In this paper the Discrete Lotsizing and Scheduling Problem (DLSP) with setup times is considered. DLSP is the problem of determining the sequence and size of production batches for multiple items on a single machine. The objective is to find a minimal cost production schedule such that dynamic...

This exploratory research on a decade of Total Quality Management in one factory opens up the black box of the learning curve. Based on the organizational learning literature, we derive a quality learning curve that links different types of learning in quality improvement projects to the...

The profitability of remanufacturing systems for different cost, technology, and logistics structures has been extensively investigated in the literature. We provide an alternative and somewhat complementary approach that considers demand-related issues, such as the existence of green segments,...

The importance of remanufacturing used products into new ones has been widely recognized in the literature and in practice. In this paper, we address the problem of choosing the appropriate reverse channel structure for the collection of used products from customers. Specifically, we consider a...

Remanufacturing is a production strategy whose goal is to recover the residual value of used products. Used products can be remanufactured at a lower cost than the initial production cost, but consumers value remanufactured products less than new products. The choice of production technology...

Manufacturers and their distributors must cope with an increased flow of returned products from their customers. The value of commercial product returns, which we define as products returned for any reason within 90 days of sale, now exceeds $100 billion annually in the United States. Although...

We consider a monopolist expert offering a service with a "credence" characteristic. A credence service is one in which the customer cannot verify, even after a purchase, whether or not the amount of prescribed service was appropriate; examples include legal, medical, or consultancy services, and...

This paper models and quantifies the cost-savings potential of production systems that collect, remanufacture, and remarket end-of-use products as perfect substitutes while facing the fundamental supply-loop constraints of limited component durability and finite product life cycles. The results...

We describe a branch and bound algorithm for the generalized assignment problem in which bounds are obtained from a Lagrangian relaxation with the multipliers set by a heuristic adjustment method. The algorithm was tested on a large sample of small random problems and a number of large problems...

The economical and environmental benefits of product remanufacturing have been widely recognized in the literature and in practice. In this paper, we focus on the interaction between a manufacturer's reverse channel choice to collect postconsumer goods and the strategic product pricing decisions...