Forklift selection by multi-criteria decision-making methods

Abstract

A forklift is a very important and common equipment for transporting materials in many different locations such as workshops, warehouses, supermarkets, etc. This equipment has the effects of reducing labor consumption of workers, ensuring the safety of goods and improving labor efficiency. That is why forklift selection is very important. In order to choose a forklift, it is necessary to consider many parameters such as lifting capacity, lifting height, travel speed, safety level, price, maintenance cost, level of impact on the environment, ease of use, etc. However, today there are many types of forklifts on the market, these forklifts have different specifications and prices, making it difficult for shoppers to choose a product in many available types. This study has applied multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods for forklift selection. Two MCDM methods having been used are the COCOSO (Combined Compromise Solution) method and PIV (Proximity Indexed Value) method. Two different methods having also been used to calculate the weights for the criteria are the ENTROPY method and MEREC (Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria) method. The selection of the best type of forklift applies to the six available types. Six criteria having been used to describe each alternative are lifting height, maximum lifting height, minimum lifting height, fork length, fork width, and price. Each MCDM method will be used in combination with two weight methods. Thus, the ranking results of forklifts are shown in four different series of numbers. An amazing result has occurred that the best and worst forklifts have been consistently determined to be the same in all cases examined. This is the outstanding advantage of the COCOSO and PIV methods compared to other MCDM methods.