Reverse Logistics Network Design And Optimization Studies

The society and market have changed a lot in the recent decades, such as more laws for environment, shorter product life, rapid development of online sales, upgrade of buyers' weight in the supply chain and so on. All these changes have boosted the reverse logistics and aroused extensive interest in the construction of reverse logistics systems among the enterprises in the consideration that it can reduce waste of resource, enhance enterprises' competition, and improve customers' satisfaction.The paper focuses on one of the main aspects in the construction of reverse logistics system: network design and optimization.Firstly, an introduction on the meaning of the reverse logistics is given. The activities of the reverse logistics system and the relationship between the reverse logistics system and the forward logistics system are analyzed. Based on the links with the forward logistics system, the reverse logistics network is classified into two kinds: the unattached network and the integrated network. Secondly, according to the forenamed classification, the network design is also divided into two instances: the unattached network design and the integrated network design. For each instance, the paper analyzes the main content and the character in the network design and optimization. Based on the analysis, a mathematical model and a case are built. Both the models for the two kinds of network are MILP models and solved with Lingo8.0 in the cases. Finally, four strategies for the reverse network optimization are brought forward, and analyses on the meaning and keystones are discussed for each strategy.Here are the highlights in the paper:1. Present the model that considers the randomicity of the supply and the demand for the unattached reverse network design and optimization, and convert the stochastic model to a determinate one;2. Present the model that considers two products and multi-disposal strategies for the integrated reverse network design, and cite the concept of "route" to make the model simpler;3. Compare the reverse logistics and the forward logistics, the unattached reverse...