A diversified AHP-tree approach for multiple-criteria supplier selection

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Decision Science

Background:

• Decision-making processes are often complicated by diverse viewpoints on criteria priorities.
• Existing methods may struggle to reconcile conflicting priorities within a single decision framework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel diversified Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-tree approach to address complex decision-making scenarios.
• To enhance the consistency and representation of diverse viewpoints in decision analysis.

Main Methods:

• Decomposition of a decision-maker's judgment matrix into multiple consistent sub-judgment matrices.
• Establishment and optimization of a nonlinear programming model using a genetic algorithm.
• Application of the diversified AHP-tree approach to a real-world supplier selection problem.

Main Results:

• The diversified AHP-tree approach successfully decomposed judgment matrices, yielding more consistent sub-matrices.
• The method enabled the selection of multiple, diverse suppliers from a single judgment matrix.
• Selected suppliers demonstrated characteristics of being 'somewhat ideal' based on the defined criteria.

Conclusions:

• The diversified AHP-tree approach offers an effective solution for decision-making problems with diverse criteria priorities.
• This method improves supplier selection by identifying a range of suitable options.
• The approach provides a robust framework for handling complex decision analysis in practice.