مقاله سال ۲۰۱۶

 مجله امگا – Omega

Closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs) focus on taking back products from customers and recovering added value by reusing the entire product and/or certain of its modules, components, and parts. Over the past 20 years, CLSCs have gained considerable attention in industry and academia [1, 2]. To achieve high supply chain efficiency, some channel members in CLSCs may choose to cooperate with other channel members to form an alliance; such cooperation can bring great benefits or competitive advantages [3]. This paper focuses on developing a detailed comprehension of the implications that interactions among the different parties in a CLSC have for optimal decisions and supply chain profits and on how cooperative strategies affect the CLSC decision.

In current practice, we find various coalition structures in CLSCs. In some cases, manufacturers establish strategic alliances with recyclers or invest in their own collection channel for collecting used products. For instance, the “big three” auto manufacturers (i.e., GM, Ford, Chrysler) have made large investments in remanufacturing programs and have established a long-term cooperative partnership with recyclers in the United States [4]. Nike has created a strategic alliance with an eco-non-profit organization, the “National Recycling Coalition”, to collect used tennis shoes [5]. Some companies, such as IBM [6] and Dell [7], have designed their own reverse supply chain and formed a department or subsidiary to take part in collecting used products [8], a similar approach to a coalition consisting of a manufacturer and a recycler forming to produce products and recycle used products.

In real life, many manufacturers cooperate with retailers not only in the selling market but also in the collecting market. For example, Haier and Changhong not only set up their own subsidiaries that primarily engage in collecting and handling used products but also established a coalition with large retailers (e.g., Suning, Gome) in China [9, 10]. Xerox and Eastman Kodak Company also established cooperative relationships with retailers, in which the coalition not only produces and sells products but also participates in collecting and handling used products [11, 12]. These alliances function as coalitions including manufacturer, retailer and recycler, all taking part in the operations of a CLSC.