During these past three days in Supply Chain Management, I have learned much about the industry and its relevance to our everyday lives. Before taking this class, I was unsure about the concept of Supply Chain as I had little knowledge about the degree to which it pertained. One of the most interesting concepts has been learning about the environmental impacts supply chains leave and the degrees of harm they cause. It is compelling to hear how companies have limits and restrictions on materials and the amount they can use to limit the pollution produced into the environment. I think we have a long way to go regarding protecting the environment from pollution, especially in the US, where mass production seems to be our forte. However, it is amazing to hear how certain companies are trying so hard to limit the pollution they put into the environment. It is so interesting learning about all of the different laws that are in place, withholding regulations and restrictions with this matter, and how Green Supply Chain is its own market.

Recently, I have really enjoyed learning about the forward supply chain objective as well as the reverse logistics method. In a forward supply chain, there is a more linear way of production which tends to be a more simple and predictable process. However, that is not the case for reverse logistics. Reverse logistics is incredibly interesting because it has to do with the return of products consumers send back to the sender. I didn’t know how complex of a system a simple return can be, but it’s a very calculated system built of many parts. I found it fascinating to learn how this process works and how returning a product to the sender has a whole different progress, which is extremely complex. We tend not to think about how complicated these processes are; we tend to follow the directions we are given when returning a package. However, learning about the system’s technicalities provides a new perspective when thinking about simple, mundane tasks.  

Additionally, I found it fascinating to learn about the new 3Rs and how these concepts have changed and evolved over time to keep up with protecting the environment. Learning about remanufacturing and how a company will replace a broken part of a product instead of wasting the whole thing and buying a new one was incredibly enlightening. I am extremely excited to continue this class and learn more about the relationship between the consumer and producer in the supply chain.