ANALIZA TRŽIŠNIH SUDIONIKA KOJI UPRAVLJAJU POVRATNIM LOGISTIČKIM TOKOVIMA I POSLOVNIM OPERACIJAMA

While segregating the direct and reverse logistics flows, due to the complexity of the returns process management, there have emerged specific market players unique only for these flows. Regarding the organizational aspect, these entities can be formed by the participants of the direct flows, but can also be engaged as specialized external aid. The analyses carried out in practice concerning this topic show that the biggest number of entities involved in managing the reverse logistics processes are within the category of specialized business subjects, which only perform this type of work and which are independent from the actors of regular flows. The subject of this paper is to analyse in depth the volume and importance of reverse logistics flows, focusing on the specifics and types of entities specialized in managing these flows, such as centralized return centres, 3PL and 4PL providers for reverse flows, as well as various business entities of the secondary market. The aim of the paper is to indicate the complexity of tasks performed by specialized entities involved in the reverse logistics process, their scarcity in numbers on a global scale and thus the huge unexploited business potential lying in this market segment. That is a unique chance not only for regional, but also global business milieu.Prilikom razdvajanja izravnih i povratnih logističkih tijekova uslijed složenosti upravljanja povratnim procesom pojavili su se specifični tržišni sudionici koji su svojstveni jedino za ove tijekove. Uzimajući u obzir organizacijski aspekt ovi entiteti mogu biti formirani od strane sudionika izravnih tijekova, ali mogu biti angažirani i kao specijalizirana eksterna ispomoć. Analize provedene u praksi vezane za ovu tematiku pokazuju da je najveći broj sudionika angažiranih u okviru povratnih logističkih procesa u kategoriji specijaliziranih poslovnih subjekata koji samo obavljaju ovu vrstu posla i koju su neovisni od sudionika regularnih tijekova. Predmet razmatranja u radu je dubinska analiza obujma i značaja povratnih logističkih tijekova fokusirajući se na specifičnosti i tipove entiteta koji su specijalizirani za upravljanje ovim tijekovima, kao što su centralizirani centri za povrat, 3PL i 4PL pružatelji usluga za povratne tijekove kao i različiti poslovni subjekti sekundarnog tržišta. Cilj rada je ukazati na kompleksnost zadataka koje provode specijalizirani subjekti angažirani u okviru povratnog logističkog procesa, na njihovu rijetkost na globalnoj razini te stoga i na ogroman neiskorišten poslovni potencijal koji leži u ovome tržišnom segmentu. To je jedinstvena šansa ne samo za regionalno već i za globalno poslovno okruženje

A Review of the Criteria and Methods of Reverse Logistics Supplier Selection

This article presents a literature review on reverse logistics (RL) supplier selection in terms of criteria and methods. A systematic view of past work published between 2008 and 2020 on Web of Science (WOS) databases is provided by reviewing, categorizing, and analyzing relevant papers. Based on the analyses of 41 articles, we propose a three-stage typology of decision-making frameworks to understanding RL supplier selection, including (a) establishment of the selection criteria; (b) calculation of the relative weights and ranking of the selection criteria; (c) ranking of alternatives (suppliers). The main discoveries of this review are as follows. (1) Attention to the field of RL supplier selection is increasing, as evidenced by the increasing number of papers in the field. With the adaption of circular economy legislation and the need resource and business resilience, it is expected that RL and RL supplier selection will be a hot topic in the near future. (2) A large number of papers take “sustainability” as the theoretical approach to carry out research and use it as the basis for determining the criteria. (3) Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods have been widely used in RL supplier selection and have been constantly innovated. (4) Artificial intelligence methods are also gradually being applied. Finally, gaps in the literature are identified to provide directions for future research. (5) Value-added service is underrepresented in the current study and needs further attention

Optimization plan for excess warehouse storage in e-commerce–based plant shops: a case study for Chinese plant industrial

The rapid development of e-commerce in China has played a critical role in the development of the national economy and ongoing modernization. The plant industry is unique among industries that employ e-commerce sales models because its products exhibit special characteristics such as high death and damage rates. Therefore, its e-commerce and logistical requirements are stricter than in other industries and, as a result, excess warehouse storage can be extremely difficult for e-commerce–based plant shops to manage. Numerous studies have indicated the need to identify a product’s most up-to-date market conditions, as well as the type, function, and size of warehouses. Therefore, based on a case study, this study proposes an optimization plan for solving excess warehouse storage in e-commerce–based plant shops. First, sales volume data of the case company, Enterprise A, were analyzed to predict future sales. Then, entropy and the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution were used to construct the decision-making model. Finally, a cloud warehouse–based optimization plan was proposed to solve excess warehouse storage in e-commerce–based plant shops. This plan can serve as a reference for decision-makers or executives in e-commerce–based plant shops when handling excess warehouse storage