Analysis of Logistics Case Studies on Collection for Recovery

Introduction

The article “Case Studies on Planning and Control of Recovery Activities” reports that some factors that lead to recovery of items include end-of-life, end-of-use and service returns lead to recovery of items. Besides, recovery of products also emanates during a functional return and commercial returns, where a logistics company transports goods to an area for consumption purposes or transportation of a product to a particular region for sale respectively. During the collection for recovery, logistics firms consider factors such as lot sizes and nature of containers for storing the commodities that a transportation organization intends to use. Besides, the article depicts that legislations and economic factors play a pivotal role in influencing the recovery strategies that logistics companies use. According to the article on “Case Studies on Planning and Control of Recovery Activities,” a majority of authors of various case studies do not explain the manner in which companies will apply strategies the firms have recommended to recover products. However, some of the strategies that scholars recommend in an actual recovery include reassembly, disassembly and remanufacturing.

Analysis

An examination of the various logistics case studies in the article mentioned above shows that transportation companies do not analyze some critical factors such as communication between the organizations undertaking the return activities and environmental conservation. In planning for relocation of items, communication between the stakeholders plays a vital role in ensuring the activity is successful. Notably, through effective communication, a logistics company will manage to eradicate cases of rejection of the items they deliver. In the contemporary society, environmental management is critical hence logistics firms should ensure that their plans for recovery do not adversely affect the surrounding (Li, 2014). Transportation companies in the case studies also fail to focus on costs that they would incur in the course of moving items from one region to the other. A critical analysis of expenses that can result from a given logistical activity helps in insights concerning the feasibility of relocating or transporting a given item. Therefore, apart from evaluating lot sizes, logistics firms should properly examine miscellaneous expenses in recovering a given product.

Strategies Used in Recovery

The “Case Studies on Planning and Control of Recovery Activities” indicates that some of the strategies that companies use during recovery entail remanufacturing and reassembly. Contrary to claims in the article (above) that some of the authors do not provide details concerning the recovery strategies, some methods such as MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) are not standard hence logistics companies can change their methods whenever there is an unprecedented occurrence. Therefore, it is not necessary to outline a particular MRP strategy that a logistic company intends to use. Besides, author of “Case Studies on Planning and Control of Recovery Activities” claims that some authors have combined the recovery strategies with production processes hence making them assume the supply of recoverable. Although combination of recovery and production processes has some setbacks, the strategy is critical in reducing the costs that logistic companies incur during their operations.

Conclusion

To conclude, some of the authors of various articles on collection for recovery have failed to incorporate critical factors such as communication and costs that logistics companies incur while recovering products. Besides, an analysis of recovery strategies that logistics companies use in the actual recovery changes concerning the prevailing circumstances; therefore, it is not necessary that an author outlines a specific MRP2 approach that an enterprise can use.

Reference

Li, X. (2014). Operations management of logistics and supply chain: Issues and directions.       Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2014. Retrieved from             https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ddns/2014/701938/