Optimal Multi-Response Problems on the Improved TOPSIS Method

Abstract

Taguchi method, as a cost-effective method for off-line quality control, especially the quadratic loss function shows loss of quality directly. However, most previous Taguchi method applications often deal with single-response problem, but few of them pay attention to multi-response problem. In fact, there are always more than one response exist in product or process design, and TOPSIS (Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) method is a popular multiple attribute decision making (MADM) methodology. In conventional TOPSIS method, responses are usually transformed into loss of quality, and then normalized by the largest quality loss. However, for nominal-the-best (NTB) problem, it's not a reasonable methodology. The proposed method is based on TOPSIS and makes an improvement to adapt to NTB response. The improved TOPSIS method is illustrated by an example from literature, and the result indicates its reasonableness and effectiveness.