Supply chain

Business

Operations research

Multiple-criteria decision analysis

Risk analysis (engineering)

Engineering

Marketing

Artificial intelligence

Estimation of distribution algorithm

Process management

Reverse logistics

Computer science

EDAS

Management science

Integrated logistics support

Fuzzy logic

Sustainability

Recently, manufacturing companies aspire to implement reverse logistics in response to stakeholders’ requirements to reduce negative environmental consequences, improve organizational sustainable performance and ultimately increase competitive advantage. However, implementing reverse logistics can be impeded by a criteria framework, and necessitates the careful analysis of how such criteria interact with each other in the presence of uncertainty. Thus, in this study, we propose an integrated multi- criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology that leverages the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) under Intuitionistic Fuzzy (IF) environment and Evaluation Based on Distance to Average Solution (EDAS). Within the proposed methodology, firstly, the IF-DEMATEL is applied to obtain the interrelationships between the criteria/barriers and then, the EDAS method is applied to prioritize the criteria based on the appraisal scores evaluation. An application case within the Nigerian manufacturing sector was utilized to illustrate the viability of the proposed methodology. The study results indicate that the highly prioritized barriers to implementing reverse logistics within the Nigerian manufacturing sector include low product quality, risk of storing hazardous materials and low technical expertise. Consequently, this study makes a profound contribution to the theory and practice of reverse logistics by presenting an integrated MCDM methodology that can effectively address the criticality of barriers in the way of reverse logistics progression in a complex and uncertain scenario.

Analyzing the Barriers to Reverse Logistics (RL) Implementation: A Hybrid Model Based on IF-DEMATEL-EDAS