eCommerce for Reverse Logistics

The focus of the proposed panel will be on issues pertaining e-commerce and reverse logistics activities, which typically include operations for collection, selection and decision making for the optimal recovery option (reuse, remanufacture or recycle) of post-retail or surplus products nearing obsolescence

Examining green production and its role within the competitive strategy of manufacturers

Purpose: This paper reviews current literature and contributes a set of findings that capture the current state-of-the-art of the topic of green production. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review to capture, classify and summarize the main body of knowledge on green production and, translate this into a form that is readily accessible to researchers and practitioners in the more mainstream operations management community. Findings: The existing knowledge base is somewhat fragmented. This is a relatively unexplored topic within mainstream operations management research and one which could provide rich opportunities for further exploration. Originality/value: This paper sets out to review current literature, from a more conventional production operations perspective, and contributes a set of findings that capture the current state-of-the-art of this topic

Developing the service value : a case study of waste management in offshore petroleum logistics

This research concerns how waste can be perceived as a valued object from a supply chain prospective. The resource-based view of the firm supplemented by service-dominant logic in an overall frame of supply chain management is used to develop an analytic framework guiding this research. A single case study reveals how waste in petroleum logistics includes a role of waste as a traded product downstream in the supply chain. “Waste management” is discussed from a SCM perspective; an “afterlife” of the outbound product; a normal logistical flow. The flow from the supply base is reverse, but not the flow out of the supply base which also is associated with ownership and trading waste products. Waste management firms are specialised in creating logistics service through networking. In relation to petroleum logistics, waste management is a function associated with this overall logistics function in offshore petroleum production. Keywords: petroleum logistics, waste management, resource-based view, supply chain management, networkspublishedVersio

Model and Algorithm for Computer Spare Parts Logistics Management System

Abstract. How to provide customers with timely and effective logistics and distribution services as well as reduce the production cost of the sales process has become increasingly important for enterprises in recent years. This paper is a study on computer spare parts logistics management information system project. It describes the project background and the composition of the system. Research is carried out on how to handle the distribution model with multiple types of nodes and more complex spare parts logistics. The open-source Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver-lp_solve is used to solve the model, and the global optimal solution can be reached by employing branch-and-bound methodology. Finally this paper proposes a heuristic algorithm to meet the business needs and quickly get the approximate result

Beyond Waste Reduction: Creating Value with Information Systems in Closed-Loop Supply Chains

We study the role of information systems in enabling closed-loop supply chains. Past research in green IS and closed-loop supply chains has shown that it can result in substantial cost savings and waste reduction. We complement this research by showing that the effects are more than that: using information systems can also create business value for a firm in closed-loop supply chains. We make a novel distinction between four types of value: sourcing value, environmental value, customer value and informational value. Particularly the last two types have not been recognized in past research. We then analyze 8 cases (2 for each of the 4 value types) to highlight the role that information systems play in enabling this value creation and find three key results. First, we find that IS is an essential enabler for all four value types. Second, while sourcing value and to some extent environmental value, can be created with IS that are internal to the firm, the novel types of value (customer value and informational value) can only be created with information systems that are extraorganizational, i.e. aimed at customers and supply chain partners. Third, the value created by extraorganizational systems can only be created if the appropriate intraorganizational systems are in place. Overall, our results show that substantial value can be gained from implementing green IS in closed-loop supply chains, but that collaboration between all stakeholders in the supply chain is necessary in order to reap the full value

Business Value from Closed-loop Supply Chains

This study provides a complete framework to define and classify the value that firms can attain by their closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) and analyzes the role of information systems (IS) in this process. We present a novel typology to identify the four value types a firm can generate in CLSCs, namely sourcing, environmental, customer, and informational value. Particularly the last two types have not been recognized in literature. We adopt a case methodology and analyze 8 cases to illustrate the generation of each value type through CLSCs and highlight the role that IS play in this value generation. We ground our analysis on the integrative model of IT business value in [30] which considers the role of external business partners, which is essential to CLSCs. We find 3 key results: (1) IS is an essential enabler for all value types, (2) while sourcing value and to some extent environmental value, can be created with IS internal to the firm, the novel value types (customer and informational) can only be created with extraorganizational IS, (3) the value created by extraorganizational systems can only be created if the appropriate intraorganizational systems are in place. Our findings show that substantial value can be gained from implementing IS in CLSCs but stakeholder collaboration is necessary to reap the full value. This is an important managerial insight for the firms who still consider CLSC activities as costly and do not notice all the benefits that they can obtain from CLSCs

Enhancing the lean enterprise through supply chain design : establishing remarketing and reverse logistics at a high tech firm

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-83).by Brian N. Bowers.S.M