Sustainable supplier evaluation and selection in developing countries: an integrated fuzzy framework

Abstract

Evaluation and selection of suppliers play a vital role in improving their sustainability performance. In this regard, evaluating the sustainability performance of suppliers is much more critical in developing countries. These countries are among the best destinations for supplying raw materials and workforce utilisation because of lower costs. In recent years, various multi-criteria decision aiding (MCDA) frameworks utilised to evaluate suppliers based on sustainable aspects. However, few studies analysed the evaluation and selection of suppliers' sustainability in an integrated fuzzy MCDA model regarding the supplier selection process and developing nations. This research presents a comprehensive, integrated fuzzy decision model for sustainable supplier evaluation and selection using an integrated FDelphi-FDEMATEL-FANP-FVIKOR by considering sustainability (social, economic and environmental). Also, this research provides a comprehensive analysis of MCDA techniques' literature in terms of the main steps of sustainable supplier selection (e.g., formulation of criteria, handling of criterion's interaction, weight calculation and final selection). The previous research rarely considered the evolution of suppliers' sustainability according to its steps in the literature. This framework assists supply chain managers and practitioners better understand the extraordinary role of these steps on businesses. This research's proposed framework is validated by a numerical example taken from Iran's automotive industry.