Reverse Logistics has been stretching out worldwide, involving all the layers of supply chains in various industry sectors. While some actors in the chain have been forced to take products back, others have pro-actively done so, attracted by the value in used products One way or the other,...

We analyze a newsboy problem with resalable returns. A single order is placed before the selling season starts. Purchased products may be returned by the customer for a full refund within a certain time interval. Returned products are resalable, provided they arrive back before the end of the...

In this article, we discuss ways of actively influencing product returns and we review data-driven methods for forecasting return flows that exploit the fact that future returns are a function of past sales. In particular we assess the value of return forecasting at an operational level,...

Increased concern for the environment has lead to new techniques to design products and supply chains that are both economically and ecologically feasible. This paper deals with the product - and corresponding supply chain design for a refrigerator. Literature study shows that there are many...

Products, components, materials and other equipment stream forward and back wards and back in their supply chains. Reverse Logistics deals with the processes associated with the reverse stream from users/owners to re-users. This paper provides a review and content analysis of scientific...

The Net Present Value (NPV) approach is considered to be the right approach to study inventory and production systems. But, approximate average cost (AC) approach is widely used in both practice and theory. However, the opportunity cost interpretation of AC framework is not that straightforward...

Logistics network design is commonly recognized as a strategic supply chain issue of prime importance. The location of production facilities, storage concepts, and transportation strategies are major determinants of supply chain performance. This chapter considers logistics network design for...

Product flows in today’s supply chains do not end once they have reached the customer. Many products lead a second and even third or fourth life after having accomplished their original task at their first customer. Consequently, a product may generate revenues multiple times, rather than...

Ever more companies are recognizing the benefits of closed-loop supply chains that integrate product returns into business operations. IBM has been among the pioneers seeking to unlock the value dormant in these resources. We report on a project exploiting product returns as a source of spare...

Choosing packaging material for dairy products and soft drinks is an interesting issue at the moment. Discussions arise on the costs impacts and environmental impacts of both one way packaging and reusable packaging. The aim of this article is to develop an evaluation tool providing costs and...