Efficiency improvement of reverse logistics in Industry 4.0 environment

摘要

Nowadays, the increase in consumption and the shortening of the life cycle of products significantly increase the amount of waste generated, causing serious environmental problems. As a result, waste management has become one of the most important tasks of the 21st century, which puts a huge burden on the economy. Waste management means the practical implementation of the protection of the environment from the harmful effects of waste on the entire life cycle of the waste. This is a process that involves the prevention, reduction, separate collection and utilization of waste generated, the temporary storage and disposal of non-recoverable waste without pollution. It follows from the above that logistics functions and services are playing an increasingly important role in waste management, which has contributed to the development of reverse logistics. The task of reverse logistics is, among other things, to collect, store and dispose of waste generated inside the company. In this thesis, we have set out to develop a concept for the optimal design and operation of a reverse logistics system for a production company. Nowadays, in order to meet the dynamically changing customer needs, the development of Industry 4.0 capabilities of manufacturing companies is essential to increase their efficiency and expand their capacity. To achieve this goal, digitization and vertical and horizontal integration need to be strengthened. In this study, we will demonstrate, through the example of a sample factory with Industry 4.0 technology, how to use the simulation to determine the optimal design of a reverse logistics system.