Overcoming barriers for functional reverse logistics in e-commerce A systematic literature review

Abstract

Traditionally, the flow of goods has been allocated forwardly in the supply chain, where used products consequently have been discarded and destroyed by the end consumer. In light of globalization, and environmental and economic concerns, the circular economy and its principles have gained considerable attention from supply chain stakeholders. A vital element of the circular economy is reverse logistics. In ecommerce, the reverse logistics process enables the management of returns in the form of products and materials from the end customer travelling backwards in the supply chain, often to the source. However, the topic of reverse logistics in ecommerce is fairly new. This study aims to summarize the current scientific knowledge on e-commerce reverse logistics from the perspective of identifying present barriers, and possible solutions for overcoming the identified barriers by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR). SLR is a comprehensive and precise methodology which synthesizes a large body of knowledge, in a specific scientific area, in a factual and unbiased way that ensures reproducibility and reliability. From the SLR, we found five major barrier categories and six major solution categories, both with belonging sub-categories. The findings show that the significant barriers are lack of knowledge and awareness from top management, limited forecasting, lack of infrastructure, and lack of supply chain coordination. Furthermore, solutions for overcoming these barriers include commitment, awareness, and support from top management, efficient technological infrastructure, and sufficient information exchange in the supply chain. The study is limited to scientific knowledge on reverse logistics in B2C e-commerce.