Title: Coordinating a three-stage closed-loop supply chain considering the effects of changes in the return rates and number of plants

Authors: Gokhan Akyuz, Fahriye Uysal, Orhan Kuruuzum

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Management, Akdeniz University, I.I.B.F. Isletme Bolumu Antalya, Turkey. ' Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Econometrics, Akdeniz University, I.I.B.F. Isletme Bolumu Antalya, Turkey. ' Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Management, Akdeniz University, I.I.B.F. Isletme Bolumu Antalya, Turkey

Abstract: An inventory coordination mechanism in a closed-loop supply chain is examined in this paper. A three-stage closed-loop supply chain model benefiting from the proposed formulas in the literature is reformulated in the paper. The effects of changes in the return rates and the number of plants on the joint total relevant cost and cycle time are investigated with these rearranged formulas. This investigation is performed by two dimensions, which are equal cycle time and integer multiplier coordination mechanisms. The results of these two coordination mechanisms are finally compared and the usability of the model results on real-life applications is emphasised in the paper.

Keywords: supply chain management; SCM; closed-loop supply chains; inventory coordination; joint total relevant cost; return rates; number of plants; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMOR.2011.042443

International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research, 2011 Vol.3 No.5, pp.541 - 564

Published online: 12 Feb 2015 *

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