon recognised best practice. Martin McCourt, CEO, Dyson Limited .