ANP based sustainable concept selection

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a study in which analytical network process (ANP) was used for selecting the best concept from sustainability view point. Design/methodology/approach – The concept selection in the sustainability viewpoint is a typical multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem involving complex interrelationship among the decision criteria. The formulated MCDM problem of sustainable concept selection was solved using ANP. The sensitivity analysis was also being conducted to validate the results. Findings – The interrelationship among the decision criteria was analyzed using ANP, and the best alternative was selected based on the computation of Product Sustainability Weighted Index (PSWI). The selected best alternative was subjected to implementation in the case organization. Research limitations/implications – The study deals with the formulation of sustainable concept selection as a typical MCDM problem and providing solutions using ANP. The best alternative “weight reduction” was subjected to implementation. The developed MCDM problem also could be solved using hybrid MCDM methods. Practical implications – The study focuses on selecting the best sustainability concept for an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization. Hence, the inferences being derived from the study are practically feasible and contribute toward the improvement of product sustainability. Originality/value – The formulation of a hierarchical model for sustainable concept selection as MCDM problem and generating solution using ANP is the contribution of the authors.