A Bibliometric Review of Two Decades’ Research on Closed-Loop Supply Chain: 2001-2020

The closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) is generally regarded as an environmentally friendly approach that can help in reducing environmental impacts and achieving sustainable development of society and economics. In recent years, the popularity research of CLSC has been widely concerned by both business and academia practitioners. It is observed that most of the literatures have focused only on a particular journal or field; there is a distinct lack of comprehensive bibliometric review of two decades’ research on CLSC. This study contributes in fulfilling this gap. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted based on 1,155 articles in Web of Science Core Collection Database from 2001 to 2020. In order to track research frontiers and hotspots, visualization software VOSviewer and CiteSpace are used for analysis. Initially, a descriptive analysis was carried out to identify the trends of number of publications, the leading journals, top authors and regions. A thematic cluster analysis was then carried out to identify the research domains. Subsequently, based on the analyses of co-keywords, dominant categories and co-citation, hot issues and research trends are summarized. “game theory”, and “remanufacturing” are emerging research trends for CLSC. “Dual channel”, “quality” and “circular economy” had become hot topics. This review also finds the landmark nodes and pivot nodes in the research of CLSC. Finally, some research gaps are revealed to shed light on future directions.

[1]  L. V. Wassenhove,et al.  Sustainable Operations Management , 2005 .

[2]  Luk N. Van Wassenhove,et al.  Closed - Loop Supply Chain Models with Product Remanufacturing , 2004, Manag. Sci..

[3]  Fei Hu,et al.  Logistics network design and optimization of closed-loop supply chain based on mixed integer nonlinear programming model , 2009, 2009 ISECS International Colloquium on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management.

[4]  Johan Östlin,et al.  Importance of closed-loop supply chain relationships for product remanufacturing , 2008 .

[5]  Naiming Xie,et al.  Optimal pricing for a multi-echelon closed loop supply chain with different power structures and product dual differences , 2020, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[6]  Marjolein C. J. Caniëls,et al.  Learning from Returned Products in a Closed Loop Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review , 2020, Logistics.

[7]  A. Nagurney,et al.  A supply chain network equilibrium model , 2002 .

[8]  P. Guarnieri,et al.  Reverse logistics for the end-of-life and end-of-use products in the pharmaceutical industry: a systematic literature review , 2017 .

[9]  Bibhas C. Giri,et al.  Pricing and return product collection decisions in a closed-loop supply chain with dual-channel in both forward and reverse logistics , 2017 .

[10]  Ed C. M. Noyons,et al.  A unified approach to mapping and clustering of bibliometric networks , 2010, J. Informetrics.

[11]  Jayashankar M. Swaminathan,et al.  Managing new and differentiated remanufactured products , 2010, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[12]  Johan Östlin,et al.  Product life-cycle implications for remanufacturing strategies , 2009 .

[13]  V D R Guide,et al.  A closed-loop logistics model for remanufacturing , 1999, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[14]  F. J. Abad,et al.  Achieving a sustainable shipbuilding supply chain under I4.0 perspective , 2020 .

[15]  Yongjian Li,et al.  Channel leadership, performance and coordination in closed loop supply chains , 2013 .

[16]  O. Mont,et al.  A new business model for baby prams based on easing and product remanufacturing , 2006 .

[17]  James F. C. Windmill,et al.  Design for remanufacture: a literature review and future research needs , 2011 .

[18]  Yanting Huang,et al.  Pricing and production decisions in a closed-loop supply chain considering strategic consumers and technology licensing , 2018, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[19]  Samir K. Srivastava,et al.  Green Supply-Chain Management: A State-of-the-Art Literature Review , 2007 .

[20]  James F. C. Windmill,et al.  Integrating design for remanufacture into the design process: the operational factors , 2013 .

[21]  Luk N. Van Wassenhove,et al.  Product Reuse Economics in Closed‐Loop Supply Chain Research , 2008 .

[22]  Reza Zanjirani Farahani,et al.  Benders’ decomposition for concurrent redesign of forward and closed-loop supply chain network with demand and return uncertainties , 2015 .

[23]  Pezhman Ghadimi,et al.  Sustainable supply chain modeling and analysis: Past debate, present problems and future challenges , 2019, Resources, Conservation and Recycling.

[24]  Pietro De Giovanni,et al.  Coordination in a distribution channel with decisions on the nature of incentives and share-dependency on pricing , 2016, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[25]  K. Govindan,et al.  A review of reverse logistics and closed loop supply chain management studies published in IJPR: a bibliometric and content analysis , 2018, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[26]  Henry Xu,et al.  Channel structure and pricing in a dual-channel closed-loop supply chain with government subsidy , 2019, International Journal of Production Economics.

[27]  Qi Wang,et al.  Large-scale analysis of the accuracy of the journal classification systems of Web of Science and Scopus , 2015, J. Informetrics.

[28]  J. Quariguasi Frota Neto,et al.  From closed-loop to sustainable supply chains: the WEEE case , 2007 .

[29]  Mir Saman Pishvaee,et al.  A robust optimization approach to closed-loop supply chain network design under uncertainty , 2011 .

[30]  Elisabetta Allevi,et al.  Evaluating the effects of environmental regulations on a closed-loop supply chain network: a variational inequality approach , 2018, Ann. Oper. Res..

[31]  Q. Qiang,et al.  Optimal Pricing Strategy and Government Consumption Subsidy Policy in Closed-Loop Supply Chain with Third-Party Remanufacturer , 2020, Sustainability.

[32]  Diane A. Mollenkopf,et al.  Natural resource scarcity and the closed‐loop supply chain: a resource‐advantage view , 2013 .

[33]  Sergio Rubio,et al.  Characteristics of the research on reverse logistics (1995–2005) , 2008 .

[34]  V. Daniel R. Guide,et al.  OR FORUM - The Evolution of Closed-Loop Supply Chain Research , 2009, Oper. Res..

[35]  Patrick Beullens,et al.  Closed-loop supply chain network equilibrium under legislation , 2007, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[36]  Mir Saman Pishvaee,et al.  A possibilistic programming approach for closed-loop supply chain network design under uncertainty , 2010, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[37]  Jo van Nunen,et al.  Special Section: Closed-Loop Supply Chains: Practice and Potential: Integrating Closed-Loop Supply Chains and Spare-Parts Management at IBM , 2002, Interfaces.

[38]  Rajiv Ranjan Srivastava,et al.  Assessment of legislation and practices for the sustainable management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in India , 2017 .

[39]  J. K. Jha,et al.  Optimal production-inventory policy for closed-loop supply chain with remanufacturing under random demand and return , 2020, Oper. Res..

[40]  Ehsan Shekarian,et al.  A review of factors affecting closed-loop supply chain models , 2020, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[41]  Dooho Lee.  Who Drives Green Innovation? A Game Theoretical Analysis of a Closed-Loop Supply Chain under Different Power Structures , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[42]  Ying Wu,et al.  A Sustainability Analysis on Retailer’s Sales Effort in A Closed-Loop Supply Chain , 2018, Sustainability.

[43]  Cheng-Kang Chen,et al.  Analyses of the reward-penalty mechanism in green closed-loop supply chains with product remanufacturing , 2019, International Journal of Production Economics.

[44]  D. Huisingh,et al.  Remanufacturing for the automotive aftermarket-strategic factors: literature review and future research needs , 2009 .

[45]  Gong,et al.  Decision-Making and Performance Analysis of Closed-Loop Supply Chain under Different Recycling Modes and Channel Power Structures , 2019, Sustainability.

[46]  Abu Bakar Mahat,et al.  Integrated forward and reverse supply chain: A tire case study. , 2017, Waste management.

[47]  Aijun Liu,et al.  A Sustainable Closed-Loop Supply Chain Decision Mechanism in the Electronic Sector , 2018 .

[48]  Kannan Govindan,et al.  Quantity and collection decisions in a closed-loop supply chain with technology licensing , 2017, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[49]  Saman Hassanzadeh Amin,et al.  A multi-objective facility location model for closed-loop supply chain network under uncertain demand and return , 2013 .

[50]  Surendra M. Gupta,et al.  Disassembly sequence plan generation using a branch-and-bound algorithm , 2001 .

[51]  Fu Jia,et al.  Coordinating a closed-loop supply chain with fairness concerns through variable-weighted Shapley values , 2019, Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review.

[52]  Paul A. Goodall,et al.  A review of the state of the art in tools and techniques used to evaluate remanufacturing feasibility , 2014 .

[53]  Ludo Waltman,et al.  Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping , 2009, Scientometrics.

[54]  Arnold Reisman,et al.  The Devolution of OR/MS: Implications from a Statistical Content Analysis of Papers in Flagship Journals , 1994, Oper. Res..

[55]  Zehua Xiang,et al.  Dynamic game strategies of a two-stage remanufacturing closed-loop supply chain considering Big Data marketing, technological innovation and overconfidence , 2020, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[56]  Chaomei Chen,et al.  CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature , 2006, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[57]  B. Goldstein,et al.  The expression of the C. elegans labial-like Hox gene ceh-13 during early embryogenesis relies on cell fate and on anteroposterior cell polarity. , 1997, Development.

[58]  Mehmet Ali Ilgin,et al.  Environmentally conscious manufacturing and product recovery (ECMPRO): A review of the state of the art. , 2010, Journal of environmental management.

[59]  Nengmin Wang,et al.  Hybrid closed-loop supply chains with competition in recycling and product markets , 2019, International Journal of Production Economics.

[60]  Tasbirul Islam,et al.  Reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chain of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)/E-waste: A comprehensive literature review , 2018, Resources, Conservation and Recycling.

[61]  S. T. A. Niaki,et al.  Modeling and solving a sustainable closed loop supply chain problem with pricing decisions and discounts on returned products , 2019, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[62]  G. Zaccour,et al.  Optimal quality improvements and pricing strategies with active and passive product returns , 2019, Omega.

[63]  Erik Rolland,et al.  The design of reverse distribution networks: Models and solution procedures , 2003, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[64]  K. Govindan,et al.  Reverse and closed loop supply chain coordination by considering government role , 2017 .

[65]  Kin Keung Lai,et al.  Supply Planning for a Closed Loop Supply Chain with Uncertain Demand and Price-Dependent Stochastic Return , 2009, 2009 International Conference on Business Intelligence and Financial Engineering.

[66]  Lang Xu,et al.  Sustainable manufacturing in a closed-loop supply chain considering emission reduction and remanufacturing , 2017 .

[67]  Marc Salomon,et al.  Strategic Issues in Product Recovery Management , 1995 .

[68]  Govindan Kannan,et al.  A genetic algorithm approach for solving a closed loop supply chain model: A case of battery recycling , 2010 .

[69]  Kannan Govindan,et al.  A review of reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains: a Journal of Cleaner Production focus , 2017 .

[70]  Patroklos Georgiadis,et al.  A system dynamics model for dynamic capacity planning of remanufacturing in closed-loop supply chains , 2007, Comput. Oper. Res..

[71]  Nachiappan Subramanian,et al.  Viability of remanufacturing practice: a strategic decision making framework for Chinese auto-parts companies , 2015 .

[72]  Loo Hay Lee,et al.  Analysis for strategy of closed-loop supply chain with dual recycling channel , 2013 .

[73]  Ming Xu,et al.  Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling for a sustainable resource supply in the electronics industry in China , 2016 .

[74]  L. N. Van Wassenhove,et al.  Concurrent product and closed-loop supply chain design with an application to refrigerators , 2003 .

[75]  Kevin W. Li,et al.  Cooperative game approaches to coordinating a three-echelon closed-loop supply chain with fairness concerns , 2019, International Journal of Production Economics.

[76]  L. V. Wassenhove,et al.  MANAGING PRODUCT RETURNS FOR REMANUFACTURING , 2001 .

[77]  Deqing Ma,et al.  Research on Collaborative Management Strategies of Closed-Loop Supply Chain under the Influence of Big-Data Marketing and Reference Price Effect , 2020 .

[78]  Marc Reimann,et al.  Integrated decision-making in reverse logistics: an optimisation of interacting acquisition, grading and disposition processes , 2020, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[79]  J. Winch,et al.  Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation , 2003 .

[80]  Kelei Xue,et al.  DfRem-Driven Closed-Loop Supply Chain Decision-Making: A Systematic Framework for Modeling Research , 2019, Sustainability.

[81]  Guoqing Zhang,et al.  Optimal production planning for a multi-product closed loop system with uncertain demand and return , 2011, Comput. Oper. Res..

[82]  Kannan Govindan,et al.  Reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chain: A comprehensive review to explore the future , 2015, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[83]  Jin Qin,et al.  A Coordinated Revenue-Sharing Model for a Sustainable Closed-Loop Supply Chain , 2018, Sustainability.

[84]  Mohammad Sadegh Moshtagh,et al.  Optimal decisions of price, quality, effort level and return policy in a three-level closed-loop supply chain based on different game theory approaches , 2017 .

[85]  Mark S. Daskin,et al.  A Facility Location Model for Bidirectional Flows , 2007, Transp. Sci..

[86]  Augusto Q. Novais,et al.  An optimization model for the design of a capacitated multi-product reverse logistics network with uncertainty , 2007, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[87]  Omkar D. Palsule-Desai,et al.  Sustainable supply chain management: Review and research opportunities , 2011 .

[88]  Angappa Gunasekaran,et al.  Big Data and supply chain management: a review and bibliometric analysis , 2018, Ann. Oper. Res..

[89]  Luk N. Van Wassenhove,et al.  Reverse Channel Design: The Case of Competing Retailers , 2006, Manag. Sci..

[90]  Jacqueline M. Bloemhof-Ruwaard,et al.  THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT RECOVERY ON LOGISTICS NETWORK DESIGN , 2001 .

[91]  V. Daniel R. Guide,et al.  Building contingency planning for closed-loop supply chains with product recovery , 2003 .

[92]  Harold Krikke,et al.  Revealing an invisible giant: A comprehensive survey into return practices within original (closed-loop) supply chains , 2013 .

[93]  Jayashankar M. Swaminathan,et al.  Managing New and Remanufactured Products , 2006, Manag. Sci..

[94]  Chang Fang,et al.  Personality information sharing in supply chain systems for innovative products in the circular economy era , 2020, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[95]  Carlos A. Méndez,et al.  Multi-period design and planning of closed-loop supply chains with uncertain supply and demand , 2014, Comput. Chem. Eng..

[96]  Gilvan C. Souza.  Closed-Loop Supply Chains: A Critical Review, and Future Research , 2013, Decis. Sci..

[97]  Trisha D. Anderson,et al.  The closed-loop supply chain network with competition, distribution channel investment, and uncertainties , 2013 .

[98]  Haifa Jammeli,et al.  The intellectual structure of the waste management field , 2020, Ann. Oper. Res..

[99]  Anna Nagurney,et al.  A supply chain network equilibrium model with random demands , 2004, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[100]  W.-C. Chen,et al.  Forward and backward stocking policies for a two-level supply chain with consignment stock agreement and stock-dependent demand , 2017, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[101]  Elif Akçali,et al.  Quantitative models for inventory and production planning in closed-loop supply chains , 2011 .

[102]  Saman Hassanzadeh Amin,et al.  Effects of uncertainty on a tire closed-loop supply chain network , 2017, Expert Syst. Appl..

[103]  P. Giovanni,et al.  Channel coordination with a manufacturer controlling the price and the effect of competition , 2019, Journal of Business Research.

[104]  L. Wein,et al.  Inventory Management of Remanufacturable Products , 2000 .

[105]  Bin Jiang,et al.  Competitive collection under channel inconvenience in closed-loop supply chain , 2019, Eur. J. Oper. Res..