Title: Integration of flexibility in reverse supply chain planning process

Authors: Kanchan Das

Addresses: East Carolina University, 245 Slay Hall, Greenville, NC 27858-4353, USA

Abstract: This research formulates reverse supply chain (RSC) flexibility criteria and integrates them in a closed loop supply chain planning model for improving overall business performances and sustainability. Proposed RSC flexibility criteria include: a) channel selection strategy to collect customer returned products (returnable); b) product design and recovery strategy to recover components, modules, and products from returnable; c) product categorisation strategy for marketing new, recovered, and mixed quality level product. Each flexibility criteria is formulated independently to provide options to supply chains (SCs) to incorporate all or select ones in their planning process. The benefits, applicability and integration procedures of proposed flexibility considerations are demonstrated through a numerical example.

Keywords: reverse supply chain; RSC; flexibility formulation; collection channel; mixed integer programming model; recovery services; mixed quality level product.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2020.112945

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2020 Vol.23 No.2/3/4, pp.245 - 270

Received: 16 Aug 2014
Accepted: 09 Dec 2014

Published online: 11 Feb 2021 *

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