2006 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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Limerick Institute of Technology
Angela Keogh
The role of reverse logistics in delivering competitive advantage for Irish retail businesses

Typical product return warehouse

The area of reverse logistics has become extremely important and relevant to all companies spanning over numerous industry sectors. Reverse logistics focuses on the planning and controlling of product returns in order to gain an advantage through the recapture of value or through proper disposal of the returned product. Since the introduction of the EU Directive on the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Ireland, companies have realised the need to have some kind of reverse logistics program in place.

Reverse logistics plays a vital role for every business and this will be illustrated within the research but with an emphasis on competitive advantage and particular focus on its value within Irish retails businesses. This research has three main aims:

� To identify reverse logistics practices commonly used in Irish business and assess how such practices can be improved upon.
� To assess how businesses can gain competitive advantage from the effective use of reverse logistics procedures.
� To develop a model to assist Irish business in implementing and managing effective reverse logistics strategies.
This research intends to use the above aims to illustrate that Irish retail businesses can gain competitive advantage through the use of effective reverse logistics procedures. A model will be developed through the use of secondary research and interviews with reverse logistics experts. This model proposes to establish that businesses can gain competitive advantage through their reverse logistics programs by using the set of steps identified in the model.

Contact: Dawn Coleman,
Adult & Continuing Education,
Limerick Institute of Technology,
Moylish Park, Limerick.
Tel: +353 61 208802 Fax: +353 61 208209
E-mail: [email protected]