Question

a reverse supply chain in a series of activities required

Answer 1

According to Harvard Business Review, a reverse supply chain refers to the series of activities required to retrieve a used product from the customer and either dispose of it or reuse it. They are now becoming an essential part of the business. Guide and Van Wassenhove have given five components of the reverse supply chain which are as follows:

1. Product acquisition: This refers to retrieval of the used product.

2. Reverse Logistics: Transporting the used product to some facility for inspection, sorting and disposition.

3. Inspection and Disposition: The returned products are tested, sorted and graded. The main objective is to recover the most value from the used product.

4. Reconditioning: Some products needs to be completely remanufactured or reconditioned.

5. Distribution and Sales: The products which are reconditioned may be sold in the secondary markets where customers are unwilling to purchase a new product.