Title: Reverse logistics strategies as a means to improve profitability

Authors: Kelly Weeks

Addresses: Department of Maritime Administration, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77552, USA

Abstract: To fully maximise profitability, strategies regarding reverse logistics must be analysed and implemented. This study researches several such logistics constructs such as resource commitment, production route efficiency and others. A thorough survey instrument was developed and mailed in effort to achieve accurate, statistically verifiable results. Findings show that while production route efficiency is something managers should focus on, production mix efficiency is something that doesn|t have a direct correlation to profitability. Resource commitment results were mixed, showing a need for more, future research in this area. These results show a key contribution to the field in such that managers now have access to statistically verified means of focusing limited resources towards improving profitability, which previous literature lacked.

Keywords: reverse logistics; production mix efficiency; product route efficiency; operations management; supply chain management; SCM; profitability; resource commitment; limited resources; verifiable statistics; USA; United States; steel industry; logistics management; economics; globalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLEG.2011.041423

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2011 Vol.3 No.1, pp.17 - 41

Published online: 29 Nov 2014 *

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