Cyber-physical systems in the re-use, refurbishment and recycling of used electrical and electronic equipment

The aim of the research outlined in this paper is to demonstrate the implementation of a Cyber-Physical System (CPS) within the End of Life (EoL) processing of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE). The described system was created by reviewing related areas of research, capturing stakeholder’s requirements, designing system components and then implementing within an actual EoL EEE processer. The research presented in this paper details user requirements, relevant to any EoL EEE processer, and provides information of the challenges and benefits of utilising CPSs systems within this domain. The system implemented allowed an EoL processer to attach passive Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to cores (i.e. mobile phones and other IT assets) upon entry to the facility allowing monitoring and control of the core’s refurbishment. The CPS deployed supported the processing and monitoring requirements of PAS 141:2011, a standard for the correct refurbishment of both used and waste EEE for reuse. The implemented system controls how an operator can process a core, informing them which process or processes should be followed based upon the quality of the core, the recorded results of previous testing and any repair efforts. The system provides Human-Computer Interfaces (HCIs) to aid the user in recording core and process information which is then used to make decisions on the additional processes required. This research has contributed to the knowledge of the advantages and challenges of CPS development, specifically within the EoL domain, and documents future research goals to aid EoL processing through more advanced decision support on a core’s processes

Remanufacturing and product design: designing for the 7th generation

The following is taken directly from the research report. This report investigates Design for Remanufacture in terms of both detailed product design and the business context in which Design for Remanufacture may operate. Key Study Objectives • To understand the link between design and remanufacture • To understand how Design for Remanufacture can lead to increased innovation and Sustainable Development (SD) • To identify proactive strategies to further Design for Remanufactur

Remanufacturing and product design

This article is the result of long-standing research in eco-design, and builds directly on a report produced in 2007 for South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) on 'Remanufacturing and Production' and particularly 'Design for Remanufacturing' (DfR). Although DfR is an under-researched area, there is growing interest worldwide in 'cradle to cradle', 'closed loop' and 'circular economy' concepts, thinking and practice. While remanufacture has been a consideration of much of my research since the mid-1990s, not least within the areas of 'producer responsibility', legislation (such as the WEEE Directive) and eco-design, this article draws together a diverse body of research for the first time around this theme. Drawing on desk research, personal interviews and an expert workshop, undertaken as part of the aforementioned SEEDA project that I developed and led, the article focuses on DfR as a new business model that needs to incorporate a more holistic perspective, including design principles, reverse logistics, manufacturing, marketing and business strategy. On the basis of research undertaken through two DTI missions and an EC funded project concerned with eco-design, recycling, and electronics manufacture in Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the paper argues that DfR is a strategic rather than an operational design concept, one that has been implemented successfully by only a few global leadership companies. As the senior researcher, I led the conception, structuring and writing of this paper based substantially on my personal research activities, previous reports and presentations in this area. My co-author provided specific details derived from desk research

The Viability of the Air Mobility Command Pure Pallet Program for US Army Reparable Retrograde Shipments

Last year, Congress approved $17.1 billion dollars, an increase of$4 billion dollars more than originally was requested by the Bush Administration, for US Army vehicles to be repaired or replaced (commonly referred to as reset) as a result of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A large portion of the repair workload falls upon the Army depots in Anniston and Red River in Texarkana, Texas and must rely on the DOD transportation system for air and surface movement of retrograde cargo deemed serviceable and unserviceable to fill requisitions and backorders for entry into the national supply inventory. Headquarters Air Mobility Command developed an initiative for distribution to the US Central Command to allow supply requisition shipments to accumulate based on customer defined delivery timelines to a single unit destination to eliminate the need of mixed destinations on a single pallet, thereby avoiding intermediate handling and increase in-transit visibility. This research viewed the depot and the item managers as the customers due to the value they collectively add in equipment repairs and how retrograde is directed to meet the needs of the end user. Subject matter experts from Army Materiel Command provided their inputs through a series of focused interviews to calculate their value placed on transportation system and convergence with a cost comparison of the accumulation principles of the AMC pure pallet program. The results indicated that the AMC pure pallet program was not a viable option due to conflicts with customer requirements, high variability in the volume of retrograde generated to successfully utilize this option despite the savings in using consolidated shipments

판매촉진을 도입한 수요 불확실성 재고관리 모형

학위논문 (박사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 공과대학 산업공학과, 2020. 8. 문일경.As the globalization of markets accelerates competition among companies, sales promotion, which refers to short-term incentives promoting sales of products or services, plays a prominent role. Although there are various types of sales promotions, such as price reduction, buy-x-get-y-free, and trade-in program, the common purpose is to induce the purchase of customers by offering benefits. This successful strategy has caught the attention of researchers, including operations management and supply chain management. Thus, various studies have been conducted to examine strategies for ongoing operations and to demonstrate the effects of the sales promotion, which are based on the strategic level. However, research at the tactical or operational level has been conducted insufficiently. This dissertation examines the inventory models considering (i) markdown sale, (ii) buy one get one free (BOGO), and (iii) trade-in program. First, the newsvendor model is considered. By introducing the decision variable, which represents the start time of markdown sale, the retailer can obtain the optimal combination of the start time of a markdown sale and an order quantity. Under certain conditions in a decentralized system, however, the start time of a markdown sale where the retailer obtains the highest profit is the least profitable for the manufacturer. To avoid irrational ordering behavior by a retailer against a manufacturer, a revenue-sharing contract is proposed. Second, the mobile application, ``My Own Refrigerator'', is considered in the inventory model. It enables customers to store BOGO products in their virtual storage for later use. That is, customers can drop by the store to pick up the extra freebies in the future. The promotion involves a high degree of uncertainty regarding the revisiting date because customers who buy the product do not need to take both products on the day of purchase. To deal with this uncertainty, we propose a robust multiperiod inventory model by addressing the approximation of a multistage stochastic optimization model. Third, the trade-in program is considered. It is one of the sales promotions that companies collect used old-generation products from customers and provide them with new-generation products at a discount price. It also helps to acquire the additional products which are required for the refurbishment service. A multiperiod stochastic inventory model based on the closed-loop supply chain system is proposed by incorporating the trade-in program and refurbishment service simultaneously. The stochastic optimization model is approximated to the robust counterpart, which features a deterministic second-order cone program.시장의 세계화에 따른 기업 간의 경쟁이 가속화됨에 따라, 단기 인센티브를 통해 고객의 제품 또는 서비스 구매를 유도하는 판매촉진의 역할이 중요해졌다. 가격 인하, 행사상품 증정, 트레이드인프로그램과 같은 다양한 유형의 판매촉진 전략이 존재하지만, 공통된 주요 목적은 기업이 고객에게 혜택을 제공하여 고객의 수요를 증대시키는 것이다. 판매촉진의 성공적인 전략은 경영과학 또는 공급망관리 분야를 포함한 관련 학계의 관심을 이끌었다. 지속적인 운영을 위한 전략을 검토하고 전략적 수준 계획을 기반으로 하는 판매 촉진의 효과를 입증하기 위한 다양한 연구가 수행되었습니다. 하지만 운영 수준의 소매업체 입장에서의 연구는 미흡한 실정이다. 본 논문에서는 (i) 마크 다운 (ii) buy one get one free (BOGO), 및 (iii) 트레이드인프로그램을 고려한 재고관리모형을 다룬다. 먼저, 신문가판원 모형에 마크 다운 시작 시점을 나타내는 결정 변수를 도입하여 최적의 마크 다운 시작 시점과 주문량의 조합을 제공하는 모형을 제안한다. 분산 시스템의 특정 조건에서는 소매업자가 가장 높은 이익을 얻는 시점이 제조업자에게 낮은 수익성을 야기할 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 제조업자에 대한 소매업자의 비합리적 주문을 막기 위한 이익분배계약을 제안한다. 이익분배계약을 통한 중앙집권화 시스템은 분산 시스템에서 얻은 이익에 비해 소매업자와 제조업자의 이익을 향상시킴을 수치실험을 통해 확인하였다. 둘째, 모바일 어플리케이션 ``나만의 냉장고''를 고려한 재고모형을 고려한다. 이 앱을 통해 BOGO 행사제품을 구매한 고객은 증정품을 구매 당일 날 가져가지 않고 미래에 재방문하여 수령할 수 있는 혜택을 받는다. 하지만 소매업자 입장에서는 고객이 증정품을 언제 수령해 갈 지에 대한 불확실성이 존재하며 이는 기존의 재고관리 운영방식에는 한계점이 있음을 시사한다. 본 연구에서는 고객의 재방문에 대한 불확실성을 고려한 복수기간 추계계획 재고모형을 수립하며 이를 효율적으로 계산하기 위한 강건최적화 모형으로 근사화하였다. 셋째, 리퍼서비스와 트레이드인프로그램을 고려한 폐회로 공급망 시스템 기반의 복수기간 재고관리모형을 제안한다. 신세대 제품, 리퍼서비스 및 트레이드인프로그램에 대한 세 가지 유형의 불확실한 수요에 대한 상관관계를 반영함에 따라 복수기간 추계계획 재고모형이 수립된다. 복수기간 추계계획 재고모형의 계산이 어렵다는 한계를 극복하고자 강건최적화 모형으로 근사화하였다.Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Sales promotion 1 1.2 Inventory management 3 1.3 Research motivations 6 1.4 Research contents and contributions 8 1.5 Outline of the dissertation 10 Chapter 2 Optimal Start Time of a Markdown Sale Under a Two-Echelon Inventory System 11 2.1 Introduction and literature review 11 2.2 Problem description 17 2.3 Analysis of the decentralized system 21 2.3.1 Newsvendor model for a retailer 21 2.3.2 Solution procedure for an optimal combination of the start time of the markdown sale and the order quantity 25 2.3.3 Profi t function of a manufacturer 25 2.3.4 Numerical experiments of the decentralized system 27 2.4 Analysis of a centralized system 35 2.4.1 Revenue-sharing contract 35 2.4.2 Numerical experiments of the centralized system 38 2.5 Summary 40 2.5.1 Managerial insights 41 Chapter 3 Robust Multiperiod Inventory Model with a New Type of Buy One Get One Promotion: "My Own Refrigerator" 43 3.1 Introduction and literature review 43 3.2 Problem description 51 3.2.1 Demand modeling 52 3.2.2 Sequences of the ordering decision 54 3.3 Mathematical formulation of the IMMOR 56 3.3.1 Mathematical formulation of the IMMOR under the deterministic demand 58 3.3.2 Mathematical formulation of the IMMOR under the stochastic demand 58 3.3.3 Distributionally robust optimization approach for the IMMOR 60 3.4 Computational experiments 76 3.4.1 Experiment 1: tractability of the RIMMOR 77 3.4.2 Experiment 2: robustness of the RIMMOR 78 3.4.3 Experiment 3: e ect of duration of the expiry date under the different customers' revisiting propensities 78 3.5 Summary 83 3.5.1 Managerial insights 83 Chapter 4 Robust Multiperiod Inventory Model Considering Refurbishment Service and Trade-in Program 85 4.1 Introduction 85 4.2 Literature review 91 4.2.1 Effects of the trade-in program and strategic-level decisions for the trade-in program 91 4.2.2 Inventory or lot-sizing model in a closed-loop supply chain system 94 4.2.3 Distinctive features of this research 97 4.3 Problem description 100 4.3.1 Demand modeling 103 4.3.2 Decision of the inventory manager 105 4.4 Mathematical formulation 108 4.4.1 Mathematical formulation of the IMRSTIP under the deterministic demand model 108 4.4.2 Mathematical formulation of the IMRSTIP under the stochastic demand model 110 4.4.3 Distributionally robust optimization approach for the IMRSTIP 111 4.5 Computational experiments 125 4.5.1 Demand process 125 4.5.2 Experiment 1: tractability of the RIMRSTIP 128 4.5.3 Experiment 2: approximation error from the expected value given perfect information 129 4.5.4 Experiment 3: protection against realized uncertain factors 130 4.5.5 Experiment 4: di erences between modeling demands from VARMA and ARMA 131 4.5.6 Experiments 5 and 6: comparisons of backlogged refurbishment service with or without trade-in program 133 4.6 Summary 136 Chapter 5 Conclusions 138 5.1 Summary 138 5.2 Future research 140 Bibliography 142 Chapter A 160 A.1 160 A.2 163 A.3 163 A.4 164 A.5 165 A.6 166 Chapter B 168 B.1 168 B.2 171 B.3 172 Chapter C 174 C.1 174 C.2 174 국문초록 179Docto

Industry 4.0 and the circular economy : melioration of business logistics sustainability

Abstract: Mining and mineral resources help provide the requirements of everyday life by contributing to essential products and services. In the era of fourth industrial revolution, the trend in logistics is toward a smart logistics system. Therefore, it becomes important to understand how Industry 4.0 enablers effect smart logistics, i.e., instrumented logistics, interconnected logistics, and intelligent logistics. This study investigates how Industry 4.0 logistics technologies influence dynamic remanufacturing and green manufacturing capability and, the effect on business logistics sustainability. Survey data were collected from 150 respondents using an online survey of South African executives in firms operating mines, quarries, and processing plants. Partial Least Squares based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that Industry 4.0 enablers have a strong effect on intelligent logistics compared to its effect on interconnected logistics and instrumented logistics. The effect of intelligent logistics are found to be very high compared to that of interconnected logistics and instrumented logistics on dynamic remanufacturing and green manufacturing capability. Finally, dynamic remanufacturing and green manufacturing capability are found to positively influence business logistics sustainability

A replenishment control system with uncertain returns and random opportunities for disposal

We consider a replenishment control system in which product returns play an important role in inventory planning. We focus on the inventory of an individual item that is stored at a single location to meet a constant demand over time. We assume that the total amount of returns accumulated over a period of time can be represented by a compound Poisson process. We further assume that opportunities for inventory disposals or relocation arise occasionally in accordance with a Poisson process. We not only seek to resolve the issues of when to order and how much to order, we also consider the question of when to dispose of excess inventory and by how much. Inventory reductions occur when the opportunity for a disposal arises and the inventory position is deemed too high. After each disposal the inventory position is restored to a specified base-stock level. We develop a cost model of this system and highlight its properties through an extensive numerical study

Circular economy and office fit-out: an analysis for office fit-out processes based on material flows

The built environment is the most resource intensive sector of the economy, accounting for over a half of extracted materials and around one third of total waste generated. Within the built environment the most recurrent replacements of building materials and components take place during fit-out, which is the process of installing interior fittings, fixtures and finishes. These materials and components are more frequently replaced in non-domestic buildings, so non-domestic building fit-outs are responsible for recurrent consumption of materials and generation of waste. However, these processes tend to go unnoticed and unmeasured in the research about sustainable buildings. The present work aims to study this research gap and to analyse the potential for fit-outs to become more sustainable. The approach of this project ties in closely to the concept of circular economy, where materials are kept at their most useful state for as long as possible. This work analysed fit-out processes within UCL Estates and London through mixed research methods, including quantitative material flow analyses and the qualitative analysis of interviews. In total, 31 supply-chain stakeholders related to the fit-out industry were contacted and five fit-out case studies as well as two Waste Contractor case studies were considered. The structure of the fit-out supply chain was mapped out and the roles and interactions of the relevant stakeholders were analysed. Key materials and components installed and removed at fit-outs projects were defined while waste streams generated were measured, and their paths and final destinations were traced. A socio-technical analysis was developed for office and higher education institution building fit-outs and used to recognise key incentives and mechanisms that encourage higher rates of reuse, remanufacture and closed-loop recycling, from the design stage of building fit-outs and products to the treatment of wastes. It was concluded that the fit-out supply-chain generally showed a linear tendency in terms of both decisions and material flows, and a “reuse third party” in the supply chain showed to facilitate salvaging building components otherwise treated as waste. The rates of replacement for building products were generally shorter than their lifespans and the main barriers to potential reuse were both the lack of size standardisation and the lack of modular installation. Material flow analyses conducted for fit-out case studies showed that most waste streams were downcycled into products or uses that require inferior material quality and little waste was closed-loop recycled. Mixed waste was the highest-mass waste stream generated, followed by plasterboard and wood

Development of a Reverse Supply Chain model for Home Appliances Remanufacturing in China

Il progetto di tesi svolto in Cina riguardava lo sviluppo di un modello di Reverse Supply Chain nel settore degli elettrodomestici per il mercato cinese. L' obbiettivo del progetto era sviluppare un modello economicamente sostenibile che consentisse la rilavorazione degli elettrodomestici alla fine del loro ciclo di vita. La profittabilità del modello sviluppato è stata testata e dimostrata tramite un business case relativo alla rilavorazione di un frigorifero

Informing Sustainable Standards in 'The Circular Economy' utilising technological and data solutions

In our world of make, use and throw away we are now doing more damage to the planet than good, and this mindset has become unsustainable. One of the solutions to this problem is the ‘Circular Economy’ (CE). The CE replaces the concept of end-of-life production with restoration of natural systems, innovative design to design out waste and keeping products and materials in circulation for as long as possible. This research will use data science and statistical information to provide a solid foundation (framework) for standards developers to frame the development of standards for the CE. The research will extend the current CE model by interjecting innovative ideas into areas of the CE process: data analysis, restriction of harmful chemicals removing them from the supply chain, research into Local Value Creation (LVC) and research into Sustainable Development in the CE. The research will investigate how Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging of products and materials provide a realistic way to trace products and materials in a CE management system. It will also expand the knowledge on digitization in standards development by analyzing key data streams connected to the CE in order to inform the standards development community of the need to develop a standard on the CE. This research will use a mixed methodology by combining quantitative methods (data analysis) and qualitative data (case studies). This will be detailed in Chapter 3 – Methodology. The data collected from the literature review will drive four main Sections and four research questions in Chapter 4. This research will analyse through Case Studies and research papers the uptake of circular thinking in China and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and use the outcomes positive or negative to show practical applications for this research.The objective conclusion of this research is to provide a framework for a European or International standard in order to fill the gap as no such Standard currently exists European or Internationally that addresses the CE. A Framework with inclusions from the research will form a usable output from the research. This research will inform or be of interest to the Standards development community, data scientists, Circular Economy practitioners and environmental regulators. The aim of this research is to provide a framework standard using underlying data and statistical information needed to develop a new Standard on the Circular Economy. Once a Standard is developed and published it can be used by any organisation or group of organisations, country or individual wishing to manage internally and collectively their activities in order to transition to the CE and the Sustainable Development goal of responsible consumption and production. This research has produced a framework from which sustainable standards can be developed. The data acquired from using RFID tags imbedded in products allows manufacturers to control and analyse the materials in their products specific to hazardous chemicals. This data can also be used to track the product through the supply chain and onto its product life cycle. The data gathered in the product example in this thesis tracks the potential use of hazardous chemicals in the product, this is important information for endof-life decisions to be made on the product. The data can then be used to develop requirements and testing regimes for circular economy standards. Having identified some of the main areas of future activity in the CE, this research i.e., the circular economy, data science and standards development will continue to evoke research in the CE for the foreseeable future