Supplier selection using fuzzy association rules mining approach

Abstract

Owing to ill-structured, dynamic environments and the presence of multiple decision-makers with conflicting viewpoints, comprehension, analysis and support of the supplier evaluation process becomes more and more difficult. Moreover, with the complexities of issues such as the role of leadership, the influence of group formation, and analysis of disagreements, it cannot be predictable that there will ever exist a solution to cope with all imprecise, multi-criteria/multi-actor situations. A fuzzy association rules-based approach may be suited for the judgement of human subjects. In this paper, we develop an approach based on Fuzzy Association Rule Mining to support the decision makers by enhancing the flexibility in making decisions for evaluating suppliers with both tangibles and intangibles attributes. Also, by checking the fuzzy classification rules, the goal of knowledge acquisition can be achieved in a framework in which assessments could be established without constraints, and consequently checked and compared in several details. The efficacy and intricacy of the proposed model for finding fuzzy association rules from the database for supplier assessment is demonstrated with the help of numerical examples.