Energy consumption is increasing in many regions and governments are compelled to develop and implement strategic energy investments. The limited amount of fossil fuels and their negative ...environmental impact are a major drive for countries to use more renewable energy. There has been a rapid increase in renewable energy investments at the beginning of the twenty-first century. However, compared to traditional fossil fuels, renewable energy entails more uncertainties, which increases the difficulty in making long-term, strategic investments. These uncertainties led to the need to apply different and effective methods and approaches for renewable energy investments. Recently, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods are used frequently to develop new and different solution methods in the solution of ranking energy systems. This study uses Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods for strategic renewable energy investment. This study aims to provide a model to assist decision-makers in renewable energy alternative selections by using two popular Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods, Analytic Hierarchy Process and VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje. Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to evaluate the weights of the criteria by pair-wise comparison. Then, the VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje method was used as the second part of the study to rank the alternatives by their weights of importance. It is observed that each renewable energy alternatives have different priorities and performance values under each criterion in the city of Chicago. Then, it is concluded that energy efficiency has the highest ranking as the best performing alternative in Chicago.
To reinforce competitiveness, companies must focus on competitive priorities including cost, quality, delivery, and flexibility. The competitiveness also depends on the adherence to environmental ...requirements and the ability of companies to survive unforeseen disruptions . Lean, agile, resilient, and green (LARG) paradigm is a hybrid supply chain paradigm, which can enhance competitiveness in today's complex markets. In this article, we propose a new conceptual decision-making model to evaluate LARG supply chain performance in medical equipment companies. In this regard, supply chain operations reference model attributes were utilized as performance evaluation criteria. Furthermore, the appropriate practices of LARG supply chain are selected through fuzzy Delphi method. Also, an extension of decision making trial and evaluation laboratory-based analytic network process method is proposed to uncover network relationships and obtain the weights for dimensions and elements. According to the results, the agile paradigm, responsiveness, and quick introduction of new products are determined as the most prioritized elements in their corresponding dimensions, which emphasize the importance of the customer satisfaction. Finally, the extended hesitant fuzzy linguistic VIKOR (Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) is applied to rank LARG performance of Iranian needles and syringes companies via qualitative group decision-making process. The results of this study are conformed to conventional selection results of needles and syringes suppliers conducted by Iran's Ministry of Health.
This paper discusses a previously published paper titled “sustainable recycling partner selection using fuzzy DEMATEL-AEW-FVIKOR: A case study in small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs)”, by Zhou et al. ...(2018). Authors of the aforementioned paper have discussed sustainable recycling partners for SMEs and contributed to the multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) modelling. However, in their study, the crucial weights generated using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique are questionable, may not be accurate for obtaining the subjective weights of criteria. In addition, using VIKOR together with an aspiration level concept is recommended for determining management implications. The present discussion includes several opinions and suggestions for improving the article and can be considered an attempt to complete the original paper.
This research proposes a novel MCDM model, including DEMATEL, ANP, and VIKOR for exploring portfolio selection based on CAPM. We probe into the influential factors and relative weights of risk-free ...rate, expected market return, and beta of the security. The purpose of this research is to establish an investment decision model and provides investors with a reference of portfolio selection most suitable for investing effects to achieve the greatest returns. Taking full consideration of the interrelation effects among criteria/variables of the decision model, this paper examined leading semiconductor companies spanning the hottest sectors of integrated circuit (IC) design, wafer foundry, and IC packaging by experts. Empirical findings revealed that risk-free rate was affected by budget deficit, discount rate, and exchange rate; expected market return was affected by country risk, industrial structure, and macroeconomic factors; and beta of the security was affected by firm-specific risk and financial risk. Also, the factors of the CAPM possessed a self-effect relationship according to the DEMATEL technique. In the eight evaluation criteria, macroeconomic criterion was the most important factor affecting investment decisions, followed by exchange rate and firm-specific risk. In portfolio selection, leading companies in the wafer foundry industry outperformed those in IC design and IC packaging, becoming the optimal portfolio of investors during the time that this study was conducted.
► This study proposes a fuzzy MCDM framework for evaluating website quality of the CPA firms in Taiwan. ► The top-five criteria are richness, understandability, assurance, relevance, and reliability. ...► The results show that “Delitte” website is the best website and that “KPMG” website is the worst one. ► There are still unimproved gaps between users’ perceptions and expectations of CPA firm websites.
Due to the popularity of internet, the CPAs can develop websites that properly deliver professional information and represent their firms. Effective use of CPA firm websites can increase communication with existing clients and attract potential clients. This study aims to build a hybrid approach that combines the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) and fuzzy VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (FVIKOR) for evaluating website quality of the top-four CPA firms in Taiwan and provide worthwhile recommendations for enhancing website design and content. The results show that CPA firms included in this study do not utilize the Internet to its full potential and need to improve their websites. Deloitte has the best overall performance, follow by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG. Additionally, the top-five evaluation criteria in order of importance are richness, understandability, assurance, relevance, and reliability. Therefore, the findings of this study can help CPAs identify the strengths and weaknesses of their own websites and in comparison with those of their competitors, and then make resource allocation decisions about how to improve the status quo and achieve ideal websites.
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•A validation scheme for evaluating MCDM methods is developed.•Comparisons among MCDM methods are conducted to show viability of the proposed scheme.•Conventional MCDM including PLP, ...AHP, TOPSIS, VIKOR, and ELECTRE are examples for the test.•A synthetic decision-maker with preference generation, alternative settings, and method-oriented parameter settings are key factors to evaluate the effectiveness.•Absolute rank deviation and Kendall’s tau rank test are suggested to statistically analyze the effectiveness.
Multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods have various practical applications. Decision-makers face MCDM problems with conflicting criteria daily. Hence, MCDM methods have been developed to enable decision-makers to enhance decision quality. MCDM methods use various calculation approaches to evaluate the rank of alternatives. However, little evidence supports the consistency between the alternative chosen by the MCDM method and the decision-maker’s intuitive ideal alternative. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop an operational validation scheme to examine and compare the effectiveness of MCDM methods. In the validation scheme, control variables include the number of alternatives, number of criteria, data set distributions, and nondominated data set options (Pareto efficient frontier or complete data set). We also add three weight distributions, namely uniform weights, rank order centroid weights, and rank sum weights, to determine the effect of weights on the MCDM methods We test linear, quadratic, Chebycheff, and prospect utility functions. In addition to the compensatory, noncompensatory, and partially compensatory utility functions, we use the prospect theory utility function. Mean absolute rank deviation and Kendall’s statistical rank test, are applied to examine the effectiveness of the methods To show the viability, this study illustrates the proposed scheme by an evaluation process of numerical comparisons among common MCDM methods including technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), elimination et choix traduisant la realité (ELECTRE), the piecewise linear prospect (PLP) theory method, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Moreover, method-oriented parameter settings such as normalization methods, distance functions, VIKOR’s v, and ELECTRE’s thresholds are examined. Through the aforementioned settings, we compare the MCDM methods’ ranks with the decision-maker’s ranks by using assumed preference utility functions. The results reveal that interactive MCDM methods such as PLP and AHP outperform the others in terms of rank consistency. However, the performance of the MCDM methods is affected by the percentage of existing efficient solutions. More investigations into the applicability of the utility functions in various situations are suggested.
This study presents a methodology of genetic-algorithm-based optimization of the laser-beam path for improving laser-based additive manufacturing (AM). A simple thermal model was developed to ...simulate the effects of laser-induced heat input on the temperature distribution within the substrate during the fabrication of one layer. The optimization approach aims to find solutions with more homogeneous temperature properties that minimize the thermal gradient on the substrate caused by laser-based AM. The laser beam, i.e., the tool-path planning, is formulated as the search for the optimal sequence of cell depositions that minimize the fitness function, which is composed of two components, i.e., the thermal fitness and process fitness. The thermal fitness is expressed as the average thermal gradient, and the process fitness regulates the suitability of the proposed tool path for the implementation of the AM process. Various tool-path generators are proposed to initialize the initial population of tool-path solutions. Genetic-algorithm-based tool-path optimization is proposed, where custom initialization, crossover and mutation operators are developed for application in laser-based AM. Simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the genetic-algorithm-based optimization in finding solutions that minimize the fitness function and therefore provide both thermally and, for the AM process implementation, more suitable laser-beam-path solutions.
This paper summarizes our work aimed at applying different methods sequentially in the evaluation of GFRP (glass fiber reinforced polyester) waste, which is a composite waste according to circular ...economy assumptions. For this aim, the management alternatives that are defined as mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, pyrolysis, and incineration methods are compared using the ANP (Analytic Network Process) and the VIKOR (Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) methods. To show the applicability of the pyrolysis, which was determined as the most appropriate method, experiments were carried out at different temperatures. After the general characterization of the products was conducted, the solid product was used to reproduce GFRP. After a tensile strength test of the GFRP, which was produced using fibers obtained from pyrolysis at 500°C, it was found that it had approximately 43.15% more tensile strength than polyester cast without fiber. Following a further oxidation step, the tensile strength increased by 61.50%. The liquid products have the potential to be used as fuel oil, and the gas product is sufficient to provide the energy requirements of a process plant. Pyrolysis proved to be a profoundly feasible method for not only recovering glass fiber, but also energy from GFRP waste.
One of the important and persistent problems that engineers face in the automotive industry is the reliability of production equipment. This research promotes a new fuzzy multicriteria model for ...determining the priority of failures in an exact manner. In this way, the decision makers can determine the management activities whose application should result in enhanced manufacturing process reliability, promptly. The analysis of failures is based on Failure mode and effects analysis that is extended with added risk factors, which represents the incremental improvement compared to the current literature sources. The relative importance of risk factors and their values are presented by pre‐defined linguistic expressions modelled by the interval type‐2 fuzzy numbers. The assessment of risk factors' relative importance is set as a fuzzy group decision‐making problem. The weights vector is determined by using the extended Best‐Worst Method. The rank of failures is obtained by employing the modified VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija i kompromisno Resenje (Eng. Multi‐criteria optimization and compromise solution) which reflects the scientific contribution of the research, and simultaneously, the second incremental improvement of the proposed model compared to the existing state of the art. These incremental improvements are: (i) The fuzzy algebra rules have been used for determining the group utility value and (ii) and individual regret value is determined by comparing the two interval type‐2 fuzzy numbers. The model testing and verification are performed on real data in an automotive supply chain.
AbstractSemiflowable self-consolidating concrete (SF-SCC) is a new type of self-consolidating concrete with flowability, green strength, and shape-holding ability in the fresh state. SF-SCC is ...cost-effective, energy-efficient, and low-carbon-footprint concrete because vibrators can be eliminated. This paper discusses the fresh, strength (compressive, splitting tensile, and flexure), durability (chloride ion penetration, water absorption, and water penetration), and microstructural properties of SF-SCC mixes with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as the cement replacing material at 10%–50% by weight of cement. The results show that all the mixes complied with the requirements of fresh properties of SF-SCC. The strength and durability results were used to validate the suitability of such SF-SCC mixes for rigid pavement construction as per the specifications of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC). It can be concluded that the mixes with as much as 40% SCBA can be used in urban roads. All the mixes with as much as 50% SCBA can be used in the construction of road pavements in the interior part of rural areas, i.e., village roads. The study also involved Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) analysis for ranking of the mixes.
