Optimization of closed-loop Supply chain network design: a Water Cycle Algorithm approach

Supply chain network design is one of the most important problems that managers deal with in supply chain management (SCM). This paper presents a mathematical model for closed-loop supply chain network design. By solving the mathematical model facility locations, the flow of material and number of vehicles are determined such that the total supply chain costs are minimized. Due to complexity of the mathematical model of closed-loop supply chain, a novel Meta-heuristic algorithm named Water Cycle Algorithm is developed to solve the mathematical model of the problem. Various test problems are solved to evaluate the efficiency of the Water Cycle Algorithm.