Abstract
As organizations seek to deliver better value in an intensely competitive environment, they are seeking and discovering hitherto unknown value-creating areas in the supply chain. The reverse supply chain is one such area that has gained focus and attention because of its untapped potential. Firms have increasingly begun to view their ability to take back material through the supply chain as an important capability. Organizations have also realized that the needs of every reverse supply chain are different. One key driver common across businesses is the information capability of the reverse supply chain. Its benefits range from having real-time information to recall defective products to making pro-active liquidation a profitable strategy.

In this context, this paper seeks to address the following issues: How do organizations move from mere data awareness to information enablement to information intelligence in the reverse supply chain? Is there a generic roadmap for all industries or should the approach be sector specific? What are the effects of alternative information models on customer satisfaction, partner relationships and environment? This paper also seeks to bind the diverse needs of different reverse supply chains through a common information model, combining inputs from research and insights from experience of different sectors. It addresses the adaptability of this model to specific industry sectors and goes on describe the potential benefits

Authors Vineet Pathania Hrishikesh Mhatre

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