Mapping Uncertainty Sources Affecting Circularity: A Holonic Approach

Pursuing sustain ability, the traditional “take- make-use-dispose” economy model is moving towards a circular approach by introducing the reverse flow for recovery of End- of-Life (EOL) or End-of-Use (EOU) products. This circularity of parts and information between industry and market has generated the Closed-Loop Supply Chain (CLSC). Circularity enhances reuse/recycle of parts and materials and products. However, it increases complexity in the supply as it inputs uncertainty sources regarding the returning and outgoing state of products, the required recovery processes, the expected consumer behavior and the unstable market trends. In this paper, an investigation of the uncertainties affecting CLSC and remanufacturing was selected. Authors aim at mapping, and reporting in connectivity, the sources of uncertainty affecting remanufacturing systems in order to identify the connections and causality relations between them. A holonic representation of the CLSC was elaborated for potential interdependencies assessment. Thus, a map of the uncertainties is then designed in the form of a labyrinth connecting the uncertainty drivers with the corresponding entities/holons: markEt, Consumer, Management, pRoduct and Process. The map is configured as a decision-support tool for application in remanufacturing context. The map allows to control the mutual effects between uncertainty sources in remanufacturing business environments.