A Group Intuitionistic Fuzzy Exponential TODIM Method Considering Attribute Interactions Applied to Green Building Material Supplier Selection

Abstract

Green building, driven by the goal of sustainable development, has prompted extensive attention to be paid to the environmental impact of its materials. However, some of the traditional methods of evaluating building material suppliers and attribute systems are not able to adapt to the new issues arising from the green context. This paper aims to provide a new solution for selecting green building material suppliers to enhance the green efficiency of buildings. Specifically, this paper presents a framework for evaluating and selecting suppliers of green building materials that meet the criteria of environmental friendliness and sustainability. A comprehensive evaluation attribute system is established, encompassing cost, quality, service level, delivery capability, and green and sustainable ability. Additionally, a group decision-making method based on the exponential TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for Interactive and Multi-attribute Decision Making) and intuitionistic fuzzy numbers is developed to integrate expert opinions from diverse domains. Intuitionistic fuzzy numbers represent an extension of traditional fuzzy sets, offering a means of more fully and accurately responding to the inherent vagueness and hesitancy of human thinking. They can often prove invaluable when faced with problems containing uncertainty. Moreover, to obtain more precise attribute weights, the λ-fuzzy measure, Choquet integral, and Shapley value are employed to consider attribute interactions. Subsequently, a selection case involving six timber suppliers was proposed. Subsystem analysis was employed to ascertain the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various suppliers, with a view to facilitating future improvements. The findings indicated that green and sustainability capability attributes exert a considerable influence on the selection of green building material suppliers. Consequently, suppliers distinguished under this standard may encounter challenges in attaining exemplary rankings. Comparative analysis and robustness analysis have demonstrated the efficacy, superiority, and stability of the proposed framework. The findings of this paper can provide a reference for companies engaged in or planning to develop green buildings and help them choose green building material suppliers, which can help them achieve the expected green building efficiency and promote the sustainable development of the industry.