• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » End-of-Life Logistics: Expanding the Traditional Supply Chain

End-of-Life Logistics: Expanding the Traditional Supply Chain

April 6, 2017
SupplyChainBrain

With the pace of innovation and consumerism increasing every year, product lifecycles are shortening and the volume of end-of-life products is growing exponentially. Where the retirement of a product was never of much concern for many manufacturers, it is now becoming a hot topic. Many industries (electronics especially) are being governed by stricter policy and regulations to ensure the proper disposal, refurbishment or recycling of components. Other companies are benefiting from the research and information gained by studying product use and failures. Regardless of the motivation, all require reengaging with the product to guide these late lifecycle activities.

These internal and external pressures are also forcing many manufacturers to go back to their design teams to develop products with less material, extended operable lives, easer repair, increased durability, or simplification of material recovery for recycling.

The transportation and handling of these “used” products is a beast unto itself. Most traditional supply chains are not equipped to handle returned product. Unlike direct from supplier shipments, these products are brought back into the supply chain from multiple users, stores or collectors. So instead of the “one-to-many” context on the outbound side, you are dealing with the many-to -one when it comes to reverse. And the exact condition and shipment details are not always clear. 

The variability and uncertainty of inbound end-of-life products has led many shippers to outsource the entire end-of-life process. The 2017 Third-Party Logistics Study (sponsored by Penn State, Penske Logistics and Capgemini Consulting) cited that over 40 percent of shippers would prefer a third party to handle all aspects of end-of-lifecycle collection and processing. 

That said, the challenges of handing and incorporating end-of-life logistics into overall product planning and supply-chain design can pay off greatly. The EPA announced that in 2013 the U.S. recycled 1.27 million tons of consumer electrons; this is estimated to be about 40 percent of those that were at the end of their life. The amount recycled has gone up over 30 percent compared to the previous year. The collection and redisposition of these materials has become an industry of its own.

Beyond the direct material reclamation benefits, many shippers are seeing cost savings in treating the end-of-life logistics as part of their overall supply chain. Shippers can gain valuable insights from the end-of-life product information (where the products landed, how long they lasted, what failures caused disposal, etc.), which can be used in product development and sales planning for future versions. Additionally, supply-chain managers and executives can leverage end-of-life logistics in managing traditional supply-chain contracts and negotiations. Approximately 60 percent of traditional third-party logistics companies also offer end-of-lifecycle support, according to the 2017 Third-Party Logistics Study.

The Outlook

The pressures to appropriately and efficiently handle post-consumer products are only going to gain momentum in the coming years. The speed of technology and fast manufacturing will continue to push products into the marketplace. Companies that can successfully plan for and integrate end-of-lifecycle activities will be best positioned to handle this expansion of what is typically considered the traditional supply chain.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Logistics Global Logistics Reverse Logistics Global Trade Management Product Lifecycle Management Regulation & Compliance Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility High-Tech/Electronics Industrial Manufacturing
KEYWORDS Global Logistics Global Trade Management High-Tech/Electronics Industrial Manufacturing Logistics Product Lifecycle Management Regulation & Compliance Reverse Logistics Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting sustainability
  • Related Articles

    Power of One: Collaborative Planning and Execution across the End-to-End Supply Chain

    Power of One: Collaborative Planning & Execution Across the End-to-End Supply Chain

    Power of One: Collaborative Planning and Execution across the End-to-End Supply Chain

SupplyChainBrain

100 Great Supply Chain Partners Issue 2009

More from this author

Wake up to Coronavirus Updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • Coronavirus-watch-Armada

    Virus Update: Pfizer Plant Cited for Quality Issues; Vaccine Maker Warns of Raw Materials Shortage

    Coronavirus
  • China

    China’s Tech Revolution Aims to Cut Dependence on West

    Technology
  • Walmart

    Walmart Embraces a Local Fulfillment Model for Grocery

    Logistics
  • Shipping Logjam

    U.S. Retailers See Millions in Sales Delays Amid Shipping Logjam

    Coronavirus
  • How Can E-Commerce Retailers Compete?

    Smaller E-Tailers Weigh Pros and Cons of Fulfillment by Amazon

    Logistics

Digital Edition

Scb feb 2021 lg

2021 Supply Chain Management Resource Guide

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • Remote Implementation: A Dose of the Right Medicine for B2B Pharmacy

  • LSP Saves Customer $1.5 Million a Year With MPO Global Inbound Management

  • Auto Supplier Wows Key Client Using riskmethods Supply Chain Savvy

  • Integrating Shipping and Compliance Saves Conglomerate Millions

  • How a Consumer Goods Giant Upped Its On-Time Delivery Performance

Visit Our Sponsors

6 River Systems ArcBest Armada
aThingz BluJay Burris Logistics
DSC Logistics DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) DHL Resilience360
Genpact Geodis GEP
GreyOrange Honeywell Intelligrated Infor
Inmar Kibo Commerce Logility
Magnitude Software MPO Old Dominion
Oliver Wight OpenSky Paccurate
Ports America Purolator QAD Precision
Red Classic Riskmethods Snapfulfil
TGW Systems Tradepoint Atlantic Transportation Insights
Watson Land Company Westfalia Technologies Workjam
Yang Ming    
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2021 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing