Outline

REVERSE LOGISTICS 4

COLL300 Research, Analysis, and Writing

Thesis Statement: Reverse logistics decreases wastage of goods and materials, thus increasing the products' monetary and consumption value through a process where goods are channeled back to the organization that sold or manufactured them.

1. What research question(s) led me to this thesis statement?

What is the value of reverse logistics in a distributing company? What is the value of reverse logistics in a manufacturing organization? Does reverse logistics add the consumption value of a product? Is there a connection between reverse logistics and customer satisfaction?

2. What is my purpose in writing this paper?

The purpose of writing this paper is to communicate more about the value of reverse logistics. Many scholars have written about the topic of research (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018). I am interested in knowing more than what I have already learned. There are three areas that I am interested in, and I am certain that the research will help me to know what I want to know. The first area of my interest is the impact of reverse logistics on customers (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018). Customers are the end-users of a product, which means that they must be involved in reverse logistics (Guo, Shen, Choi, & Jung, 2017). The purpose of the study is to know if the buyers are satisfied with reverse logistics or not.

The second area of concern is distribution. In this case, I am interested in knowing what distributors feel about reverse logistics. The distributor is relevant to the study because he or she takes a pivotal role in reverse logistics. It is important to note that reverse logistics is creating the manufacturer, which means that the distributor has no authority over the decision (Guo et al., 2017). Therefore, it will be essential to know if distributors like or hate the utilization and implementation of reverse logistics.

The third area of concern will be the manufacturers. Manufacturing organizations are responsible for making decisions that affect reverse (Agrawal& Singh, 2019). The purpose of focusing on manufacturers is to answer one of the research questions. Knowing the value that reverse logistics has on the manufacturing organization will help to understand why organizations employ the strategy (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018). In summary, the purpose of writing this paper is to inform based on data that will be collected and analyzed.

3. What do I already know about my topic?  What are my feelings toward this topic?

As far as the topic of research is concerned, there are different things that I know. First, I see the connection between reverse logistics and customer satisfaction. When an organization practices reverse logistics, it sends a positive message to customers (Agrawal & Singh, 2019). As a result, customers feel appreciated, and that is where their levels of satisfaction increase. Second, I am aware of the essentiality of reverse logistics in the conservation of the environment. One of the reasons some of the organizations practice reverse logistics is to dispose of the materials properly. In this case, it is important to note that some of the materials used to manufacture some goods cannot be disposed of using standard disposal methods (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018). I feel that reverse logistics is a practice or strategy that most organizations should adopt.

4. What do my readers already know? What are my readers’ feelings toward the topic?

Readers are aware of reverse logistics and its application in the field of business. Some of the readers have experienced reverse logistics. Reverse logistics has proven to have positive impacts on customers (Agrawal & Singh, 2019). Given that most readers are buyers and consumers of various goods, they already know the benefits of reverse logistics. Based on the services that some readers know about, the readers feel that this should be a practice embraced by all organizations (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018).

5. What do my readers need to know to understand my point?

Readers need to know that reverse logistics does not only affect buyers but organizations and manufacturers. When they understand me from this point of view, they will get my point. As much as reverse logistics may positively impact consumers, it is essential to note that it might have adverse impacts on the supplier of the products and the manufacturer (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018). Readers need to see the whole issue from the perspective of costs. The return costs are passed on to the supplier, which means that the entire process can be costly.

6. What information do I need to research and add to my paper?

The research will add a lot of information to my paper. First, it will increase knowledge on the effects of reverse logistics on businesses. Most of the information that has been shared about the topic is associated with the benefits of reverse logistics on customers (Govindan & Bouzon, 2018). It will be fair to look at the issue from different points of view.

References

Agrawal, S., & Singh, R. K. (2019). Analyzing disposition decisions for sustainable reverse logistics: Triple Bottom Line approach. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 150, 104448.

Govindan, K., & Bouzon, M. (2018). From a literature review to a multi-perspective framework for reverse logistics barriers and drivers. Journal of cleaner production, 187, 318-337.

Guo, S., Shen, B., Choi, T. M., & Jung, S. (2017). A review on supply chain contracts in reverse logistics: Supply chain structures and channel leaderships. Journal of Cleaner Production, 144, 387-402.