Network Design for a Closed-Loop Supply Chain Network with Hybrid Retailers/Collection Centres

Traditional supply chain system is the open-loop supply chain, wherein goods/commodities are shipped from manufacturers/suppliers to distribution centres, then to retailers, and ultimately to end customers. However, sustainable supply chain management has received significant attention among both researchers and practitioners. This results in closing the loop by collecting used products from customers, transporting them to collection centres, and finally to sourcing facilities for recycling/remanufacturing/refurbishment. This research takes inspiration from the return-to-retail model and studies a closed-loop supply chain with hybrid retailers/collection centres, which embraces production planning, facility location, and fleet optimisation problems. This problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model, and then tackled using relax-and-fix and fixe-and-optimise heuristics augmented with novel relaxation and fixing strategies. Computational results along with managerial insights derived from a realistic case study are reported to conclude the talk.

This seminar will take place in person in Room T09-67, Mandeville Building. Alternatively, click HERE to join this meeting online.

Meeting ID: 916 5370 3934