The valorisation of dead stock – there is life in the old dog yet

This study follows reverse logistics thinking in the valorisation of dead stock from perishable by-products. Viable alternatives for the use of dead stock are found and the feasibility of their introduction evaluated through the building and application of a two-step model that links a two-stage production process generating by-products to staff scheduling problems in handling it. Model building is supported by empirical data from a poultry processing plant that had been collected through process maps, observations, and from databases of the case company. The model is also applied and solved for the case before suggesting general conclusions.