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.     

The inclusion-based TOPSIS method with interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets for multiple criteria group decision making

The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is a well-known compromising method for multiple criteria decision analysis. This paper develops an extended TOPSIS method with an inclusion comparison approach for addressing multiple criteria group decision-making problems in the framework of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Considering the relative agreement degrees and the importance weights of multiple decision makers, this paper presents a modified hybrid averaging method with an inclusion-based ordered weighted averaging operation for forming a collective decision environment. Based on the main structure of the TOPSIS method, this paper utilizes the concept of inclusion comparison possibilities to propose a new index for an inclusion-based closeness coefficient for ranking the alternatives. Additionally, two optimization models are established to determine the criterion weights for addressing situations in which the preference information is completely unknown or incompletely known. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods are illustrated by a medical group decision-making problem.     

Rank B2C e-commerce websites in e-alliance based on AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS

E-alliance is the union of e-commerce and its success and efficiency is related to comprehensive quality of e-commerce. Thus, ranking e-commerce websites in e-alliance is of importance, which is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. This paper proposes an evaluation model based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy sets and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), to tackle the issue in fuzzy environment. The AHP is applied to analyze the structure of ranking problem and to determine weights of the criteria, fuzzy sets is utilized to present ambiguity and subjectivity with linguistic values parameterized by triangular fuzzy numbers, and TOPSIS method is used to obtain final ranking. Case analysis is conducted to illustrate the utilization of the model for the problem. It demonstrates the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model.     

Robot selection by using generalized interval-valued fuzzy numbers with TOPSIS

The aim of this paper is to propose a method to aggregate the opinion of several decision makers on different criteria, regarding a set of alternatives, where the judgment of the decision makers are represented by generalized interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. A generalized interval valued trapezoidal fuzzy number based technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution is proposed that can reflect subjective judgment and objective information in real life. The weights of criteria and performance rating values of criteria are linguistic variables expressed as generalized interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to elaborate the proposed method for the selection of a suitable robot according to our requirements.     

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.     

A Modified TOPSIS Method for Obtaining the Associated Weights of the OWA‐Type Operators

The ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator proposed by Yager and its some extensions have been extensively utilized to perform the mean‐type aggregation of individual preference relations in group decision making. An important issue in the theory of the OWA‐type operators is the determination of the associated weights. In the present paper, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution is modified to propose a new method for generating the associated weights under the environment of a group of additive reciprocal matrices. First, a consistent additive reciprocal matrix is obtained from each additive reciprocal matrix. It is further used to generate an ideal additive reciprocal matrix by using the arithmetic averaging operator. Then, a similarity degree between every additive reciprocal matrix and the ideal one is defined. Based on the similarity degree, the associated weights are determined by making use of an exponential function and they show that more importance is given to that with more similarity degree. Finally, a numerical example is carried out to illustrate the given method.     

Pythagorean fuzzy TOPSIS for multicriteria group decision-making with unknown weight information through entropy measure

In this study, a new technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS)-based methodology is proposed to solve multicriteria group decision-making problems within Pythagorean fuzzy environment, where the information about weights of both the decision makers (DMs) and criteria are completely unknown. Initially, generalized distance measure for Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) is defined and used to initiate a new Pythagorean fuzzy entropy measure for computing weights of the criteria. In the decision-making process, at first, weights of DMs are computed using TOPSIS through the geometric distance model. Then, weights of the criteria are determined using the entropy weight model through the newly defined entropy measure for PFSs. Based on the evaluated criteria weights, TOPSIS is further applied to obtain the score value of alternatives corresponding to each decision matrix. Finally, the score values of the alternatives are aggregated with the calculated DMs’ weights to obtain the final ranking of the alternatives to avoid the loss of information, unlike other existing methods. Several numerical examples are considered, solved, and compared with the existing methods.     

基于分式规划的区间直觉梯形模糊数多属性决策方法

针对属性值为区间梯形直觉模糊且属性权重为区间数的多属性决策问题,提出一种基于分式规划的决策方法.定义了区间梯形直觉模糊数的Hamming距离和Euclidean距离,采用优劣解距离法构建了相对贴近度的非线性分式规划模型,并通过Charnes and Cooper变换转化为线性规划模型求解,得到各方案相对贴近度的区间数,进而提出了决策方法.数值算例分析验证了所提出方法的有效性.     

基于TOPSIS模型的网格资源分配决策算法

针对如何在网格环境中提高整个网格平台的性能和效率问题,提出了逼近理想解的排序法,即TOPSIS(technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution)多指标综合评价模型,对网格节点的网络性能进行评价,将评价结果用于网格资源分配决策,得到了最短任务完成时间的资源分配方案.用网格模拟器GridSim搭建了包括路由器的网格环境,测试及与随机算法对比结果表明了TOPSIS多指标网格资源分配决策算法的可用性和高效性.     

考虑QoS偏好的多属性群决策服务选择策略

面对多个功能相同或相似的服务,服务的Qo S是服务选择中重要的考虑因素.将Qo S属性分为精确数型、区间数型和三角模糊数型.在此基础上,利用TOPSIS（technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution）条件下的多属性群决策模型给出了服务选择过程,该过程考虑了多个决策者在决策过程中所占的权重,以及多个决策者不同的Qo S偏好权重.通过一个实例验证了该方法的有效性.     

Multiple attribute decision-making methods for the dynamic operator allocation problem

This study explores two multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) methods to solve a dynamic operator allocation problem. Both methods use an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine attribute weights a priori. The first method uses a technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The second method incorporates a fuzzy-based logic that uses linguistic variable representation, fuzzy operation, and fuzzy defuzzification. The TOPSIS uses deterministic performance ratings and attribute weights, whilst the fuzzy-based is a linguistic method. An applied case study drawn from existing literature is used to demonstrate and test findings. The proposed methods systematically evaluate alternative scenarios, with the result indicating promise for solving an operator allocation decision problem.     

A comprehensive decision making structure for partitioning of make-to-order, make-to-stock and hybrid products

Manufacturing systems produce their products by making use of three main strategies: make-to-order, make-to-stock and hybrid (combination of MTO and MTS strategies) systems. Hence, several products must be considered and partitioned in terms of many different conflicting criteria, leading to a large set of subjective or ambiguous data. Thus, an effective evaluation approach is essential to improve decision quality. In this paper a comprehensive decision, making structure is proposed to choose the proper strategy for producing the products. It consists of a novel hybrid methodology, which combines analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) for partitioning of products. In this study, the rating of each alternative regarding different criteria (throughout the TOPSIS technique) is described by means of linguistic variables. Furthermore, fuzzy AHP methodology is applied to determine the weights of evaluation criteria. At the end, the effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated through a case study.     

Weapon selection using the AHP and TOPSIS methods under fuzzy environment

The weapon selection problem is a strategic issue and has a significant impact on the efficiency of defense systems. On the other hand, selecting the optimal weapon among many alternatives is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. This paper develops an evaluation model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), to help the actors in defence industries for the selection of optimal weapon in a fuzzy environment where the vagueness and subjectivity are handled with linguistic values parameterized by triangular fuzzy numbers. The AHP is used to analyze the structure of the weapon selection problem and to determine weights of the criteria, and fuzzy TOPSIS method is used to obtain final ranking. A real world application is conducted to illustrate the utilization of the model for the weapon selection problem. The application could be interpreted as demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model.     

Entropy-based weights on decision makers in group decision-making setting with hybrid preference representations

The weights of decision makers play an important role in group decision-making problems. Entropy is a very important measure in information science. This work models an approach to determine the weights of decision makers by using an entropy measure. A new normalized projection as a separation measure, along with TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) technique, is used for current decision model. The attribute values in current model are characterized by exact values and intervals. A comparison and experimental analysis show the applicability, feasibility, effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method.     

基于概率语言术语集的云服务选择

为了解决云服务评估决策中QoS(Quality of Service,服务质量)属性的动态性刻画不足以及传统决策方法中用户主观因素过强的缺点,提出了一种基于概率语言术语集（Probabilistic Linguistic Term Set,PLTS）的选择方法。通过相似性权重与可靠性权重结合获取推荐权重,加入决策矩阵中得到综合评估矩阵;通过层次分析法（Analytic Hierarchy Process,AHP）获取的属性权重与综合评估矩阵结合得到加权综合评估矩阵;并采用TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution,逼近理想解排序法)方法综合评估候选服务的性能。案例分析和对比分析表明,该模型能够有效提高云服务选择的准确率与执行效率,并为云环境下的多属性决策领域提供了新的思路。     

Collaborative decision making algorithm for selection of optimal wire saw in photovoltaic wafer manufacture

The yield of the wafer slicing process has the greatest impact on manufacturing costs in the fabrication of photovoltaic (PV) cells. Hence, it is critical to identify the correct type of wire saw for this process. This paper employs the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to construct a collaborative decision model for predicting the yield of a wire saw. The evaluation criteria for establishing the model are derived on the basis of a literature review and the opinions of experts with experience in PV wafer manufacturing. The evaluation weights are determined by the AHP and the optimal machine is identified by the TOPSIS. Finally, process capability indices are presented to demonstrate and verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.     

In search of best alternatives: a TOPSIS driven MCDM procedure for neural network modeling

Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) is an approach to rank the alternatives with respect to the different attributes. Several MCDM approaches were used to select the best alternatives of meta-heuristic modeling under the soft-computing domain where the true best alternative is not known. Alternatives are artificial neural network models, selection of which is difficult based on many conflicting performance measures. This paper addresses two new methods for MCDM, using the concept of Minkowski distance and based on technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution philosophy. The performances of these two methods are compared with four other methods considering real-life data and simulated experiments.     

Supplier selection and order allocation with green criteria: An MCDM and multi-objective optimization approach

This research provides a decision-making tool to solve a multi-period green supplier selection and order allocation problem. The tool contains three integrated components. First, fuzzy TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) is used to assign two preference weights to each potential supplier according to two sets of criteria taken separately: traditional and green. Second, top management uses an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to assign a global importance weight to each of the two sets of criteria based on the strategy of the company and independently of the potential suppliers. Third, for each supplier, the preference weight obtained from fuzzy TOPSIS regarding the traditional criteria is then multiplied by the global importance weight of the set of traditional criteria. The same is done for the green criteria. The two combined preference weights obtained for each supplier are then used in addition to total cost to select the best suppliers and to allocate orders using multi-period bi-objective and multi-objective optimization. The mathematical models are solved using the weighted comprehensive criterion method and the branch-and-cut algorithm. The approach of this research has a major advantage: it provides top management with flexibility in giving more or less importance weight to green or traditional criteria regardless of the number of criteria in each category through the use of AHP, which reduces the effect of the number of criteria on the preference weight of the suppliers. Contrary to the case in which each supplier is evaluated on the basis of all criteria at the same time, the proposed approach would not necessarily result in a supplier with poor green performance being ranked among the best for a situation in which the number of green criteria is smaller than the number of traditional criteria. In this case, the final ranking would mainly depend on the global weight of the green criteria set given by the top management using AHP as well as on the ranking of the supplier in terms of green criteria obtained from fuzzy TOPSIS. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted in which the bi-objective and multi-objective models are compared and the effect of the separation between green and traditional criteria is investigated. The results show that the two optimization approaches provide very close solutions, which leads to a preference for the bi-objective approach because of its lower computation time. Moreover, the results confirm the flexibility of the proposed approach and show that combining all criteria in one set is a special case. Finally, a time study is performed, which shows that the bi-objective integer linear programming model has a polynomial computation time.