A Preference Model for Supplier Selection Based on Hesitant Fuzzy Sets

Zhexuan Zhou, Yajie Dou, Tianjun Liao and Yuejin Tan
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Zhexuan Zhou: College of System Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Yajie Dou: College of System Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Tianjun Liao: State Key Laboratory of Complex System Simulation, Beijing Institute of System Engineering, 10 An Xiang Bei Li Road., Beijing, 100101, China
Yuejin Tan: College of System Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: The supplier selection problem is a widespread concern in the modern commercial economy. Ranking suppliers involves many factors and poses significant difficulties for decision makers. Supplier selection is a multi-criteria and multi-objective problem, which leads to decision makers forming their own preferences. In addition, there are both quantifiable and non-quantifiable attributes related to their preferences. To solve this problem, this paper presents a preference model based on hesitant fuzzy sets (HFS) to select suppliers. The cost and service quality of suppliers are the main considerations in the proposed model. HFS with interactive and multi-criteria decision making are used to evaluate the non-quantifiable attributes of service quality, which include competitive display, qualification ability, suitability and competitiveness of solutions, and relational fitness and dynamics. Finally, a numerical example of supplier selection for a high-end equipment manufacturer is provided to illustrate the applicability of the proposed model. The preferences of a decision maker are then analyzed by altering preference parameters.

Keywords: supplier selection; equipment manufacturer; preference relationship; hesitant fuzzy set; score function; TODIM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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