Reverse supply chain

It is managing the return of materials and spares which cannot be used in the process plant. 

Either the supplier shall agree to take them back as such or replace by fresh supplies. This may be costly if the materials are to be sent back over a long distance. 

It is necessary that the original approval shall be accorded only after confirmation of the quality by analysing proper representative samples. The original specifications must be defined carefully and explained properly to the supplier 

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A. Nagurney and F. Toyasaki, Reverse Supply Chain Management and Electronic Waste Recycling A Multitiered Network Equilibrium Framework for E-Cycling, Transportation Research Part E, 41, 1-28 (2003). 

Blackburn, J.D., Guide, D.R., Jr., Souza, G.C., Van Wassenhove, L.N. Reverse Supply Chains for Commercial Returns. California Management Review, 46(2) 4-22, Winter 2004. 

The disposable camera supply chain requires a careful design to in-centivize the customer to take the finished camera to a retail store, coordination agreements to incent the retail store to return the product to the manufacturer, a counter to track use of the components, simple snap design to separate components, sufficient capacity of subsidized labor to break apart the camera, and a competitive pricing model to recover component cost over multiple product generations. In short, all the Four Cs of supply chain management had to be planned carefully to ensure an effective reverse supply chain for the FunSaver cameras. 

Dupont guarantees a 25-day cycle, which is a key parameter. Collectors are also offered the option of Dupont purchasing the silver and reselling it or simply using the reclamation services for a fee. Similarly the generators of the recycled material can work directly with Dupont or go through a third-party collector. The reverse supply chain thus aims to recover the silver, reimburse the customers within a promised lead time, and permit customers to decide a convenient alternative to collect the associated funds. 

The existence of a reverse supply chain able to collect, separate, and reprocess materials can make a product recyclable. In other words, the materials used in the product might be recovered as a material for an additional use. Once this reverse pr(x ess is completed - and the used product is converted into a material from which a new pr(xluct is fabricated - it is said that the product was recycled. A recycled product can be... 

Sasikumar P, Kannan G (2008) Issues in reverse supply chains, part I end-of life product recovery and inventory management-an overview. Int J Sustain Eng 1(3) 154-172... 

Murayama T. Yoda M., Eguchi T. Oba R, 2006, Production Planning and Simulation for Reverse Supply Chain, Japan Society Mechanical Engineering International Journal, Series C, Vol. 49, No. 2, s. 281-286. 

The characteristics of forward and reverse supply chains differ in many aspects (Visich et al. 2005). A forward supply chain has a demand-driven flow... 

The model can be extended by considering other objectives such as supply chain risk, responsiveness in forward and reverse supply chains, and environmental impact. Interactive optimization methodologies with multiple objectives can be developed. We have not considered any uncertainties in the return parameters. The model can also be extended by considering uncertainties in demand and returned products. 

Retumability is similar to that with drop-shipping. As with drop-shipping, problems in handling returns are likely, and the reverse supply chain will continue to be expensive and difficult to implement. 

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