Design of demand driven return supply chain for high-tech products

• Main Authors: Jalal Ashayeri, Gülfem Tuzkaya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: OmniaScience 2011-10-01
• Series: Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management
• Subjects: after-sale services, reserve logistics, AHP, weighted max-min approach, fuzzy goal-programming
• Online Access: http://www.jiem.org/index.php/jiem/article/view/423

<p class="Abstract"><strong><em><span lang="EN-US">Purpose:</span></em></strong><span lang="EN-US"> The purpose of this study is to design a responsive network for after-sale services of high-tech products.</span></p> <p class="Abstract"><strong><em><span lang="EN-US">Design/methodology/approach:</span></em></strong><span lang="EN-US"> Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and weighted max-min approach are integrated to solve a fuzzy goal programming model. </span></p> <p class="Abstract"><strong><em><span lang="EN-US">Findings:</span></em></strong><span lang="EN-US"> Uncertainty is an important characteristic of reverse logistics networks, and the level of uncertainty increases with the decrease of the products&rsquo; life-cycle. </span></p> <p class="Abstract"><strong><em><span lang="EN-US">Research limitations/implications:</span></em></strong><span lang="EN-US"> Some of the objective functions of our model are simplified to deal with non-linearities.</span></p> <p class="Abstract"><strong><em><span lang="EN-US">Practical implications:</span></em></strong><span lang="EN-US"> Designing after-sale services networks for high-tech products is an overwhelming task, especially when the external environment is characterized by high levels of uncertainty and dynamism. This study presents a comprehensive modeling approach to simplify this task. </span></p> <p class="Abstract"><strong><em><span lang="EN-US">Originality/value:</span></em></strong><span lang="EN-US"> Consideration of multiple objectives is rare in reverse logistics network design literature. Although the number of multi-objective reverse logistics network design studies has been increasing in recent years, the last two objective of our model is unique to this research area.</span></p>