Progress and Future of Reverse Logistics

Progress and Future of Reverse Logistics

PROGRESS AND FUTURE OF REVERSE LOGISTICS 2
Assignment Instructions:
Offer your thoughts on the progression of the field of reverse logistics and offer your opinions on the
future of reverse logistics. I feel that there is a lot of new ideas and opportunities in the field and I
would be very interested to hear what others think as well. I would also like to hear anyone’s thoughts
on new technology that will impact reverse logistics.

Progress and the Future of Reverse Logistics

Reverse logistics is one of the emerging trends in the supply chain management for most
retail companies. This is the flow of goods from the consumer to the producer in which most
often includes repair, value recovery, warranty recovery, redistribution, disposal, used parts,
product recalls, etc. Reverse logistics has had major progress in a modern business
environment where companies are incorporating the process in order to enhance their
customers’ satisfaction. Companies are using modifications in reverse logistic services in
order to meet specific market needs such as preventing returns, managing returns, recovering
assets and managing risks as well as the provision of information intelligence. Therefore, the
opportunity to improve the overall efficiencies of costs has pushed companies to incorporate
reverse logistics to enhance continuous improvement of supply chain performance
(Govindan, Soleimani & Kannan, 2015).
The future of reverse logistics is going to change significantly given the rate of
technological changes and the use of self-driving vehicles in the supply chain. Companies are
becoming more aware of the benefits of reverse logistics management. Businesses are
increasingly innovating ways to streamline their supply chains by the use of technology and
developing better operational procedures in reverse logistics to meet the demands of end
users. Companies must instinctively look forward to maximizing the benefits of reverse
logistics such as improving consumer satisfaction by forecasting changes in demands of

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consumers to manage expectations and match supply demands as well as concentrate on
resources that bring profitable growth (Govindan, Soleimani & Kannan, 2015)..
There are new ideas and opportunities in the field of reverse logistics such as growing
customer relationships, enhancing profitability, containing costs, and amplifying corporate
citizenship and responsibility. Besides, companies have the opportunity to discover if their
products are selling or not as well as managing recalls and new product lines. New
technologies are improving the efficiency of reverse logistics such as the use of self-driving
vehicles and new technology is revolutionizing the supply chain management. New
technologies such as the use of robots as sales’ associates and check-out stations will make
reverse logistics to effectively reduce costs and increase efficiency. Thus, new technology
will help in making strategic use of return information, sharing data with strategic partners,
integrating operational and financial systems, and developing corporate performance
management system.

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References

Govindan, K., Soleimani, H., & Kannan, D. (2015). Reverse logistics and closed-loop supply
chain: A comprehensive review to explore the future. European Journal of
Operational Research, 240(3), 603-626.