Cinderella in Reverse

Reverse logistics, very much the Cinderella in the past, is moving centre stage.  Legislation such as EU directives on end of life for vehicles and WEEE for electrical items are putting organisations under pressure to handle items coming back up the supply chain.

Whether insourced or outsourced, someone needs to get to grips with products that are no longer in easily handleable and uniform cases.  Traceability and auditing are also issues as companies comply with legislative requirements on waste as well.

Indeed handling and reducing waste is an increasing issue.  One of the main problems is materials handling; supply chains have become highly efficient at handling standard units, yet with returns more difficult to handle and less predictable new procedures are needed.  For example, delivery vehicles may have to be designed for returns and IT systems will need to cover new ground.