Enterprises are employing reverse supply chain (RSC) practices in their business to protect them from the environmental regulations made by the different countries. By practicing RSCM process the companies can get additional profits and it also improves the corporate image of the company. As a result of the rapid progress in technology, the product life cycles are shrinking faster than ever. RSC gives the opportunity to extend the use of products, conserve resources, prevent waste, and create secondary markets and jobs in re manufacturing and recycling.
Companies are using different techniques to make the reverse supply chain process more efficient and one of the technique used is Artificial Intelligence (AI). To optimize the performance of the RSC, there is a need to establish an effective and efficient infrastructure via optimal network design. Generally RSC network design consists of final users, collectors, and re manufacturers and the network is designed by the businesses to manage the reverse supply chain process. To design a RSC network many AI approaches have been utilized as methodologies. GA is the most popular one. AI also helps the companies to determine the best EoU and EoL products and the options for these products are direct reuse, repair, re manufacturing, recycling, and disposal. Generally most of the activities in the RSCM are outsourced by the companies to the third parties, the AI helps in the evaluation and selection of logistic suppliers.
Artificial Intelligence is a useful tool to solve these problems and assist the companies in decision making in a Reverse Supply Chain network which is complicated.