An application of fuzzy-logic and grey-relational ANP-based SWOT in the ceramic and tile industry

Abstract

This paper presents a quantitative basis to analytically determine the ranking of factors through strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making method known as analytic network process (ANP). The ANP approach is chosen due to its promising capability in modelling potential dependencies among SWOT factors. This study is conducted for the first time in a ceramic and tile industry to determine the most important influential factors affecting the performance. Moreover, the prior mentioned presents unique factors to take into account the inherent uncertainty of human decision making processes via fuzzy logic. The possible benefits of the presented study are: (1) an increased level of exports in the tile and ceramic industry, (2) selecting the best investment opportunities on valuable, inimitable, and irreplaceable resource, and (3) the formulation of a competitive strategy on the basis of existing potentials in the company and throughout the industry. To achieve these aims, grey-relational and fuzzy logic are utilized as well. The proposed approaches are applied and tested for the first time on an Iranian ceramic and tile company as a case study. Finally, the applicability of the proposed approach is investigated by obtaining and identifying the most and the least important strategies. The results indicate that the proposed fuzzy logic and grey relational ANP-based SWOT are highly capable and applicable approaches in providing valuable insights for strategic decisions in the ceramic and tile industries.