Abstract
PurposeThe 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/approachThis 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.FindingsThe 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 “qvalues” derived through fuzzy VIKOR.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study can only be generalized for the manufacturing sector of Pakistan during the period of the study.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will assist managers in deploying the best practices concerning RL.Originality/valueFuzzy VIKOR and fuzzy TOPSIS have not been applied to RL alternatives in previous research.
Highlights
In today’s manufacturing world, mega-competition on the global scale has led to radical transformations in supply chains
Previous research studies conclude that the main barrier toward the implementation of reverse logistics (RL) is the assumption of companies that the competitive advantage to be gained through RL is low (Bouzon et al, 2015b)
It was identified to be most critical toward the implementation of RL in previous research, as the investment made for RL is considered not justifiable (Tan and Hosie, 2010)
Summary
In today’s manufacturing world, mega-competition on the global scale has led to radical transformations in supply chains. The academic literature in marketing and supply chain has given substantial attention to RL, as it reflects the channel distribution ability of a firm (Horvath et al, 2005). For both firms and their suppliers, RL has major cost implications in the supply chain (Daugherty et al, 2005). To remain competitive, it has become necessary for many firms to adopt RL practices in their supply chains. There is a need to collect information on the barriers to RL, and how to overcome them, from practitioners
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