A novel fuzzy reference-neighborhood rough set approach for green supplier development practices

Abstract

Green supplier development (GSD) is an important operational strategy that significantly contributes to environmental performance of the supply chain. However, green supplier evaluation for development, the first step in green supplier development, has not been widely reported in the literature. This article aims to develop a green supplier evaluation methodology for supplier development. Poor suppliers set and weak areas of each supplier are identified so that green supplier development practices can be implemented. This study proposes an environmental evaluation methodology based on environmental performance and environmental practices and use of development priority number to effectively assess suppliers’ green capability. A novel interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers based reference-neighborhood rough set approach is then used to identify the poor supplier set and suppliers’ weak areas. The feasibility of this methodology is illustrated through a case study in a large chemical company. The methodology proposed can guide organizations when developing more specific GSD plans through identifying the poor suppliers and the weak areas.