Evaluating and Ranking Digital Stores’ Suppliers using TOPKOR Method

Abstract

Due to the expansion of cyberspace in the context of internet use and public access to this platform, many stores try to use the online sales platform to eliminate geographical zones restrictions and the number of intermediaries. This approach has many other advantages such as reducing completed costs, lower shipping costs and faster speed of product delivery, etc. Proper evaluation and suppliers ranking plays an important role in increasing the productivity of these types of stores. This research provides an approach to evaluate and rank suppliers in digital stores using a combination of two multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques called Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPKOR. First, the effective criteria in evaluation and the ranking of suppliers in digital stores are identified and their weights are determined using AHP technique. Then, the score of each supplier in each criterion is determined. Finally, the suppliers are ranked based on TOPKOR technique. The results not only show the final rank of suppliers but also identified 8 criteria for evaluation and ranking the suppliers. Moreover, the results show the criteria of support, easy access and flexibility are the most important in evaluating and ranking digital stores’ suppliers, respectively.