Closed Loop Supply Chains

Closed-Loop Supply Chains (CLSC) offer companies a unique opportunity to improve their profits whilst serving societal responsibility. The management of CLSC differs in a number of ways from managing supply chains in general. The book examines these differences and how these differences may be dealt with in practice, by offering a concrete framework, introducing the different aspects related to CLSC and their mutual relations, in a systematic logical way as well as cases clustered according to the inputs for a CLSC. The framework and especially the cases from successful companies offer the reader an invaluable help to build and improve CLSC.

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.

Closed Loop Supply Chains and its management have become mandatory for firms to stay competitive and profitable. This book provides insights for 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 is incorporated into the network design. It will also show 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 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.

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 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 space, and ultimately, time and money. Strategic Planning Models for Reverse and Closed-Loop Supply Chains addresses complex issues caused by the inherent uncertainty involved in every stage of a closed-loop supply chain. The book presents quantitative models for the many multifaceted issues faced by strategic planners of reverse and closed-loop supply chains amid the challenges of uncertainty in supply rate of used products, unknown condition of used products, and imperfect correlation between supply of used products and demand for reprocessed goods. The models proposed in this book provide understanding of how a particular issue can be effectively approached in a particular decision-making situation using a suitable quantitative technique or suitable combination of two or more quantitative techniques. This information then translates into decision-making strategies and guidance for reverse and closed-loop supply chain management.

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.

This book has been written for any organization that needs guidance on the journey toward sustainability. To be sustainable, your organization needs to consider the triple bottom line of economic, environmental, and social returns, so that it can be assured of a steady supply of inputs such as materials and labor. The author explains the first step toward sustainability: to reduce waste in operations, with such tools as lean and Six Sigma. He also helps guide your firm through a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology for each of the main products or processes. LCA assesses the environmental impact (such as energy consumption) of a product or process through its life cycle: sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, use by consumers, and end of life. You then learn about becoming eco-efficient through ISO 14001, green buildings, renewable energy, and biofuels. The final step is to close the loop. To close the loop, you learn about servicizing, Design for Environment (DfE), and remanufacturing.

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