Category: Reverse Logistics

What is Supply Chain Management (SCM)? (Video)

Thesis Ideas for Supply Chain Students!

What is Supply Chain Management?

The term was coined over 35 years ago but still to this day there are a large number of different definitions of SCM.

To someone who is starting out their career, or who is new to the field of Supply Chain, it is understandable that there may be confusion as to the definition of SCM.

But the reality is that there are many expert individuals and organizations who define Supply Chain differently. Are they really that different or are there just subtle nuances in what some people consider SCM that others do not?

Watch our video to learn more about how people define Supply Chain Management!

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Supply Chain Management Tips: Preventing Refund Fraud!

What Exactly Is Reverse Logistics?

Managing a supply chain can be strenuous enough without having to worry about the integrity of refund requests. 

Refund fraud is a very real threat to retailers, and it can put a great deal of tension on the customer-to-business relationship. 

Taking a preventative approach can help you make sure you do not fall victim to the scam without having to aggravate or disappoint your honest customers.

Even though a refund here and there might not seem like much of a worry in terms of company finances, the logistical and reputational ramifications can be massive. 

Here are some tips to help you protect and strengthen your supply chain infrastructure:

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The Ocean Plastics Environmental Crisis!

Food Waste and World Hunger – The Food Supply Chain is Broken!

One commercial on TV states that by the year 2050 there will actually be more plastic in the ocean than fish!

By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish!

That’s alarming to say the very least.

We dutifully put any and all recyclable material in our recycling bins every week. While we could certainly do more to reduce the amount of plastic we consume in the first place we have lived with the belief that we were doing our part through recycling.

But everywhere we look on TV and on Social Media we hear about the catastrophic levels of plastic waste floating in our oceans and our waterways, and littering our landscape.

This is a monumental, global environmental crisis caused by a severely broken Supply Chain.

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Customer Returns State … And What to Do Next! (Infographic)

The Downside of Free Returns and Exchanges!

Customer Returns are an inevitability in retail.

People buy things, take them home and for various reasons, they will then decide to return them to the store they purchased them.

While retailers likely hate dealing with returns, they need to have a policy in place that all staff understand in order to ensure it’s a streamlined process.

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A Case Study in Reverse Logistics Optimization!

Reverse Logistics and the Power of Your 3PL!

The application of advanced forecasting and planning methodologies improve inventory management in a critical, high-volume repair and reverse logistics optimization business, dramatically reducing costs and fulfillment cycles while improving customer satisfaction.

When one of the world’s leading manufacturers of personal computers set new goals for its European operations, ModusLink was there to help.

The OEM turned over management of one of the most critical, high-volume segments of its reverse logistics program—the processor business—saving the manufacturer millions of dollars each year; reducing excess inventory; increasing same-day, on-time ship rates; and improving customer satisfaction.

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Our 2018 Top 10 List (Part 2)!

As 2018 comes to a close we offer a list of the Top 10 most viewed articles that we have published over the last half of the year.

When you look at this list you will see that there is a common theme amongst most of the articles.  That theme is one of “Definitions”.

Based upon tremendous viewer interest this year we began our “What Exactly Is … ” article series to describe definitions and commentary on terms which we often see and hear but don’t always truly understand.

For instance, the term “Supply Chain Management” itself has innumerable definitions and our article What Exactly Is Supply Chain Management? 10 Different Definitions! proved to be one of our most popular articles ever.

So here it is, our Top 10 list for the second half of 2018!

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What’s the Difference Between Fulfillment and Replenishment?

From Click to Ship in 4 Minutes! Ultimate Principles for World Class Fulfillment!

People who do not work in Supply Chain may hear the terms Fulfillment and Replenishment and consider that they mean the same thing.

Interestingly many people who do work in Supply Chain consider the terms Fulfillment and Replenishment to be synonymous.

I have worked in many different industries and all around the world but the place where I heard these terms used most frequently was in Retail.

Given that there is some ambiguity in the understanding of these terms it makes sense to provide the distinction.

What is the difference between Fulfillment and Replenishment?

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How Much Money Could You Make by Disposing of Old Equipment as Scrap Metal?

Global Trends in the Metal Commodities Industry

When we think of old equipment, we often view it as old and useless, without considering the hidden value it might hold.

If hardware is no longer functional or is technically obsolete, it can still turn a profit for those savvy enough to exploit it as a resalable resource.

That’s achievable thanks to the vast and potentially lucrative scrap metal market. And the more material that’s tied up in the body and components of your outdated equipment, the more you stand to make.

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Urgent Appliance Repairs? Same-Day Service Can Save the Day!

Top 3 Automated Things in Everyday Life!

Having an appliance break down in the middle of its use can be very frustrating. It can leave you wondering what you’ll do next and how much it will cost to repair or replace it.

When experiencing severe issues with the functionality of an appliance, immediate attention is needed to minimize the effect on your daily routine.

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Why is Supply Chain Such a Great Career Path?

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When I started my career the term “Supply Chain” had just been coined. As such it was many years before I actually heard of the term “Supply Chain Management”.

Regardless I pursued my interests and took on an increasingly diverse set of progressive jobs as time went on. Now as I look back on my career virtually everything I did falls under the banner of Supply Chain management.

Given the phenomenal opportunities that Supply Chain offers for personal and professional growth it is a career path which I highly recommend to anyone.

What is it about Supply Chain that makes it such an appealing career path?

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The Downside of Free Returns and Exchanges!

Reverse Logistics and the Power of Your 3PL!

A new survey from Brightpearl found that 42 percent of U.S. retailers say they have seen an increase in the number of returns and “serial returners” over the last 12 months.

What’s more, 61 percent of the retailers surveyed said they would ban serial returners.

This is an interesting change in an industry that has put so much emphasis on facilitating free returns and exchanges.

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Imagining the Supply Chain of the Future!

Quantum Leap to the Top 10 Supply Chain Skills of the Future!
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Imagine what the future will look like in Supply Chain!

We don’t mean the near future, but the very distant future.  There are articles which describe what the future of Supply Chain will be like in 2025, or even 2030.

But is that enough of a far-reaching vision to offer much more than an incremental view of what we see today based on existing technology?

Any view of the near future is more likely to describe incremental changes and incremental advancements based on the current knowledge base.  But an extremely distant vision of the future is more likely to offer revolutionary ideas as to what future possibilities are.

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Our 2019 Top 10 List!

Here at Supply Chain Game Changer our fundamental mission has been to share experiences and expertise in the areas of Supply Chain, Logistics, Distribution, Procurement, Business, Human Resources and more. We now present our 2019 Top 10 list.

In our 3rd year at Supply Chain Game Changer we have had the tremendous opportunity to share more content created by ourselves and a growing number of Guest contributors.

With new articles provided to us every week our audience is allowing us to share ever more engaging content and their incredible intelligence for the benefit of all. We extend our thanks to all and invite everyone to submit articles for our consideration.

Here at the midpoint of 2019 we would like to share the 2019 Top 10 List of our most viewed articles of 2019!

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Linking the Supply Chain and Reverse Chain!

What Exactly Is Reverse Logistics?
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In the future, you will know the source of every component in the products you use or manufacture, how it was produced, the energy consumed in its production, perhaps even who will own it next through the reverse chain, and how much they will pay you for it.

This is the natural, inevitable outcome of combining circular economy principles with digitization technologies. Economically, environmentally, and socially, the logic of this is undeniable.

Only our unwillingness to change stands in the way.

We are in the midst of a digital transformation in which technology is helping businesses, entire industries and countries to enable, differentiate and fundamentally define their strategies. This is driving a tremendous amount of innovation and economic growth, while also creating unprecedented challenges as resource and energy consumption increase.

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What Exactly Is Reverse Logistics?

Reverse Logistics and the Power of Your 3PL!
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A summer job I had during my University years involved the dismantling of old computer input/output machines and the recovery and salvage of all of the parts.  For me it was good experience and good money.  At the same time the disassembly of most every part of the machines for refurbishment, reuse, and recovery also seemed to be a worthy cause.  It was Reverse Logistics before I knew what that was.

I considered it to be salvage, reclamation and repair activity.  Over the ensuing years I was involved from time to time in other activities that involved quality problems, returns, repair, reclamation or recycling of some kind.

And then at some point all of these activities were included under the banner of “Reverse Logistics”.

What on earth is Reverse Logistics?

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