Write a 200 word (minimum) paragraph on each of the following learning objectives explaining what you
have learned in this course.
You cannot quote or use any written material from your assignments, nor any readings from this class,
nor any reading from any other source.
These answers are to be your own words. It is what you personally have learned from this course
regarding these topics, these learning objectives.
There is no need for a reference page as you will be using no references.
Use the following as your headings for each paragraph you write below that heading.
LO- 1 Define how reverse logistics can benefit a company.
LO- 2. Identify value opportunities for organizations within their reverse logistics operations.
LO- 3. Determine best practices for resource deployment.
LO- 4. Explore the latest empirical studies in the field on the best logistics performance metrics.
LO- 5. Explore how customer service can improve be within a reverse logistics operation.
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LO- 6. Describe how benchmarking can be a critical aspect of performance management in reverse
logistics operations.
LO- 7. Determine best practices for resource allocation in reverse logistics operations.
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Define how reverse logistics can benefit a company
Reverse logistics is an emerging field in supply chain management that is
improving overall performance, operational and customer satisfaction and experience. Reverse
logistics ensure efficient movement of products from a consumer to manufacturer or distributor.
Reverse logistics deals with product return and provides essential information and techniques for
handling product return. Besides, it is essential in ensuring that companies or logistic firms
manage efficiently and successfully the process of inverting the flow of returned a product,
materials, recalls and parts. Reverse logistics play an important role in recovering or recapturing
value, redistribution, repair and replacement materials for refurbishment and used parts as well
as the product recalls and end-of-life recycling and ensures proper disposal. Companies are
paying much consideration on reverse logistics because it is enhancing brand image, impacting
profitability and incorporates sustainability goals and strategies (Govindan& Soleimani, 2017).
Reverse logistics is a strategic weapon for reducing cost and creating raw
materials for reuse. It increases product lifecycles, productivity, and growth. It provides feedback
for improvement and identifying real reasons for return as well as increasing production speed.
Proficient reverse logistics provides modeling network that enhances process management.
Effective reverse logistics network assists companies to improve velocity, reduce transportation,
administrative and after support costs, improves service market share as well as realizes superior
sustainability objectives or strategies and greater customer services as well as high levels of
retention. Adoption of the reverse of technology in a reverse logistics network provides more
benefits such as improved visibility, efficiency, productivity, and growth. Reverse logistics is a
management process that enhances customer responsiveness, experience, and satisfaction. It also
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increases the transparency in supply chain operations across all networks and provides automatic
consolidation of data and information from all stakeholders and systems. Reverse logistics unit
helps firms to partner with sophisticated 3PL to profit from superior controls over the whole
supply chain. Thus it leads to improved management of inventory, improved visibility, decreased
costs and improved risk management. Therefore, the merits of reverse logistics are increased
productivity, reduced costs, gaining and retaining customers which lead to improved service
objectives and realized sustainability strategies (Govindan& Soleimani, 2017). Overall, it leads
to value recovery, improved customer satisfaction, and loyalty as well as the creation of
competitive advantage for firms. Thus, it leads to environmental protection, sustainability goals
and increased profitability and competition through more sales.
Value opportunities for organizations within their reverse logistics operations
Reverse logistics provides increased opportunities and value recovery for supply
chain organizations. It provides opportunities to enhance customer experience, the creation of
raw materials, and enhance corporate social responsibility that is a crucial driver for brand
reputation. In reverse logistics, customer demand drives the product development, improvement
of customer service and income producing opportunities. Firms launching effective reverse
logistics operation should consider establishing an integrative management value proposition that
will identify market and economic value as well as relevancy. Reverse logistics enhances
customer responsibility by perceiving a smooth and responsive reverse logistics processes as a
purchasing determinant and differentiator for next purchases. Reverse logistics increases profit
margins that are sources of additional returns. Returned product flow holds a significant income
regarding valorization opportunities and through reclaiming revenues from re-manufacture,
repair, and re-configuring. The reduced operational costs result in increased profits, especially by
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established a well-designed reverse logistics and proper customization. There is also increasing
opportunity on the e-commerce for logistic firms and the use of technology to enhance customer
satisfaction.
Also, efficient reverse logistics is vital in providing the emergence of raw
materials for companies. This enhances the procurement of raw materials as firms identify new
approaches and sources through recuperating and recycling end-of-use or event waste products.
It enhances organizational corporate social responsibility that is an essential driver for brand
reorganization and preserves a customer-oriented and green image. Reverse logistics
opportunities create value through proper management of returns and valorization that creates
competitive advantage. However, market leaders in reverse logistics focus on core competencies
to create positive economic value and followers have to join forces to benefit from economies of
scale (Govindan& Soleimani, 2017).
Best Practices for Resource Deployment
Resource deployment is one of the best practices that ensure the efficient and
effective deployment of resources. Resource commitment should optimize returns and meet
business objectives and goals. Deployed managers should master budgeting, capital outlay, and
other associated processes. Therefore, resource deployment should use continuous integration
and automation. Automating resources enables companies to adopt an infrastructure-as-code
approach for project provisioning. Resource deployment according to studies should be focused
on programs in order to ensure that resources are effectively and efficiently allocated to
programs of the business. Automation allows companies to deploy resources across all various
environments of business to improve production and profitability. Automation provides more
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reliable, efficient and predictable deployment practices that improve productivity and ensure
efficient operations. Deployment automation ensures fewer errors, repeatability, resource
optimization, lower costs, and customer satisfaction. Continuous integration ensures that
deployed managers employ the best practices according to the objectives and activities of the
business. It ensures that resources are assigned to the activities of the business through
testability. This improves efficiency by focusing on smaller and specific programs of the
business, which allows accuracy and improves productivity. Continuous integration of resource
deployment leads to usability improvement and adds new requirements based on preferences and
needs of customers. Therefore, automation and continuous integration improve the productivity
and profitability of an organization.
Best Logistics Performance Metrics
There are various revere logistic metrics that an organization should focus on to
enhance efficiency and improve performance. Significant metrics should focus on transportation,
inventory accuracy, turnover, order accuracy, warehousing costs, delivery time, and shipment
numbers ad inventory to sales ratio. Performance metrics assist logistic managers to measure
performance through tracking, visualizing and optimizing all relevant logistic procedures and
process efficiently and transparently. Shipping time is vital in identifying potential issues in
order fulfillment procedures, and order accuracy improves monitoring of incidents’ degree.
Delivery time allows firms to track average delivery time in detail and transportation costs
providing the analysis of all costs from the placement of order to its delivery. Warehousing cost
metrics allows companies to optimize the expenses of its organizational warehouses and the
number of shipments provides a comprehensive understanding of strategies to ship orders.
Inventory accuracy metric provides strategies to avoid issues within the logistic chain due to an
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inaccurate inventory count or stocking (Govindan& Soleimani, 2017). Inventory turnover
metrics in a logistic chain allow managers to track the number of times, the organizational entire
inventory time, and inventory to sales ratio allows companies to identify a potential
overstocking. Therefore, these performance metrics in the logistics field are essential as they
allow managers to monitor the performance of the organization effectively and ensure that all
services are aligned with customer satisfaction and corporate satisfaction.
Customer Service in Reverse Logistic Operations
Reverse logistics should establish an efficient customer service in order to meet
customer demands and requirements. Thus, an effective customer service operation enables firms
to align services according to needs and specifications of customers. A proper customer service
enhances loyalty and satisfaction that result in an increased customer base. Reverse logistics with
an efficient customer service achieve customer retention and gain more customers. This
establishes a competitive advantage for companies and leads to sustainable performance in the
long run. It enhances value in reverse logistics by allowing companies to take advantage of
direct-to-consumer selling. Logistic companies should incorporate technology to assist in
establishing a vibrant customer service unit for efficient resale of returns directly to customers.
Proper customer services allow companies to create standard operating procedures to receive
different items and efficient documentation processes for testing, grading and refurbishing of
received inventory. Automated dis-positioning and merchandising systems processing cost as
well as allows connection with third-party marketplaces to protect the brand image and ensure
quick inventory movement. According to Sangwan (2017), customer service allows companies
in reverse logistics to learn from previous failures and successes in ensure continuous
improvement and customer satisfaction. Therefore, customer service in reverse logistics is
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essential in establishing brand recognition, loyalty and solving all complaints from customers
promptly.
Benchmarking and Performance Management in Reverse Logistics Operations
Benchmarking is an essential aspect of management aspect that improves reverse
logistics management. It is essential to compare the best practices used by competitors in reverse
logistics to apply them as well as establish and sustain competitive advantage in the industry.
This is an essential aspect of identifying and aligning market best practices with the company’s
objectives. Benchmarking allows reverse logistic managers to identify opportunities in supply
chain and gaps that if maximized establish competitive advantages. It is also essential in
identifying costly mistakes in reverse logistics and the best strategies to mitigate their
consequences in the future. Learning best practices in reverse logistics allows companies to
improve performance and ensure customer satisfaction. Companies can compare the best
practices in a supply chain and identify strategies that sustain competitive advantage in logistics’
business as well as develop and maintain sustainable policies in supply chain business. The
changing competitive business environment means that management is continually evolving. It
ensures efficient assessment and measurement of performance. Benchmarking allows companies
to measure performance in comparison to established industry benchmarks. Thus, reverse
logistics companies should use the best industry benchmarks to create and sustain competitive
advantage. For instance, a useful benchmark for employees such as total reward systems and
talent and performance management create a competitive advantage and ensure sustainable
business operations (Sangwan, 2017).
The Best Practices for Resource Allocation
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Reverse logistics operations demand an efficient resource allocation framework
that will ensure effective realization of market demand. This is because efficient resource
commitment leads to improve accuracy, performance, accountability and ensures continuous
success. Reverse logistics companies with an efficient framework for resource allocation create
competitive advantages and enhance profitability as well as identifies and creates value for
operations with the logistics network. The best practices in reverse logistics are program-focused
and aim at developing and innovative approaches and abilities to handle returns. Proper
allocations of resource within a reverse logistics network achieve superior performance and
improve profitability and efficiency. Reverse logistics companies should ensure a holistic
approach to resource commitment and management. Best practices and strategies in reverse
logistics should use end-to-end process in programs and solutions in order to mitigate uncertainty
on required resources as well as to measure and to reduce turnaround times. Companies should
adopt allocation strategies that are program-focused and ensure that activities within reverse
logistics are aimed towards the established objective (Sangwan, 2017). Reverse logistics firms
should use strategic technology in resource commitment based on data and product returns in
making right decisions. Reverse logistics managers should design approaches toward true
integration and use focused resources as well as applying collaborative operation and innovative
capabilities for active resource commitment. Besides, first and quick service capabilities ensure
proper attention and strategies in resource allocation for efficient operation of reverse logistics.
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References
Govindan, K., & Soleimani, H. (2017). A review of reverse logistics and closed-loop supply
chains: a Journal of Cleaner Production focus. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 371-
384.
Sangwan, K. S. (2017). Key activities, decision variables and performance indicators of reverse
logistics. Procedia CIRP, 61, 257-262.
