QUANTITATIVE MODELS FOR REVERSE LOGISTICS - A REVIEW

This article surveys the recently emerged field of reverse logistics. The management of return flows induced by the various forms of reuse o f products and materials in industrial production processes has receiv ed growing attention throughout this decade. Many authors have propose d quantitative models taking those changes in the logistics environmen t into account. However, no general framework has been suggested yet. Therefore the time seems right for a systematic overview of the issues arising in the context of reverse logistics. In this paper we subdivi de the field into three main areas, namely distribution planning, inve ntory control, and production planning. For each of these we discuss t he implications of the emerging reuse efforts, review the mathematical models proposed in the literature, and point out the areas in need of further research. Special attention is paid to differences and/or sim ilarities with classical 'forward' logistics methods. (C) 1997 Elsevie r Science B.V.