Solving Multicriteria Group Decision-Making (MCGDM) Problems Based on Ranking with Partial Information

Abstract

This paper presents an interactive Decision Support System for solving multicriteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problems, based on partial information obtained from the decision makers (DMs). The decision support tool was built based on the concept of flexible elicitation of the FITradeoff method, with graphical visualization features and a user-friendly interface. The decision model is based on searching for dominance relations between alternatives, according to the preferential information obtained from the decision-makers from tradeoff questions. A partial (or complete) ranking of the alternatives is built based on these dominance relations, which are obtained from linear programming models. The system shows, at each interaction, an overview of the process, with the partial results for all decision-makers. The visualization of the individual rankings by all DMs can help them to achieve an agreement during the process, since they will be able to see how their preferred alternatives are in the ranking of the other DMs. The applicability of the system is illustrated here with a problem for selecting a package to improve safety of oil tankers.