Production planning and control for remanufacturing: literature review and analysis

TLDR

This review examines production planning and control for remanufacturing, aiming to identify gaps, classify the literature, and provide a resource for scholars and practitioners. The authors surveyed and classified 76 papers on remanufacturing PPC. None of the studies address all complicating characteristics, and there is a lack of research on forecasting, aggregate planning, scheduling, ordering, capacity, and inventory control that account for material‑matching restrictions or stochastic routings.

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on production planning and control (PPC) for remanufacturing. The objectives are threefold: to determine whether the gaps identified by Guide (Guide Jr, V.D.R., 2000. Production planning and control for remanufacturing: industry practice and research needs. Journal of Operations Management, 18, 467–483) on the subject with respect to the main complicating characteristics of remanufacturing have been fulfilled; to classify the literature based on an appropriate structure to obtain a better understanding of the subject identifying sources of future research and to provide a useful source for scholars and practitioners. Seventy-six papers were examined and classified. It was found that none of the studies deals simultaneously with all of the complicating characteristics, and that more practical research is needed. In addition it was found that we lack studies regarding forecasting and aggregate planning considering disassembly of returned products, material matching restrictions or stochastic routings, master production scheduling considering material matching restrictions or stochastic routings, ordering system and capacity planning considering material matching restrictions and inventory control and management considering stochastic routings.