Designing a multi-product multi-period supply chain network with reverse logistics and multiple objectives under uncertainty

Abstract

Integration of reverse logistics processes into supply chain network design can help to achieve a network that incorporates environmental factors as well as economic factors. In this study, a new integrated approach is proposed to address designing a multi-product, multi-period supply chain network with reverse logistics. The framework of the proposed approach includes green supplier evaluation and a mathematical model in an uncertain environment. To the best of our knowledge, integration of green supplier evaluation into the designing supply chain network with reverse logistics has not been considered in the literature. This integration can help to incorporate experts’ opinions about environmental impact of suppliers in the network design. Minimization of total cost and maximization of total greenness score of purchased raw materials/components are two objectives of the model. The fuzzy EDAS method is used to determine the greenness scores of suppliers. Also, demand of customers and capacity of suppliers are defined using fuzzy numbers and a fuzzy method is used to obtain trade-off solutions. The proposed approach is applied to designing the supply chain network of a home appliance company. The results show that the proposed approach is feasible and efficient to obtain solutions to design the supply chain network.

First published online: 08 May 2017