Production planning and control for remanufacturing: industry practice and research needs

Remanufacturing represents a higher form of reuse by focusing on value-added recovery, rather than materials recovery (i.e., recycling). Remanufacturing systems are widespread in the United States and are profitable. However, the management of production planning and control activities can differ greatly from management activities in traditional manufacturing. We report on managerial remanufacturing practices via a survey of production planning and control activities at remanufacturing firms in the United States. Production planning and control activities are more complex for remanufacturing firms due to uncertainties from stochastic product returns, imbalances in return and demand rates, and the unknown condition of returned products. We identify and discuss seven complicating characteristics that require significant changes in production planning and control activities. We also describe the research opportunities that exist for each of the complicating characteristics.