Today, businesses are increasingly looking for better ways to streamline their supply chain through investing in technology and developing better operational processes and outsourcing logistics. The issue of return management increased chaos in the supply chain due to pushing back of products upstream, unpredictable of high volume, timelessness, and challenge of forecasting. In a supply chain, moving backward is challenging and complex because the products are moving against the normal flow. The invention of technology in reverse logistics has provided a solution to many challenges faced in supply and chain, making it easy for companies to forecast changes in demand-and-supply and enhance product recycling through managing the back-end process ( Morgan et al., 2016) . Companies have realized reverse logistics is inevitable in the supply chain and are predicting on generating revenue through recycling and reusing products. Various technological processes have been developed to aid in reverse logistics and ensure the smooth and timely running of the logistics operation. However, several waste management companies, especially those dealing with e-commerce, still handle reverse logistics manually. Stericycle Inc is waste management, which deals with the disposal of pharmaceutical products.
Stericycle Inc manages logistics and offers a solution at several corporate levels, including distributors, manufacturers, retailers, and other parts of the supply chain. Stericycle Company provides return management expertise and solutions to pharmaceutical companies ( Stericycle, 2020) . The solutions reduce the risk of expired and unsalable products that require to be reintroduced into the supply chain either by reuse, recycled, or remanufacture red. The company ensures the return process is conducted in an accurate and timely manner following the return policy and steps placed by corporates. Stericycle Inc ensures seamless and faster returns that do not disrupt supply chain management and crediting processes. The company ensures the return is fully-automated, and services are well monitored to simplify the process of returning waste. When returning pharmaceutical products, most corporates prefer manual tracking and returns of the products ( Stericycle, 2020) . Most pharmaceutical corporates argue that manual tracking offers delivery accuracy of data and enhances integrity as opposed to technology, which is prone to mechanical failure ( Narayana et al., 2014) . The companies argue that technology interferes with the reimbursement process making it challenging to return products of any size and scope.
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Advancement in technology has improved the process of tracking and entering data in reverse logistics. Various technologies have been implemented to ensure accurate and timely tracking of return goods. Technology, like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), oversees far-reaching payoffs for reverse logistics by connecting the entire supply chain from warehousing operations, freight transportation, and last-mile delivery ( O'Reilly, 2005) . Since the pharmaceutical product is delicate and requires proper handling, technology like IoT permits monitoring of their status and people in real-time until the final step of the return delivery to ensure real-time data is obtained. The use of technology in reverse technology is safe and can be easily shared among various groups involved in the supply chain instantly ( Lee & Lam, 2012) . In case of data loss, it is easy to retrieve the information from the laptop or mobile technology. Also, technology like RFID comes in various forms that apply sturdy material that cannot get damaged. Paper and pen use is not a safe tracking method since the paper might get lost or damaged.
The use of technology in logistics helps in synchronizing movements of materials, especially in the manufacturing stage. Technology makes it easy and swift for manufacturers to pay attention to receipts, reconciliation, and pending issues with quality. Technology improves the process of reconciliation and disposition, which is crucial in logistics. V ariance resolution, accurate credits, and satisfaction of all parties involved are made possible through the use of technology ( Morgan et al., 2016). When using a pen and paper, there is a high possibility of forgetting to cross the items already returned due to the rush of serving many customers. These errors are challenging to identify when writing a financial statement since the item remains an unsold inventory. When using technology, such errors are rare since the document is sent to various parties for cross-checking. One crucial pillar of reverse logistics is the visibility and ease of predicting information. Through the use of technology, companies dealing with pharmaceutical companies easily analyze and forecast inventory usage patterns ( Narayana et al., 2014) . Through the use of web-based portals, carrier integration, and Barcoded identifiers, companies can capture information early enough and prepare the process of handling returns ( Lee & Lam, 2012) . The use of technology in reverse logistics like RFID, time is taken in reverse proves like tracking and scanning is reduced significantly.
Stericycle Inc needs to adopt Radio Frequency Identification technology to track their return process. RFID technology is used in logistics to track assets and store information for easy storage and access ( Stough, 2017) . The technology reads logics data through radio frequencies where every tag contains specific information about a product. FRID technology allows reading and scanning hundreds of tags per second, making it suitable for waste management companies to conduct reverse logistics. RFID is continuously gaining fame in reverse logistics. The technology is making it possible to identify objects without visual contact between the reader and the objects. As technology advances, RFID in logistics is improving, evidenced by reduced cost and increased scanning and storage of data.
In summary, reverse logistics is becoming ana essential part of the supply chain that requires effective management. Reverse logistics is a complex process filled with uncertainty, hence the need to ensure the process is well handled to satisfy the organization and customers. Companies like Stericycle Inc have been established to assist companies in managing waste and returns. Waste management involves the process of reusing, recycling, and remanufacturing products that customers have shows dissatisfaction. Advancement in technology like RFID, Barcodes, and the Internet of Things has improved the efficiency, safety, accuracy, and effectiveness of reverse logistics, which is not guaranteed when using manual processes.
References
Lee, C. K. M., & Lam, J. S. L. (2012). Managing reverse logistics to enhance sustainability of industrial marketing. Industrial Marketing Management , 41 (4), 589-598.
Morgan, T. R., Richey Jr, R. G., & Autry, C. W. (2016). Developing a reverse logistics competency. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management .
Narayana, S. A., Elias, A. A., & Pati, R. K. (2014). Reverse logistics in the pharmaceuticals industry: a systemic analysis. The international journal of logistics management .
O'Reilly, J. (2005). Rethinking reverse Logistics. Inbound Logistics , 25 (7), 114-116.
Product Returns - Stericycle. (2020). Retrieved 14 May 2020, from https://www.stericycle.ca/solutions/product-returns/
Stough, R. R. (2017). New technologies in logistics management'. Ann M. Brewer Kenneth J. Button David A. Hensher (ed.) Handbook of Logistics and Supply-Chain Management , 2 , 513-520.
