Business processes and strategic framework for inspection in remanufacturing

Abstract

A crucial stage of the remanufacturing process is the inspection procedure. Surveys carried out in the automotive remanufacturing sector show that the industry is concerned about its need for such a large amount of specialist skills. Despite this, there has been little research into what is actually involved in the inspection process and what different strategies are used in different companies carrying out remanufacturing operations.

This thesis presents case based research that was carried out on the inspection procedures of sixteen companies. These included companies from all industries ranging from those in the automotive and defence industries, to those in consumer electronics and IT. The cases range from small companies remanufacturing a few units per month to those with established remanufacturing production lines.

This project has created two key contributions to theory. The first is a theory for remanufacturing strategy. A framework for remanufacturing strategy has been produced showing how different strategies are used to remanufacture items with different characteristics. The second is a generic inspection process which breaks down each inspection procedure within remanufacturing to its main objectives and methods.

These, practical and applicable, contributions are of vital interest to researchers who can use them to enhance their knowledge of inspection procedures within remanufacturing and will act as a road map for future research into this new and exciting area.