Determining reverse production systems infrastructure for electronic assemblies

We characterize key features of reverse production systems (RPS) for electronics assemblies, including the complexity in design, manufacture, and materials content of products and the product cycle frequency. Based on these fundamental properties, we propose a mathematical programming approach to facilitate strategic RPS infrastructure determination. To illustrate its use, a case study for an international electronic assembly system RPS infrastructure design is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the approach and an overview of its use in the implementation of a Web based decision tool