Reverse logistics facility location using cyclical model of extended MRP theory

Grubbström’s well-developed MRP Theory has been mostly used in modeling production processes. Global supply chains also contain distribution, consumption and recycling processes. For this reason theory was recently further extended to incorporate all kinds of activities. Such extended model, which consists of four main sub-systems, is closed and can be used for several detailed analyses. Since the importance of reverse logistics is increasing, this paper will focus on parameters which determine Net Present Value of the whole system, depending on geographical location of recycling facilities. We will show how lead times, transportation costs, setup costs and price of labor and energy of individual location contribute to overall NPV of the system.     

Design and planning of supply chains with integration of reverse logistics activities under demand uncertainty

In this paper, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation is developed for the design and planning of supply chains with reverse flows while considering simultaneously production, distribution and reverse logistics activities. It is also considered products’ demand uncertainty using a scenario tree approach. As main goal the model defines the maximization of the expected net present value and the results provide details on sizing and location of plants, warehouses and retailers, definition of processes to install, establishment of forward and reverse flows and inventory levels to attain. The model is applied to a representative European supply chain case study and its applicability is demonstrated.     

Modeling reverse logistics process in the agro-industrial sector: The case of the palm oil supply chain

As today’s consumers are more and more concerned with the environmental impacts of products and services they buy, enterprises have been more and more concerned with “green operations”. One of the key aspects of green logistics management is reverse logistics. This paper shows how the potential of managing reverse logistics flows can be implemented in the agro-industrial sector. As an example, the palm oil supply chain is considered. This study is carried out under the focus of the “closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) framework” in which forward and backward product flows are considered simultaneously. A mathematical model is proposed in order to represent the dynamic interaction between flows. The objective function considers energy, cost and economic profits. Different implementation scenarios of recovery processes are proposed and interactions between direct and reverse flows in the chain are evaluated. Results are analyzed using proper statistical tools, showing that the simultaneous analysis of direct and reverse flows positively impact the net economic profits in this complex supply chain of the agro-industrial sector.     

A forward and reverse logistics shipment planning model

Many supply chains contain both forward and reverse logistics flows where forwarders are often asked to manage forward and reverse logistics activities in a cost-efficient manner. Reverse logistics jobs are different from forward logistics jobs, apart from the physical movement directions, and they have different logistics service requirements that usually require special facility setups. The choice of reverse logistics centres is also an important cost saving factor in a supply chain network. We consider cost saving activities through combining transportation activities and logistics activities in forward and reverse logistics jobs. A mixed 0–1 LP model is proposed to solve the shipment planning problem and the choice of reverse logistics centre. Managerial issues in implementation are discussed in an illustrative case.     

Reverse logistics network design for product recovery and remanufacturing

Due to environmental concerns, reverse logistics now is becoming an important strategy to increase customer satisfaction. This research develops a generic mixed integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP) for reverse logistics network design. This is a multi-echelon reverse logistics model. It maximizes total profit by handling products returned for repair, remanufacturing, recycling, reuse, or incineration/landfill. A hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to solve the problem. The designed model is validated and tested by using a real-life example of recycling bulk waste in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Sensitivity analyses are conducted on various parameters to illustrate the capabilities of the proposed model. Post-optimality analysis and comparison show that the proposed model performs better than current reverse logistic operations and the proposed hybrid GA demonstrates the efficiency of solving the complex reverse logistics problem.     

A stochastic approach to a case study for product recovery network design

Uncertainty is one of the characteristics of product recovery networks. In particular the strategic design of their logistic infrastructure has to take uncertain information into account. In this paper we present a stochastic programming based approach by which a deterministic location model for product recovery network design may be extended to explicitly account for the uncertainties. Such a stochastic model seeks a solution which is appropriately balanced between some alternative scenarios identified by field experts. We apply the stochastic models to a representative real case study on recycling sand from demolition waste in The Netherlands. The interpretation of the results is meant to give more insight into decision-making under uncertainty for reverse logistics.     

Alliance or no alliance—Bargaining power in competing reverse supply chains

This work investigates how bargaining power affects negotiations between manufacturers and reverse logistics providers in reverse supply chains under government intervention using a novel three-stage reverse supply chain model for two scenarios, a reverse logistics provider alliance and no reverse logistics provider alliance. Utilizing the asymmetric Nash bargaining game, this work seeks equilibrium negotiation solutions. Analytical results indicate that the reverse logistics provider alliance increases the bargaining power of reverse logistics providers when negotiating with a manufacturer for a profitable recycled-component supply contract; however, manufacturer profits are often reduced. Particularly in the case of an recycled-component vender-dominated market, a reverse logistics alliance with extreme bargaining power may cause a counter-profit effect that results in the decreases of profits for all players involved, including buyers (i.e., manufacturers) and allied recycled-component venders (i.e., reverse logistics providers). Additional managerial insights are provided for discussion.     

Multi-period reverse logistics network design

The configuration of the reverse logistics network is a complex problem comprising the determination of the optimal sites and capacities of collection centers, inspection centers, remanufacturing facilities, and/or recycling plants. In this paper, we propose a profit maximization modeling framework for reverse logistics network design problems. We present a mixed-integer linear programming formulation that is flexible to incorporate most of the reverse network structures plausible in practice. In order to consider the possibility of making future adjustments in the network configuration to allow gradual changes in the network structure and in the capacities of the facilities, we consider a multi-period setting. We propose a multi-commodity formulation and use a reverse bill of materials in order to capture component commonality among different products and to have the flexibility to incorporate all plausible means in tackling product returns. The proposed general framework is justified by a case study in the context of reverse logistics network design for washing machines and tumble dryers in Germany. We conduct extensive parametric and scenario analysis to illustrate the potential benefits of using a dynamic model as opposed to its static counterpart, and also to derive a number of managerial insights.     

Multi-period reverse logistics network design for used refrigerators

This paper focuses on the design of a multi-stage reverse logistics network for product recovery. Different recovery options such as product remanufacturing, component repairing and material recycling are simultaneously considered. Initially, we propose a mixed integer linear programming model – with a profit maximization objective – for the network design problem. The structure of the product, by way of bill of materials (BOM), is also incorporated into the proposed model in order to analyze the flow at component and material levels. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to study the effects of variations in the values of the input parameters such as product return quantity, unit transportation cost per unit distance, and unit processing cost. The analysis shows that the design decisions of different facilities considerably change even for 5–20%% variations in input parameter values. This led to the development of a refined mathematical model which incorporates variations in the different input parameter values over time. The new model provides a unified design for the entire planning horizon and has been validated with the design of a used refrigerator recovery network.     

模糊反向物流网络设计模型的一种改进遗传算法

反向物流是物流研究中的一个重要分支,其相关问题是目前研究的热点问题。该研究在模糊环境中根据不同的决策标准,建立了关于反向物流问题中的回收问题的三种不同类型的模型:期望值模型,机会约束模型和相关机会模型,并设计了一个模糊模拟和遗传算法相结合的混合智能算法来解决提出的模型,最后给出了一个数值例子,结果证明了将此混合智能算法用于求解模糊反向物流网络设计模型问题的有效性。     

A note on coordination in decentralized assembly systems with uncertain component yields

Gurnani and Gerchak [H. Gurnani, Y. Gerchak, Coordination in decentralized assembly systems with uncertain component yields, European Journal of Operational Research 176 (2007) 1559–1576] study coordination of a decentralized assembly system in which the demand of the assembler is deterministic and the component yields are random. They present incentive alignment control mechanisms under which system coordination is achieved. In this note, we extend Gurnani and Gerchak’s model to the case of positive salvage value and n asymmetric suppliers, and show that the shortage penalty contract which can coordinate Gurnani and Gerchak’s model no longer coordinates the extended model. Furthermore, we present a new kind of contract, surplus subsidy contract, to coordinate the extended model and prove that the profit of the supply chain under coordination can be arbitrarily divided between the component suppliers and the assembler.     

Reverse supply chain coordination by revenue sharing contract: A case for the personal computers industry

Products that are not recycled at the end of their life increasingly damage the environment. In a collection – remanufacturing scheme, these end-of-life products can generate new profits. Designed on the personal computers industry, this study defines an analytical model used to explore the implications of recycling on the reverse supply chain from an efficiency perspective for all participants in the process. The cases considered for analysis are the two- and three-echelon supply chains, where we first look at the decentralized reverse setting followed by the coordinated setting through implementation of revenue sharing contract. We define customer willingness to return obsolete units as a function of the discount offered by the retailer in exchange for recycling devices with a remanufacturing value. The results show that performance measures and total supply chain profits improve through coordination with revenue sharing contracts on both two- and three-echelon reverse supply chains.     

基于企业社会责任的逆向物流回收模式选择

随着产品生命周期缩短,产品更新换代加快,废旧产品的回收与处理已成为一个迫切的社会问题。基于企业的社会责任,本文研究逆向物流回收模式的选择问题。我们考虑生产商回收、零售商回收及第三方物流回收三种模式,在为各回收模式建立数学模型后对其进行了优化分析;最后以电子行业废旧产品的回收为例,通过算例分析,对考虑和不考虑企业社会责任的回收模式进行了比较,从而得出:当生产企业较少考虑到企业社会责任且政府奖励较低时,其会选择零售商回收模式;而当生产企业较多地考虑到企业社会责任且政府奖励较高时,其会选择自己回收的模式。这表明企业社会责任和合适的政府激励对促进生产商自己担负起废旧产品的回收工作有积极的意义。     

A methodology for assessing eco-efficiency in logistics networks

Recent literature on sustainable logistics networks points to two important questions: (i) How to spot the preferred solution(s) balancing environmental and business concerns? (ii) How to improve the understanding of the trade-offs between these two dimensions? We posit that a visual exploration of the efficient frontier and trade-offs between profitability and environmental impacts are particularly suitable to answer these two questions. The visual representation of the efficient frontier, however, presents two challenges. The first is to obtain a good approximation for such frontier without enumerating all extreme efficient solutions. The second is to obtain a good visual representation of the efficient frontier. We propose a two-phased heuristic to handle these two problems. The algorithm is designed for the multi-objective linear problem with three objectives: minimize costs, cumulative energy demand and waste in a reverse logistics network. We illustrate our approach by designing a complex recycling logistics network in Germany.     

逆向物流企业绩效决策与判定——基于主因子TOPSIS和DEA超效率模型的分析

逆向物流企业绩效不但关系到供需双方企业在经济全球化和资源短缺状态下的市场竞争能力,而且也关系到双方企业环境社会责任的管理水平。TOPSIS分析法作为一种离散的多目标决策方法,已经在许多领域取得了成功的应用,本文采用主成分分析和TOPSIS(逼近理想解法)相结合的组合评价法,建立了逆向物流企业绩效评价与决策的主因子TOPSIS模型,在此基础上运用DEA超效率模型,对样本逆向物流企业的经营效率进行分析,并对分析结果进行相对效率判定。研究结果表明,样本逆向物流企业的经营效率总体上较高,但各逆向物流企业存在不同的效率问题,也存在不同的改进方向。     

考虑需求和质量双重风险的动力电池回收定价策略和协调机制研究

合理的定价策略和有效的协调机制是保障即将大量报废的动力电池实现回收利用的重要手段。本文同时考虑动力电池回收利用中来自市场的需求风险和来自回收渠道的质量风险,构建了两阶段逆向供应链分散式和集中式定价模型,发现分散决策下的最优回收价格始终低于集中决策下的最优回收价格,逆向供应链存在双重边际化现象;进一步,基于风险共享契约提出完全补偿契约来协调供应链,从而使供应链成员实现帕累托改进,并结合具体算例提出了相应的建议。     

Integrated planning of transportation and recycling for multiple plants based on process simulation

By-products accrue in all stages of industrial production networks. Legal requirements, shortening of primary resources and their increasing prices make their recycling more and more important. For the re-integration into the economic cycle the scope of common supply chain management is enlarged and so-called closed-loop supply chains with adapted and new planning tasks are developed. In process industries this requires a detailed modelling of the recycling processes. This is of special relevance for operational planning tasks in which an optimal usage of a given production system is envisaged. This contribution presents an integrated planning approach for a real-world case study from the zinc industry to achieve such an adequate process modelling. We consider the planning problem of a company that operates four metallurgical recycling plants and has to allocate residues from different sources to these recycling sites. The allocation determines the raw material mix used in the plants. This blending has an effect on the transportation costs and the costs and revenues of the individual technical processes in the recycling plants. Therefore in this problem transportation and recycling planning for multiple sites have to be regarded in an integrated way. The necessary detailed process modelling is achieved by the use of a flowsheet process simulation system to model each recycling plant individually. The models are used to derive linear input–output functions by multiple linear regression analyses. These are used in an integrated planning model to calculate the decision-relevant input and output flows that are dependent upon the allocation of the residues to the recycling sites. The model is embedded in a decision support system for the operational use. An example application and sensitivity analyses demonstrate and validate the approach and its potentials. The approach is transferable to other recycling processes as well as to other processes in process industries.     

Focusing material requirements planning (MRP) towards performance

This paper looks at the successes and disappointments of MRP. It studies numerous articles to determine what the key shortcomings of MRP are. Next, it investigates if these failures are correctable, and what the consequences of not correcting these deficiencies means. This article considers alternatives that have been discussed in the current literature. Last of all this article discusses whether the improvements these alternatives suggest are sufficient to make MRP worth salvaging, or whether MRP is a system that needs to be discarded in favor of systems such as JIT (Just-in-Time), Optimized Production Technology (OPT), Theory of Constraints (TOC), and Bottleneck Allocation Methodology (BAM).     

Estimation of mean and variance of net present value with certain and uncertain project life: a multiperiod CAPM approach

A multiperiod capital asset pricing model has the ability to consider risk by incorporating correlation between project and market parameters. This paper presents expressions for mean and variance of net present value of a project, in a multiperiod capital asset pricing model context, for the cases of certain and uncertain project lives. Both cases consider two types of cash flows, independent and correlated over time. The effects of (i) uncertainty in project life, (ii) correlation amongst subsequent cash flows, and (iii) the elasticity of expectations on the estimates of mean and variance of net present value have been studied through a numerical example.     

A two-level network for recycling sand: A case study

In the Netherlands, the recycling of construction waste and in particular of sand creates an important logistic problem. New legislation ensures that disposal is reduced to a minimal level and this incentives recycling. Such measures cause an increase on the offer of sand (a subproduct of recycling construction waste) and create the need for establishing an efficient sand network. The sand problem falls into the field of reverse logistics management since it deals with processing returned goods (sieved sand). We propose a two-level location model for the sand problem and consider its optimization using heuristic procedures. The results obtained for the sand recycling network in the Netherlands are summarized.