Hybrid MCDM ranks emergency logistics providers with interdependent criteria

What the study found: The study found that a two-stage hybrid multi-criteria decision-making approach can be used to evaluate emergency third-party logistics service providers while accounting for relationships among criteria. In the case study, six sub-criteria were identified as especially important: delivery/service performance, cost, safe and healthy work environment, policies related to human resources, technological capabilities, and financial capability.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that their study brings together economic, social, Industry 4.0 technologies, and circular economy criteria for evaluating emergency third-party logistics service providers. They also suggest that considering dependencies among criteria affects the final weights and the ranking of providers.
What the researchers tested: The researchers developed a two-stage hybrid method based on multi-criteria decision-making. First, they identified evaluation criteria and sub-criteria and calculated independent weights using fuzzy stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (fuzzy SWARA, a method for weighting criteria). Second, they used the weighted influence non-linear gauge system (WINGS, a ranking technique that accounts for interdependencies) to rank providers.
What worked and what didn't: The approach was applied in a disaster management organization in Iran, using the knowledge of five experts and evaluating five emergency third-party logistics service providers across 27 sub-criteria. The comparative analysis found that including dependency among criteria significantly changed the final weights of criteria and sub-criteria and affected the ranking of providers.
What to keep in mind: The abstract does not describe practical implementation details beyond this case study. The findings are based on one organization in Iran, five experts, and five providers, so the available summary shows a limited scope.

Key points

• A two-stage hybrid MCDM approach was used to evaluate emergency third-party logistics service providers.
• The study incorporated economic, social, Industry 4.0, and circular economy criteria.
• Six sub-criteria were highlighted as especially important: delivery/service performance, cost, safe and healthy work environment, human resource policies, technological capabilities, and financial capability.
• Accounting for interdependencies among criteria changed the final weights and the provider ranking.
• The case study used five experts, five providers, and 27 sub-criteria in a disaster management organization in Iran.