Prioritizing effective 7Ms to improve production systems performance using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS (case study)

This paper is aimed to present a fuzzy decision-making approach for prioritizing effective 7Ms to improve production systems performance. In this research systematic approach has been used for organization and production system inputs which named as 7Ms (Management, Manpower, Marketing, Method, Machine, Material, and Money). Linguistic values are used to assess the ratings and weights for 7Ms. These linguistic ratings can be expressed in trapezoidal or triangular fuzzy numbers. Then, a hierarchy multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) model based on fuzzy-sets theory including FAHP and FTOPSIS are applied. The results obtained from AHP, FAHP; FTOPSIS were compared with each other. This research has been conducted on a manufacturing plant however the results can also be used for other types of organizations that are located in a competitive environment.     

A new type-2 fuzzy set of linguistic variables for the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) has been used to solve various multi-criteria decision-making problems where trapezoidal type-1 fuzzy sets are utilized in defining decision-makers’ linguistic judgment. Previous theories have suggested that interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2 FS) can offer an alternative that can handle vagueness and uncertainty. This paper proposes a new FAHP characterized by IT2 FS for linguistic variables. Differently from the typical FAHP, which directly utilizes trapezoidal type-1 fuzzy numbers, this method introduces IT2 FS to enhance judgment in the fuzzy decision-making environment. This new model includes linguistic variables in IT2 FS and a rank value method for normalizing upper and lower memberships of IT2 FS. The proposed model is illustrated by a numerical example of work safety evaluation. Comparable results are also presented to check the feasibility of the proposed method. It is shown that the ranking order of the proposed method is consistent with the other two methods despite difference in weight priorities.     

Optimal dual-channel supply chain configuration for product categories with different customer preference of online channel

This study addresses the supply chain configuration problem of manufacturer faced with multiple channel choices. We investigate the optimal combination of traditional and online sales channels for different product categories with differing customer preference of the online channel. We have considered three distinct dual-channel supply chain configurations comprising of a manufacturer, a traditional channel and an online channel viz. retailer–e-tailer; company store–e-tailer; and retailer–e-marketplace. As the manufacturer will face a quantity allocation decision between traditional and online channels, the competition is modeled using Cournot model with the manufacturer as the Stackelberg leader. Values of optimal order quantity and price for the different entities have been established. Influence of variation in customer preference of online channel on the optimal policies is also examined. We find that the manufacturer prefers retailer–e-marketplace configuration for products with high customer preference of online channel and company store–e-tailer configuration for products with low customer preference of online channel. In addition, we find that the retailer–e-tailer configuration is dominated by company store–e-tailer and retailer–e-marketplace configuration irrespective of the product’s customer preference of online channel.     

An FCM–FAHP approach for managing readiness-relevant activities for ERP implementation

Any organization which plans to introduce a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system will carry out a range of activities to improve its readiness for the new system. This paper develops a new approach for managing these interrelated activities using fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) and the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). This approach enables the organization to (1) identify the readiness-relevant activities, (2) determine how these activities influence each other, (3) assess how these activities will contribute to the overall readiness and (4) prioritize these activities according to their causal interrelationships to allocate management effort for the overall readiness improvement. The approach first uses FCMs and a fuzzy connection matrix to represent all possible causal relationships between activities. It then uses FAHP to determine the contribution weights and uses FCM inference to include the effects of feedback between the activities. Based on the contribution and interrelationships between activities, a management matrix is developed to categorize them into four management zones for effective allocation of limited management efforts. An empirical study is conducted to demonstrate how the approach works.     

An integrated fuzzy multi-criteria approach for the performance evaluation of multiple manufacturing plants

The performance evaluation is regarded as a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem and has a significant impact on the operations of the enterprise. This paper develops an integrated MCDM approach that combines the voting method and the fuzzy TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) method to evaluate the performance of multiple manufacturing plants in a fuzzy environment. Fuzzy TOPSIS helps decision-makers carry out analysis and comparisons in ranking their preference of the alternatives with vague or imprecise data. Since the evaluation result is often greatly affected by the weights used in the evaluation process, the voting method is used in this study to determine the appropriate criteria weights. A case study demonstrating the applicability of the proposed model is presented. The case company is the world’s largest manufacturer of power supplies. It has three primary manufacturing bases located in Wujiang, Dongguan, and Tianjin, China. The proposed approach is used to evaluate the performance of the company’s five manufacturing plants in Wujiang, which produce switch power, telecom power, DC/DC converters, uninterruptible power systems (UPS) and AC/DC adapters.     

Combining fuzzy AHP with MDS in identifying the preference similarity of alternatives

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis is a dimension-reduction technique that is used to estimate the coordinates of a set of objects. However, not every criterion used in multidimensional scaling is equally and precisely weighted in the real world. To address this issue, we use fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to determine the weighting of subjective/perceptive judgments for each criterion and to derive fuzzy synthetic utility values of alternatives in a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (FMCDM) environment. Furthermore, we combine FAHP with MDS to identify the similarities and preferences of alternatives in terms of the axes of the space, which represent the perceived attributes and characteristics of those alternatives. By doing so, the visual dimensionality and configuration or pattern of alternatives whose weighted distance structure best fits the input data can be obtained and explained easily. A real case of expatriate assignment decision-making was used to demonstrate that the combination of FAHP and MDS results in a meaningful visual map.     

线上渠道模式与制造商分销策略的匹配关系

在转销和代销这两种典型的线上渠道模式下,构建制造商、实体店和电商之间的博弈模型,探讨线上渠道模式与制造商分销策略之间的匹配关系.研究结果表明:当消费者对产品差异的敏感程度较小(较大)时,制造商的分销策略选择与线上渠道模式无关,其会选择线下销售低端(高端)产品,线上销售高端(低端)产品的分销策略;当消费者对产品差异的敏感程度适中时,若线上为转销模式,则制造商应该选择线下销售高端产品,线上销售低端产品的分销策略;若线上为代销模式,则制造商应该选择线下销售低端产品,线上销售高端产品的分销策略.在不同的分销策略情形下,增大线上线下销售产品的差异化程度有利于提高制造商的利润水平.研究结果为线上线下渠道实现融合发展提供了理论指导.     

基于FAHP和FMCDM构建软件可信性评估模型*

结合软件可信性评估的特点及模糊理论的最新进展,提出一种基于模糊层次分析法和模糊多指标决策理论的评估模型。首先针对软件可信性没有一致定义的现状,提出了相对可信性的概念;接着基于模糊数理论,用三角模糊数表示专家评估中语言变量的主观性和模糊性,结合专家给出的模糊指标权重及待评软件可信等级的模糊评价,得到软件可信性的集成模糊评价;最后,将该模型应用到国内某汽车制造企业整车产品开发项目管理软件评估中,实例说明软件可信性评估的具体过程,结果验证了该模型的实效性。     

An experience-based system supporting inventory planning: A fuzzy approach

The study aims to extend the Uncapacitated Fuzzy Single Item Lot Sizing Problem (known as F-USILSP) model and extend it for inventory planning. The F-USILSP model is a good choice when there is no statistical data collection, but where there is verbal or qualitative information from experts with experience. Previously, the mixed integer linear programming (MILP) relied on the crisp assumption which hinders the use of the F-USILSP. In this paper, a Possibility Approach is adapted to convert the F-USILSP to a mathematically solvable equivalent crisp USILSP (EC-USILSP). The EC-USILSP model is tested with a case. The organization under study is a petrochemical company power plant with trapezoidal fuzzy demand and triangular fuzzy unit price. The overall results show that the EC-USILSP is more practical and exhibits more flexibility when there is a need to add more realistic situations.     

Design and implementation of a fuzzy inference system for supporting customer requirements

Efficient and effective response to the requirements of customers is a major performance indicator. Failure to satisfy customer requirements implies operational weaknesses in a company. These weaknesses will damage both the rights of customers and the reputation of the company. The traditional method of handling customer requirement for a machine tool manufacturer was dominated by manual process and subjective decision. In this study, we improved the operation process of handling customer requirement. The framework of a customer requirement information system (CRIS) for machine tool manufacturers was then analyzed, integrating rule-based fuzzy inference and expert systems, and a prototype system developed. The CRIS supports both customers and service personnel in providing a systematic way of fulfilling and analyzing customer requirements. The system was installed and operated in a machine tool manufacturer and the performance was found promising.     

Applying fuzzy hierarchy multiple attributes to construct an expert decision making process

The main objective of this paper is to propose an approach within the AHP framework for tackling the uncertainty and imprecision of service evaluations during pre-negotiation stages, where the expert’s comparison judgments are represented as fuzzy triangular numbers. A fuzzy prioritization method, which derives crisp priorities from consistent and inconsistent fuzzy comparison matrices, is described. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP)-based decision-making method can provide decision makers or buyer a valuable reference for evaluating software quality. A case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Importantly, the proposed scheme can assist decision makers in assessing the feasibility of digital video recorder system to management public space, making it highly applicable for academic and commercial purposes.     

模糊层次分析法在方案优选方面的应用

给出了一种实用的层次分析方法(AHP)，即模糊层次分析法(FAHP)，讨论了它的原理和步骤。特别是模糊层次分析法，它是基于模糊集合理论的。它采用模糊一致关系去实现模糊推导，使用模糊一致矩阵去实现动态自适应。分析了该方法的适用范围，并提供了具有一般特点的方案优选的实例。提出了模糊层次分析方法的不足之处。     

Modification of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process via different ranking methods

The use of fuzzy set theory in the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has gained popularity in recent years as part of the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) process to more realistically reflect human judgment. However, due to the nature of fuzzy calculations, this situation imposes more computational load. The aim of this study is to propose methods for obtaining accurate weights from fuzzy pairwise comparison matrices with the least amount of computational load possible. In this context, two different fuzzy AHP (FAHP) methods based on fuzzy numbers ranking methods have been proposed and these proposed methods are compared with commonly accepted FAHP methods. Magnitude-based fuzzy AHP (MFAHP), which is one of the proposed methods, has outperformed all other methods according to accurate weight and computational load. Although the other proposed method, called the total difference-based fuzzy AHP (TDFAHP), gave better results than the frequently used Chang's fuzzy extent analysis method, it could not produce more accurate weight results than many other methods in general. But performance analysis shows that it is as good as the MFAHP in terms of computational load.     

A hybrid fuzzy model for selecting and evaluating the e-book business model: A case study on Taiwan e-book firms

This study evaluates an appropriate business model for e-book firms in Taiwan. We apply expert questionnaires to calculate the weights, which contain five criteria, namely, business strategy (BS), finance characteristics (FC), market characteristics (MC), quality measurements of product and service (QS) and implementation (IM) (BCCSM) for the capability of developing the firms’ business. Then, a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is adopted to explore the weights of indices, and the VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), grey relation analysis (GRA), and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) are utilized to rank the three alternatives. The results show that a single brand is the best e-book firms’ business strategy that is simultaneously integrated by content, platforms, and devices, while the top two weights of the evaluation criteria are the business strategy and market characteristics to enable firms to develop an appropriate e-book business model.     

Using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process on optimum spatial allocation

This study uses the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) approach on a multiple criteria decision-making process made up of rational and emotional choices. The process involves setting evaluation criteria, constructing a fuzzy judgment matrix and weight vector, and then ranking the order of candidate alternatives by a fuzzy number in the fuzzy sequencing vector. This FAHP approach can provide hotel managers with a suitable way to determine the optimum spatial allocation. Also, creation of an artificial spatial allocation image by the image compositing technique allows hotel managers to see the future completed work before renovating, and the emotional judgment of the spatial image can take place immediately. Furthermore, the virtual image facilitates the reduction of communication time between hotel managers and designers and increases the level of satisfaction towards the final spatial allocation.

Relevance to industry

The FAHP approach addressed in this study can be applied to hotels, motels and related spaces where spatial allocation is needed and helps decision-makers or designers to choose the optimum alternative under the consideration of rational and emotional factors.     

Integrating fuzzy data mining and fuzzy artificial neural networks for discovering implicit knowledge

This study proposes a knowledge discovery model that integrates the modification of the fuzzy transaction data-mining algorithm (MFTDA) and the Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) for discovering implicit knowledge in the fuzzy database more efficiently and presenting it more concisely. A prototype was built for testing the feasibility of the model. The testing data are from a company’s human resource management department. The results indicated that the generated rules (knowledge) are useful in supporting the company to predict its employees’ future performance and then assign proper persons for appropriate positions and projects. Furthermore, the convergence of ANFIS in the model was proven to be more efficient than a generic fuzzy artificial neural network.     

Application of fuzzy multi-criteria decision making methods for financial performance evaluation of Turkish manufacturing industries

For manufacturing industries, financial performance evaluation is very important in a highly competitive environment. Therefore, an accurate and appropriate performance evaluation is critical. As financial performance indicators reflect the competitiveness of a company, they must be carefully identified in the evaluation process. Generally, traditional accounting-based financial performance (AFP) measures are used for performance evaluation. However, these measures are not sufficient for performance evaluation solely in the modern industry time. So, value-based financial performance (VFP) measures have recently been introduced to express the company value. In this paper, we propose a new financial performance evaluation approach to rank the companies of each sector in the Turkish manufacturing industry. For this purpose, a hierarchical financial performance evaluation model is structured based on the AFP and VFP main-criteria and their sub-criteria. We use fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to determine the weights of the criteria. The companies are ranked according to their own manufacturing sector by using TOPSIS and VIKOR comparatively. The results show that the obtained ranks of the companies by these methods are almost same with respect to their own sectors.     

Evaluating knowledge management failure factors using intuitionistic fuzzy FMEA approach

The twenty-first century organizations are characterized by an emphasis on knowledge and information. Today’s organizations also require the acquisition, management, and exploitation of knowledge and information in order to improve their own performance. In the current economy, the foundations of organizational competitiveness have turned former tangible and intangible resources into knowledge and the focus of information systems has also changed from information management to knowledge management. Besides, the most important step in the implementation of knowledge management is to examine the significant factors in this regard and to identify the causes of failure. Therefore, the present study evaluated knowledge management failure factors in an intuitionistic fuzzy environment as a case study in Khuzestan Oil and Gas Company. For this purpose, a series of failure factors affecting knowledge management in organizations were identified based on a review of the related literature and similar studies. Then, 16 failure factors in the implementation of knowledge management in the given organization were determined on the basis of interviews with company experts. According to the specified factors as well as the integration of multiple criteria decision-making techniques in an intuitionistic fuzzy environment, knowledge management failure factors in Khuzestan Oil and Gas Company were investigated. The results indicated that lack of management commitment and leadership was the most important factor affecting the failure of knowledge management in the given company.     

A fuzzy AHP approach to personnel selection problem

Due to the increasing competition of globalization and fast technological improvements, world markets demand companies to have quality and professional human resources. This can only be achieved by employing potentially adequate personnel. In this paper, we proposed a personnel selection system based on Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). The FAHP is applied to evaluate the best adequate personnel dealing with the rating of both qualitative and quantitative criteria. The result obtained by FAHP is compared with results produced by Yager's weighted goals method. In addition to above-mentioned methods, a practical computer-based decision support system is introduced to provide more information and help manager make better decisions under fuzzy circumstances.     

A fuzzy supplier selection model with the consideration of benefits,opportunities, costs and risks

Even though the research on supplier selection is abundant, the works usually only consider the critical success factors in the buyer–supplier relationship. However, the negative aspects of the buyer–supplier relationship must also be considered simultaneously. The main objective in this study is to propose an analytical approach to select suppliers under a fuzzy environment. A fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) model, which incorporates the benefits, opportunities, costs and risks (BOCR) concept, is constructed to evaluate various aspects of suppliers. Multiple factors that are positively or negatively affecting the success of the relationship are analyzed by taking into account experts’ opinion on their importance, and a performance ranking of the suppliers is obtained. TFT-LCD manufacturers in Taiwan, which is the largest TFT-LCD producer country in the world, are facing increasing competition nowadays, and the selection of the most appropriate suppliers for cooperation is essential for firms to achieve competitive advantage. A case study of backlight unit supplier selection for a TFT-LCD manufacturer is presented, and the proposed model is applied to facilitate the decision process. The model is a general form that can be tailored and applied by firms that are making decisions on supplier selection.