Goal programming approach for stock control of remanufacturing systems

As globalization has removed borders, and companies have started to carry out cross-border activities all over the world, economic competition has become deeper. Therefore, making quick and right decisions has become important for the survival of companies, in parallel. When companies are to make such vital decisions, they must consider many internal and external variables and take the decisions which are supposed to provide the highest added value to the company. Considering developments in the global market, companies have started to use qualitative and quantitative decision-making techniques in recent years.Companies must use previous experiences to set realistic goals that will bring them success in the long term if they give importance to their profit. However, there are several uncertainties and limitations that should be considered during that goal setting process, and companies must achieve their goals and shape their future in the light of this information despite this uncertain environment. Companies can make this happen with Goal Programming a multi-objective decision making method.In this thesis study, we analyzed the stock control policy of Sismak Automotive Inc., which serves in the automotive spare parts industry. In the scope of the study, we generated goal programming models of 3-term stock control policies for 3 products within the LES remanufacturing portfolio and solved these models. Afterwards, we interpreted the solutions by comparing them with the goals of the company. Keywords: Stock Management, Stock Control, Reverse Logistics, Remanufacturing, Goal Programming