Reverse and Forward Logistics
Write a paper addressing the questions in sections I and II of the final project. Regarding section I, be sure to assess transferability of forward logistics components in general and at your select organization. Discuss the cost effectiveness and dependability of the components and the potential impact on the performance of supply chains overall as well as within the organization you have selected. Additionally, compare and contrast the identified key performance indicators. For section II, be sure to address customer service, support, and returns within military, manufacturing, and retail settings. This paper should focus on assessing the role of reverse logistics best practices with regard to customer-related processes in general and at your selected organization.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Assess transferability of forward logistics components in general and at your selected organization.
a) Discuss the cost effectiveness and dependability of those forward logistics components that could also be utilized in reverse logistics. In other words, what aspects of a forward logistics model could be used in a reverse logistics model to reduce costs and add value to the supply chain? For example, how might the transportation component of a forward logistics model (e.g., the truck that delivers product to a customer) also be used in a reverse logistics model?
b) Describe the potential impact of this type of resource sharing on the overall performance of supply chains. In other words, how might sharing such resources contribute to overall cost reduction and optimization of supply chains in general?
c) Describe the potential impact of this type of resource sharing on the performance of the supply chain within your selected organization. How might implementation of such practices provide the opportunity for cost savings and improvement in supply chain management for the organization you have selected?
d) Compare and contrast the use of the specific key performance indicators of value recovery, velocity, and visibility between forward and reverse logistics models.
II. Assess the role of reverse logistics best practices with regard to customer-related processes in general and at your selected organization.
a) Compare and contrast customer service, support, and returns within military, manufacturing, and retail settings. In other words, how are customer interaction opportunities within each of these environments similar, and how are they different?
b) Assess the extent to which reverse logistics best practices could affect customer service, support, and returns in general within military, manufacturing, and retail settings. What impact might implementing a reverse logistics model have on customer interaction opportunities within each of these environments?
c) Assess the extent to which reverse logistics best practices could affect customer service, support, and returns within your selected organization. What impact might implementing reverse logistics best practices have on customer interaction opportunities within this organization?
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a four- to six-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format.
Solution Preview
Reverse and Forward Logistics at Zappos
Logistics refer to the process of managing resources of a business through their flow from their source to their target destination, the customer. The resources managed varies from one company to another, depending on the items that each of them deals with (Das, 2012). Another thing that is also included in the definition of logistics includes management of intangible concepts like time. The main aim of logistics is maximizing the efficiency of the supply chain process and minimizing its cost. There are two types of logistics; forward and reverse logistics. Forward logistics is concerned with the regulation and control of the flow of products from the company to the market or the consumers.
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