A HEURISTIC APPROACH FOR A REVERSE LOGISTICS SYSTEM WITH MULTI-ITEMS AND PRODUCTS

摘要

Topics on reverse logistics have been discussed over the years. Most of them are dealt with by assuming that all recycled items are transferred to the next intermediate stages. This assumption implies that there will be no recycled items in stock in the intermediate recycling stages. In fact, stock may exists in intermediate recycling stages. Thus, the assumption of no stock in intermediate stages is not always true. By relaxing the assumption, this paper discusses a reverse logistics system with multiple items of which each consists of some components among a variety of spare parts. The purpose is to maximize the total profit by establishing a reverse logistics framework and the distribution flows over the logistics system over a finite planning periods. The mathematic model established in this research is a non-linear integer planning model. This research develops an efficient heuristic algorithm to find comprised solutions. Computational results show that the algorithm developed in this study is more efficient than the well known CPLEX software.