Selection of strategy for reverse logistics implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Himanshu Prajapati ◽  
Ravi Kant ◽  
Ravi Shankar

Purpose Reverse logistics has attracted many industries due to product recalls, enormous waste generation, competitive reasons, vast opportunity in the waste management market, and to get the maximum value out of waste recovery. Selection of the right implementation strategy is vital for reverse logistics to function efficiently. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the criteria for selecting reverse logistics strategy and help to choose the preferred strategy for its implementation. Design/methodology/approach Three reverse logistics implementation strategies, namely, in-house, joint venture and outsourcing, are proposed. A novel hybrid fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) and fuzzy measurement of alternatives and ranking according to COmpromise Solution (F-MARCOS) based framework is developed to fulfil the research objective. A survey is performed on Indian manufacturing industry to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework. Findings The result shows that government policy and regulations, reverse logistics risks and reduced emission have prime importance for a manufacturing industry which needs to implement reverse logistics into its supply chain. Outsourcing is the preferred reverse logistics strategy followed by joint venture and in-house that a manufacturing firm in India can implement. Research limitations/implications The research results are based on the responses of the survey received. This research considers various industry sectors to test the applicability of the framework. However, for actual implementation, this survey must first be limited to a particular industry as the results will apply to that industrial sector only. Practical implications This developed framework simplifies the procedure of selecting the strategy when the industry needs to implement reverse logistics. For industries working with a smaller set of criteria, this framework is a powerful and dynamic approach for reducing and choosing the most pertinent one that helps accomplish their objectives of reverse logistics implementation strategy selection. Originality/value Based on the literature and current applicability of reverse logistics, this research proposes three models to implement reverse logistics in Indian industries. A novel hybrid F-AHP and F-MARCOS based framework is developed to handle the selection of suitable reverse logistics strategy.

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 559-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gurinder Singh ◽  
Inderpreet Singh Ahuja

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an insight into the prevalent just-in-time (JIT) practices adopted in Indian manufacturing industry for realizing the development and growth of the industrial sector. The endeavor of Indian manufacturing organizations to achieve manufacturing performance enhancement through JIT implementation has been highlighted in the present study. Design/methodology/approach – The present study has been conducted in the large- and medium-scale manufacturing industries of India that have successfully implemented or are in the various stages of implementing JIT. The approach of study has been directed toward assessment of JIT initiatives in Indian manufacturing industries. Findings – From the present study it is apparent that Indian organizations have been reasonably successful in improving the business performance by implementing holistic JIT initiatives and have successfully reaped the benefits of JIT implementation. However, it is also revealed in present study that Indian manufacturing industries need to work more aggressively on managing few issues of JIT. Originality/value – The value of paper is in calculation of percent point score for each issue of JIT in context to Indian manufacturing industry and to find out significant as well as issues that need to worked aggressively by Indian manufacturing industry to reap the benefits of JIT.


Author(s):  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes ◽  
Ioannis E. Betsis ◽  
Vikas Kumar ◽  
Moh’d Anwer Radwan Al-Shboul

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the quality practices of European pharmaceutical manufacturers to determine the level of readiness of this industrial sector to implement and/or sustain lean manufacturing (LM). Design/methodology/approach An assessment framework developed by Al-Najem et al. (2013) was adapted to evaluate how ready European pharmaceutical manufacturers are to implement and/or sustain LM. Therefore, the lean readiness (LR) level of these organisations was assessed through six quality practices related to LM. These included: processes, planning and control, human resources, top management and leadership, customer relations, and supplier relations. One research question and three hypotheses were formulated and tested using a combination of descriptive statistics and non-parametric Mann-Whitney tests. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire distributed to 310 European pharmaceutical manufacturers and responded by 37 of these organisations. Findings Overall, the results of this study indicate an inadequate level of LR for the participating firms. Simultaneously, it was concluded that factors such as company size, type of relationships with suppliers and ISO 9000 certification do not have an effect on the quality practices, and hence LR level, of European pharmaceutical manufacturing organisations. Practical implications This study provides crucial information regarding the LR level of European pharmaceutical manufacturers, which can now be aware of the areas in their practices that require further improvement towards a successful lean journey. Simultaneously, organisations in the pharmaceutical sector that intend to implement LM can consider the results of this study and evaluate their readiness level. Managers can, therefore, refer to this research and use it as a platform to take better decisions regarding what quality aspects of their operations need to be enhanced to successfully deploy or sustain a lean strategy. Originality/value This research is one of the very few studies that have focussed on evaluating whether the European pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is ready to successfully implement or sustain LM. Therefore, this research expands the limited existent body of knowledge of LM in this industry.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Jebaraj Benjamin ◽  
M. Srikamaladevi Marathamuthu ◽  
Uthiyakumar Murugaiah

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reduce or eliminate the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE’s) speed loss in a lean manufacturing environment. Design/methodology/approach – This action research study uses the lean manufacturing 5-whys analysis technique to reduce or eliminate the speed loss. Findings – The application of the 5-whys analysis technique in a manufacturing industry (XYZ Corporation) completely eliminated its top speed loss and resulted in a valuable savings of USD 32,811.5 per annum. Practical implications – The 5-whys analysis technique which has been primarily known to improve the OEE’s quality loss and changeover loss has been proven to be an effective approach to also tackle speed loss; a loss which has been regarded as the most dominating loss among all the types of OEE’s losses and a difficult one to eliminate. Originality/value – Little or no attempt has been made to date to expand the use of the 5-whys analysis technique beyond its originally intended purpose. The lessons learnt in this study could be applied to other organizations. The outcome of the study has also opened the possibility of widening the horizon of the use of the 5-whys analysis technique beyond its original intended objective and could be applicable to solve other losses of OEE and non-value added activities of lean philosophy in general.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 636-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veeri Arumugam ◽  
Keng‐Boon Ooi ◽  
Tuck‐Chee Fong

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and quality performance with special emphasis on ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing organizations in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data was drawn from 122 ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing organizations in Malaysia. The data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analyses.FindingsThe findings revealed that TQM practices were found to be partially correlated with quality performance of the Malaysian ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing organizations. It is also found that where customer focus and continual improvement were perceived as dominant TQM practices in quality performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis research paper was limited by excluding non‐ISO 9001:2000 certified organizations in the selection of manufacturing firms in Malaysia, making this a possibly biased selection, which might not adequately represent the Malaysian perspective on the entire Malaysia's manufacturing industry.Originality/valueThe outcome of the study could provide valuable knowledge to top management of ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing organizations to refine their quality management practices and subsequently improve quality performance.


Author(s):  
Mandeep Kaur ◽  
Kanwarpreet Singh ◽  
Doordarshi Singh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the contribution of significant factors in the success of supply chain management (SCM) implementation and in synergistic approach (SCM-TQM) terms of business performance of Indian medium- and large-scale manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach This research paper deploys the fuzzy inference system (fuzzy logic tool box) to evaluate the success of SCM and synergistic approach’s implementation. For this purpose, significant factors for each SCM approach as well as synergistic approach are identified from relevant literature and validated by industry experts. Findings The results of fuzzy rule viewer and surface view tool of fuzzy tool box in MATLAB have highlighted that synergistic approach is better as compared to SCM approach. Furthermore, top management support and leadership role, SCM issues and total quality management (TQM) issues have emerged as significant predictor variables for successful synergistic implementation of TQM-SCM in Indian industries. Originality/value TQM and SCM are considered as performance improvement techniques by the manufacturing organizations. The present research work establishes that combined (TQM-SCM) initiatives have contributed more as compared to only SCM approach in the business performance of Indian manufacturing industry. So, the study stresses upon the need for improving coordination between various manufacturing parameters as well as competitive dimensions of TQM and SCM paradigms to enjoy higher potential of business performance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 932-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurabh Agrawal ◽  
Rajesh K. Singh ◽  
Qasim Murtaza

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the various disposition alternatives and to develop a framework for the optimal disposition decisions in reverse logistics. Design/methodology/approach In reverse logistics, once the products are collected and inspected, decision is to be taken regarding their disposition for reuse, re-manufacture or recycle or other possible alternatives. A combination of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) approach is proposed for the selection of best disposition alternative based on criteria economic benefits, environmental benefits, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder’s needs and reverse logistics resources. Findings A case of electronics firm was illustrated for the demonstration of the approach for the disposition of mobile phones. Returned mobile phones must be disposed for repairing or reuse in current business scenario, if possible. Otherwise, the firm may prefer to recycle them rather than dispose or remanufacture. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to mobile manufacturing firm. Also, these findings may vary depending on the sector and products. Further, empirical studies and case studies can be carried out to validate the findings. Practical implications The proposed framework provides useful tool to the practitioners and researchers in decision-making for disposition in reverse logistics. Originality/value Very few studies related to disposition decisions in reverse logistics were found in the previous research literature review. The study will add value to the very limited research on reverse logistics disposition. Also, the AHP-Fuzzy TOPSIS approach is first time being used for the disposition decisions in reverse logistics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-154
Author(s):  
Awadhesh Pratap Singh ◽  
Chandan Sharma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare and analyze the modern productivity estimation techniques, namely, Levinsohn and Petrin (LP, 2003), Ackerberg Caves and Frazer (ACF, 2006), Wooldridge (2009) and Mollisi and Rovigatti (MR, 2017) on unit-level data of 32 Indian industries for the period 2009-2015. Design/methodology/approach The paper first analyzes different issues encountered in total factor productivity (TFP) measurement. It then categorizes the productivity estimation techniques into three logical generations, namely, traditional, new and advanced. Next, it selects four contemporary estimation techniques, computes the industrial TFP for Indian states by using them and investigates their empirical outcomes. The paper also performs the robustness check to ascertain, which estimation technique is more robust. Findings The result indicates that the TFP growth of Indian industries have differed greatly over this seven-years of period, but the estimates are sensitive to the techniques used. Further results suggest that ACF and Wooldridge yield the consistent outcomes as compared to LP and MR. The robustness test confirms Wooldridge to be the most robust contemporary technique for productivity estimation followed by ACF and LP. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that compares the contemporary productivity estimation techniques. In this backdrop, this paper offers two novelties. First, it uses advanced production estimation techniques to compute TFP of 32 diverse industries of an emerging economy: India. Second, it addresses the fitment of estimation techniques by drawing a comparison and by conducting a robustness test, hence, contributing to the limited literature on comparing contemporary productivity estimation techniques.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Ravi ◽  
Ravi Shankar

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status of reverse logistics practices used on four sectors of Indian manufacturing industry, namely, auto, paper, food and beverage processing, and electronics. Design/methodology/approach – A nationwide questionnaire-based survey has been used to assess reverse logistics practices in Indian context. Findings – It was seen from the survey that Indian companies considered implementing reverse logistics programs in their organization as a strategic-level decision. Volume of products entering the return stream is a key driver of reverse logistics activities. One of the important observations of this research is that Indian companies have primarily adopted reverse logistics due to the economic benefits associated with them. Research limitations/implications – The results reported in this research are the bird’s eye view of reverse logistics practices in the Indian context only. The low level of questionnaire responses is also one of the limitations of this study. Numerical data related to companies could not be reported in this research as companies were reluctant in giving sensitive data. Practical implications – The present research would be useful for benchmarking professionals/managers for understanding strategic, tactical and operational-level issues of reverse logistics with respect to Indian context. Also, logistics managers can evolve suitable strategies for successful implementation of reverse logistics programs. Originality/value – The literature review indicates that only a few frameworks available give a holistic perspective of the current status of reverse logistics operations in an Indian context. This research is an attempt in this regard.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousaf Ali ◽  
Khaqan Zeb ◽  
Abdul Haseeb Khan Babar ◽  
Muhammad Asees Awan

Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify major barriers to the implementation of reverse logistics (RL). Also, the study addresses best practices among reuse, remanufacture, recycling, refurbishment and repair as alternatives for RL processes. Design/methodology/approach This study targets supply chain management experts for their opinions regarding the identification of critical barriers and alternatives for RL implementation. Their opinions were extracted through a Web questionnaire based on 14 criteria with 5 alternatives. The tools of multi-criteria decision-making are used for analysis, i.e. fuzzy VIKOR and fuzzy TOPSIS. Findings The results indicate that lack of recognition of competitive advantage to be gained through RL practice is the most critical barrier to RL implementation. The least barrier or major facilitator for RL is “supportive initiative for end-of-life products.” The top-ranked alternative in this study is reuse followed by remanufacturing. The least important alternative is “repair” in the case of Pakistan. These alternatives are ranked based on “q values” derived through fuzzy VIKOR. Research limitations/implications The results of this study can only be generalized for the manufacturing sector of Pakistan during the period of the study. Practical implications The findings of this study will assist managers in deploying the best practices concerning RL. Originality/value Fuzzy VIKOR and fuzzy TOPSIS have not been applied to RL alternatives in previous research.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Etemad-Sajadi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing the choice of entry mode of computer-related (CR) service firms which are in a process of internationalization. The authors will focus on the characteristics of service defining its tradability. Design/methodology/approach – The objectives are achieved by first exploring the general drivers and the drivers specific to service firms via qualitative interviews and a literature review. Then, the model is tested empirically on CR service firms using structural equation modeling using partial least squares. Findings – Results show that the degree of tradability of the service influences the choice of entry mode. The higher the degree of tailor-made offer and face-to-face contact with the client, the more firms opt for an entry mode with high control, such as establishment abroad and/or joint-venture. Finally, firm size and international experience are also significant drivers behind the selection of entry mode. Research limitations/implications – As firms often choose several entry modes simultaneously, it is difficult to lead the research. Practical implications – In exports of digitalized and standardized services with little face-to-face contact, physical presence abroad is less important for success. It is more difficult to successfully market tailor-made services at the international level. Therefore, firms with limited capabilities should start exporting standardized services requiring limited face-to-face contact. Small firms wishing to become global players should preferably focus on exports of digitalized services and use internet, which is an attractive distribution channel. Moreover, when the confidentiality required for the service is an issue for the company, it is better to start with geographically near markets. Originality/value – In this research, service tradability came out as an original concept including service-specific characteristics leading to the selection of entry mode(s). The authors focussed on four characteristics of services which are on-line transmissibility, degree of confidentiality required, face-to-face contact, and finally the degree of customizability.


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