Fuzzy Method to Improve Products and Processes Considering the Approach of Sustainable Development (FQE-SD Method)

Abstract

Assumptions of the concept of sustainable development should include actions towards the development of modern, well-managed enterprises. However, making decisions in this area is difficult as it often results from subjective assessments of environmental problems. Hence, there is a motivation to develop a method of analysing the search for solutions to environmental problems that supports decisions in the area of improving the quality of products or processes while considering their impacts on the natural environment. In view of the specification of this problem, it was considered that this method should be conducted in a fuzzy decision environment. This method is called FQE-SD (fuzzy qualitatively environmentally sustainable development). This method integrated, in a hybrid way, the selected tools or elements of qualitative and multi-criteria decision methods, i.e., using the SMARTER method, brainstorming (BM), a method to select the team of experts, the Pareto-Lorenz analysis, the fuzzy QE-FMEA method, and the fuzzy AHP method. The main contribution of the FQE-SD method is its hybrid methodology, which supports: (i) a coherent and objective approach during the identification, analyses, and ranking of the causes of incompatibility of products or processes and (ii) the realization of the sustainable development of products or processes. The method was tested using the magnetic-powder test (MT). This control was carried out for producers of an outer bearing made fromAMS6470 steel. The results of this work confirmed the practical possibilities of applying the FQE-SD method. This method can also be applied to other production situations, if appropriate assumptions are made.