Reverse Logistics Case Study

1.1. Definition of Reverse Logistics:

Supply Chain Management (SCM), in general context, is defined as the management of the flow of goods and services from point of origin to point of consumption. Reverse Logistics (RL), on the contrary, is the flow of products, services & information in the opposite direction from the consumption end to the origin. In this concept, the explanation of the means and ends is reversed, with the consumer or distributor being the origin and the manufacturer being the end. Reverse logistical actions, though started taking place since the 1860s, its definition was first given by James R. Stock of the Council of Logistics Management in 1992.

The reverse logistical action was first commercially recognised in the

When we talk about the food industry, repair and recycle work hand-in-hand. When a product is returned due to some defects, the material can be separated integrally to identify which of the resources can be reused. In case of food industry, product life cycle matters a lot. If the life cycle of the product is not over, the product can be used for remanufacturing. It extends the lifetime of the product and decreases demand for new products to be manufactured.

On a general note, the factors affecting the repair clause in reverse logistics are:

i. Proper software to understand the traceability and cost variables to determine whether to replace or repair ii. Quality standard of the food material iii. Less wastage of food from both customer and producer side iv. Analysing and understanding in which part of the manufacturing section the update in food has to be done in order to reduce cost factor by not running the production from the beginning.

• Review

Review is the process that entirely lies under the hands of the customers and the distribution channel. The review from retailers can give the estimate about the sales details, the variables affecting the selection capability of customers and the amount of inventory to be kept in specific stores in order to avoid the piling up of

Forward logistics concentrates on the products (goods or services) reaching the consumer end and deals with the line of flow from the manufacturer’s end to the consumer’s end. It deals with the very essence of Supply Chain Management and logistical activities of an organization. It has a significant impact on the primary operations carried out, which act as the basic revenue generating aspect of a business. In this logistical system, the flow is a “one-to-many” type and the forecasting or traceability is quite