Analytical Hierarchy Procedure Research Articles

Identification and mapping of groundwater recharge zones using multi influencing factor and analytical hierarchy process.

The management of groundwater systems is essential for nations that rely on groundwater as the principal source of communal water supply (e.g., Mohmand District of Pakistan). The work employed Remote Sensing and GIS datasets to ascertain the groundwater recharge zones (GWRZ) in the Mohmand District of Pakistan. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the impact of geology and hydrologic factors on the variability of the GWRZ. The GWRZ was determined by employing weighted overlay analysis on thematic maps derived from datasets about drainage density, slope, geology, rainfall, lineament density, land use/land cover, and soil types. The use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) involves the utilization of the multi-influencing factor (MIF) and analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) to allocate weights to the selected influencing factors. The MIF data found that very high groundwater recharge spanned 1.20%, high zones covered 40.44%, moderate zones covered 50.81%, and low zones covered 7.54%. In comparison, the AHP technique results suggest that 1.81% of the whole area is very high, 33.26 is high, 55.01% is moderate, and 9.92% has low groundwater potential. The geospatial-assisted multi-influencing factor approach helps increase conceptual knowledge of groundwater resources and evaluate possible groundwater zones.

Flood Monitoring and Mapping in the Ghatal Region of West Bengal, India

Abstract The Ghatal block of Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal, India experiences frequent flooding due to the overflow of the rivers Dwarakeswar, Rupnarayan, Shilabati, and their tributaries. Although the Ghatal master plan was prepared and the foundation stone was placed in 1982 to reduce the flood vulnerability in this region, the plan is still not being implemented. To determine the flood vulnerability in the Ghatal block, very few research investigations have been carried out. The previous studies just applied a successful scientific methodology to evaluate flood risk; they did not engage in participatory research with local community perception. Hence, a thorough investigation is needed to manage floods in a way that increases community resilience. Using a comparative review and the geographic information system (GIS), the study seeks to identify the flood-prone locations in the Ghatal block, which is essential for flood management in any region. The article uses a multi-criteria analysis to pinpoint probable flood hazard regions. Seven parameters are used in the study to carry out the multi-criteria analytical hierarchy procedure. Based on their relative importance for the event, the criteria’s weights are determined using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method, and a Suitability Index is prepared. The index indicates that the severe problem of river flooding in the Ghatal block of Paschim Medinipur needs to be looked after on an urgent basis and with path-breaking solutions, especially for the Ghatal municipality and the various gram panchayats such as Irpala, Mansuka-I, Monoharpur-I, Ajobnagar-I, Mohonpur, Dewanchak-I and the North-Eastern part of Sultanpur and the Southern part of Dewanchak-II.

Evaluation of potentially susceptible flooding areas leveraging geospatial technology with multicriteria decision analysis in Edo State, Nigeria

Floods have claimed lives and devastated societal and ecological systems. Because of their catastrophic tendency and the financial and fatalities they cause, floods have become more and more significant on a global scale in recent years. In Edo State, Nigeria, flooding is a frequent threat that happens annually and seriously damages both lives and property. While the potential of flooding cannot entirely be eliminated, geospatial-based technologies can greatly lessen its effects. In Nigeria's flood-prone Edo State, the study's objectives are to identify inundated places and provide nuanced mapping of the flood risk. To facilitate the determination of the flood risk index (FRI), the study's fundamental flood-predictive features were determined by taking into consideration elevation, slope, distance from the river, rainfall intensity, land use/land cover, soil texture, topographic roughness index, topographic wetness index, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), runoff coefficient, aspect, drainage capacity, flow accumulation, the sediment transport index, and the stream power index. The significance of each predictive factor in the analytic hierarchy procedure (AHP) was determined by gathering expert views and perspectives from public entities. A flood threat map was created by processing the gathered data using the AHP and the ArcGIS 10.5 framework. The multicollinearity (MC) estimation was applied to assess the model's predictability. The results of the FRI showed that there were high and extremely severe flood risk zones that affected roughly 26 and 9% of the area, respectively. Flood risks have been identified as predominant in the Edo south region of the study area, which is characterized by low elevation and slope, high drainage capacity, distance from the river, topographic wetness, and index. It showed that the model's resultant vulnerability to flooding maps agreed with past flood occurrences that were previously experienced in the research area, demonstrating the technique's efficacy in locating and mapping locations plagued by flooding. Linear regression (R2) analysis was further conducted on the FRI to evaluate the scientific reliability of the utilized methodology; this shows 0.816 (81.6%) dependability. Consequently, frequent and long-lasting implementation of flooding predictions, warning systems, and mitigation strategies may be achieved.

How do purchase preferences moderate the impact of time and price sensitivity on the purchase intention of customers on online-to-offline (O2O) delivery platforms?

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to test the impact of time and price sensitivity on consumer satisfaction and purchase intention on online-to-offline (O2O) takeout platforms and explore the moderating effect of purchase preference on time sensitivity and satisfaction, as well as price sensitivity and satisfaction, in order to guide market pricing.Design/methodology/approachA structural equation model (SEM) of customer purchase intention was constructed, and the relationships between the variables (time sensitivity, price sensitivity, satisfaction and purchase intention) were examined. The completed questionnaires of 349 respondents were collected from the Questionnaire Star platform in China. The research model and hypotheses were then tested. Analytic hierarchy procedure was used to determine the moderating effect of purchase preference. Finally, the study proposes a pricing strategy for customer-active selective services.FindingsSatisfaction positively influences purchase intention, and price sensitivity significantly increases satisfaction and further increases purchase intention; however, time sensitivity negatively affects satisfaction. Specifically, purchase preference has strongly moderated the relationship between time, price sensitivity and satisfaction. In addition, the findings show that when purchase preference is high, the effect of price sensitivity on satisfaction is stronger, suggesting the importance of purchase preference in strengthening purchase intentions. The research work recommends a pricing strategy involving value-added pricing primarily for time-sensitive customers, which can help build a high-end brand image and reduce price competition. Reduced pricing is mainly for price-sensitive customers, which is conducive to stimulating consumption within a specific time. This pricing strategy is important for adjusting market sensitivity and flexibility.Originality/valueThis research provides new ideas for related disciplines and guidance for the differentiated pricing and promotion of takeout platforms, as well as a theoretical basis for the diversified development of takeout platforms, improvement of personalized service quality and enhancement of customer stickiness. This study fills gaps in the existing literature on the moderating effect of purchase preference on time sensitivity and satisfaction and price sensitivity and satisfaction.

Risk Prioritizing Method at the Stage of Qualitative Risk Analysis in the Process of Project Implementation

Current trends in project management include risk management in the process of project implementation. After identifying the risks of the project, the task arises to identify the most dangerous risks for the project out of all numerous risks, in order to subsequently take planned actions to avoid them or reduce their impact. This objective – the task of prioritizing (ranking) risks – is reached at the stage of qualitative risk analysis. As a rule, the danger (importance) of risks is determined by the risk magnitude, which depends on the occurrence probability of a risky event and the impact of risk on the main target parameters of the project. However, due to the peculiarities of the methods of determining the amount of risk at the stage of qualitative analysis, the problems of prioritizing several risks having an equal amount of risk often arise. Moreover, there are no rules or recommendations on how to practically act in such cases and prioritization is carried out with a high degree of subjectivity. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose a new risk prioritization method that project teams could practically use at the stage of qualitative risk analysis in these cases. This improvement in qualitative risk analysis methods will expand the ability of project participants to manage risks, reduce subjectivity in decision-making and, accordingly, improve the quality of project implementation. To do this a risk prioritization method based on the use of the analytical hierarchy procedure proposed by T. Saaty is suggested. This method consists in decomposition of the problem to be solved – obtaining hierarchies, and synthesis based on either quantitative estimates or relative judgments. Additional parameters (criteria) are considered for implementation of this method that characterize the compared risks, as well as the value coefficients of these criteria in the overall assessment. Based on the estimates obtained for each criterion and each risk, an overall score is calculated taking into account certain weighting factors of the criteria for each risk. As a result, according to the estimates obtained, risks are prioritized. The use of such a procedure enables reaching a reasonable decision, obtained not by means of simple conclusions, but on the basis of comparative assessments of each risk. This, accordingly, reduces subjectivity of risk prioritization. The proposed method is described in detail in the article and can be used in real projects.

Evaluation of Four Tillage Methods Operating parameters by Overall index using Analytical Hierarchy Procedure and Compromise Programming Technique in the Gezira Heavy Clay Soils

This work was excuted during seasons 2018/2019, and 2019/2020, in Tayba Block-the Sudan - Gezira central clay plains, to evaluate the field operation performance of four land preparation methods using three tillage equipment: chisel plow "intensive tillage", disc harrow "medium tillage", ridger "minimum or reduced tillage" and no tillage machine. An overall operation index is estimated from four measured machine operating characteristics. Diagnosis of land preparation methods was made using analytical hierarchy method for weight assignment for assignment of relative weights for the operating parameters, and compromise programming technique for ranking of tillage methods. The experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment with RCBD, the LSD test at 1%and 5 % was used to compare between means. Results indicate that no significant differences (P<0.05) in field efficiency between Chisel plow and ridger and harrow showed the least efficiency value. There is significant differences in fuel consumption rate between all treatments with highest consumption is by Chisel plow and lowest is by ridger. The significantly highest rear wheel slippage is attained by ridger while there is no significant differences in that resulted from chisel or disc harrow. The significantly highest field capacity (P<0.05) is attained by ridger followed by harrow and then chisel plow. The analytical hierarchy procedure ranked the machines operation indicators in descending order by weight values of 1.02, 0.62, 0.29 and 0.12 for. Multi-criteria analysis by compromise programming technique results in overall indices of tillage equipments: ridger, chisel plow, disc harrow in descending values of 67.53, 61.00, and 57.29 respectively. The overall performance index (OPI) for the operation of the agricultural equipment could be used to take the tillage decision-making process by selecting the most effective machinery to give optimum seed bed with minimum energy input. However, it is not possible to calculate the overall index for no tillage method because without using a machine there is no fuel consumption, no field efficiency, no field capacity, and no wheel slippage. This imply that for heavy clay soils of Gezira Scheme and in other similar environments it is recommended to use reduced tillage "ridging only" as the most technically feasible tillage method, other wise use chisel plowing if funds are available.

THE INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY ANALYTIC HIERARCHY MODEL FOR NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY DECISION MAKING PROBLEM

Despite the fact that smoking is the main cause of tobacco-related death, the smoking population continues to rise. To address this problem, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) was established as a smoking cessation method to reduce the number of smokers. NRT decision-making process requires a large amount of data. However, very little attention has been paid to NRT decision-making using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) to assist health decision-makers. To address this issue, a systematic MCDM procedure was utilised to examine the decision-making dilemma in NRT. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used to provide more comprehensive findings. The current work utilised the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Procedure (IF-AHP) approach to provide a more systematic, comprehensive, and adaptable decision-making process. To capture fuzziness, ambiguity in decision-making, and vagueness of information caused by human language and issue subjectivity, the intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) was employed. The present case study illustrated the suggested model's practicality in coping with uncertainty in NRT decision making process. The suggested model fit the local environment and was validated using the NRT decision-making issue. Findings from this study also suggest that the IF-AHP approach is an appropriate decision tool in NRT decision-making process.

Measurement and optimization of multi-attribute characteristics in milling epoxy granite composites using rsm and combined ahp-topsis

Epoxy granite composites with its wide range of applications in machine tool industries are manufactured by molding process and require post cast machining operations to meet the desired dimensional accuracy for assembly of machine tool structures. In this research work, milling of epoxy granite composites are carried out based on the experimental design from Response Surface Methodology (RSM) techniques and further the optimal solutions are determined by a novel hybrid algorithm AHP-TOPSIS. Central Composite Design (CCD) model is applied with three factors-three levels and the measured output responses are thrust force, tangential force and surface roughness. Experimental combinations of 20 different trials are performed using high speed steel end mill cutter of diameter 10 mm with three levels of input parameters: speed; fibre content and feed rate at a uniform depth of cut. The relative importance matrix formulated proved to be highly consistent with its consistency ratio to a maximum of 0.000641 which lies below the higher range of 0.1. Consistency ratio of 0.000641 reveals that the optimal solutions determined will be highly reliable and the decision making is much more judicious. Optimal solution determined from hybrid AHP-TOPSIS methods are: speed 1800 rpm; feed rate 0.03 m min−1 and 0% percent fibre content. Functional relationships among parameters and responses established by RSM are consistent upto 95% and its significance is tested by analysis of variance. Comparison among predicted and experimental values of three measured responses convey that the percentage variations are minimum with up to 2.03% for surface roughness, 2.50% for thrust force and 2.71% for tangential force components. This research work provides a systematic procedure and clear framework for determination of optimal machining conditions by hybrid methodology on the basis of technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) combined with analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) for attribute weights and further analyzes the influence of machining parameters over measured responses.

Bionic design of the tower for wind turbine

The study obtains a methodology for the bionic design of the tower for wind turbines. To verify the rationality of the biological selection, the Analytic Hierarchy Procedure (AHP) is applied to calculate the similarity between the bamboo and the tower. Creatively, a bionic bamboo tower (BBT) is presented, which is equipped with four reinforcement ribs and five flanges. Further, finite element analysis is employed to comparatively investigate the performance of the BBT and the original tower (OT) in the static and dynamic. Through the investigation, it is suggested that the maximum deformation and maximum stress can be reduced by 5.93 and 13.75% of the BBT. Moreover, this approach results in 3% and 1.1% increase respectively in the First two natural frequencies and overall stability.

Assessing long-term land cover changes in watershed by spatiotemporal fusion of classifications based on probability propagation: The case of Dniester river basin

Broad-scale land cover classifications created by using satellite imagery are recognized as important and necessary input to land cover mapping. Evaluation of land cover changes is essential for sustainable watershed management. In this research, a framework for quantitative assessment of long-term land cover changes over large areas is developed. A key feature of the framework is a spatiotemporal fusion of classifications. Herein, a method to resolve the inconsistency of land cover classes at overlapped multi-segment and multi-temporal classifications by considering their probability propagation is proposed. The framework was applied in assessing long-term land cover changes in the Dniester river basin. Two land cover maps, for 2002 and 2018, were obtained with overall accuracy of 81.42% and 81.30%, respectively. The subsequent analysis and quantitative assessment of sixteen-year land cover changes by T. Saaty's analytic hierarchy procedure resulted in a map of the significance of these long-term land cover changes for the Dniester river basin. The major part of the basin (81.6%) exhibits no changes. Land cover changes maintaining favorable conditions for watershed appear over 10.5% of the area, while harmful changes occur over 7.9% of the territory.

Multi-Criteria Selection of Suitable Institutional Solid Waste Collection Sites: A Case of KNUST Campus, Kumasi, Ghana

Solid waste receptacles siting is becoming increasingly difficult due to increase in population and infrastructure development that has limited available space for waste collection. This study focused on selection of environmentally friendly sites for waste receptacle placement in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) based on multi-criteria decision analysis in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. ArcGIS software was used in overlaying different thematic maps in order to generate suitable areas for siting communal containers and small bins. Environmental criteria considered include river bodies, vegetation, road network, buildings, car park and slope. The analytical hierarchy procedure was used to determine the weight of each criterion used in finding the suitable sites. The final suitability maps generated showed areas deemed suitable for siting communal containers and small bins. Out of the total land area of KNUST (10.35 km2), 0.86 km2 representing 8.31% was suitable for siting small bins. For communal containers, the final suitability map indicated that 1.69 km2 (16.33%) and 0.73 km2 (7.05%) of the total land area were suitable and most suitable sites respectively. The findings from this study serve as guidance tool for environmentally friendly solid waste receptacle siting and good health promotion with efficient land use planning.

Machining parameter selection in milling epoxy granite composites based on AHP

Abstract Machine tool structures fabricated with new alternate material epoxy granite has been developed to enhance the damping characteristics, stability and reduction in weight. Machining of epoxy granite composites (EGCs) has been critical by considering its heterogeneous nature. An optimization problem with multiple attributes has become a critical issue in selection of optimal solution due to the varying characteristics among attributes. Decision making model, Analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) is employed in selection of optimal machining condition in milling EGCs. Evaluation factors consisting attributes that influences machining process such as thrust force, tangential force and surface roughness are only considered. Computation from AHP method reveals that experimental run 3 is the desired optimal solution with the optimal machining conditions of speed 600 rpm; feed rate 0.09 m/min and 4% fiber content.

Hazard ranking of the UNESCO world heritage sites (WHSs) in Europe by multicriteria analysis

PurposeAim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of UNESCO Periodic Reports for the assessment of hazards affecting the UNESCO world heritage sites (WHSs) and to rank the most critical WHSs in Europe through multicriteria analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe Periodic Reports represent the available continental-scale knowledge on hazards that threaten the WHSs in Europe and include 13 different natural threats. The information included in these reports has been first validated with high-quality data available in Italy for volcanoes, landslides, and earthquakes. Starting from the Periodic Reports, a multicriteria hazard analysis has been developed by using the analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) approach. This analysis allows to identify and to rank the most critical WHSs at the European scale.FindingsThe data provided by Periodic Reports are demonstrated to be a good starting point for a continental-scale analysis of the actual distribution of natural threats affecting WHSs in Europe. The Periodic Reports appear to be reliable enough for a first-order assessment of hazards. The general overview of the hazard at the European scale shows high value of hazard index in the Eastern Mediterranean area and Balkans, due to a combination of earthquakes and landslides. The most at danger cultural site is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the most at danger natural site is Norway.Originality/valueThe paper gives a contribution to improve the continental-scale knowledge on hazards affecting the UNESCO heritage sites. The assessment of hazard inside the WHSs is an important task for the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, and it is important for UNESCO to achieve some of its goals. Through this research, European WHSs have been ranked according to their degree of hazard.

Energy performance analysis and low carbon retrofit solutions for residential buildings

The aim of this paper is to investigate the energy performance of residential buildings, through a case study of a typical domestic house located in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. The building’s energy performance is simulated and analysed using the DesignBuilder software. The study then performs a parametric analysis, in which deviation in various parameters is compared against the current situation in the thermal, cooling load and total energy requirements. The significance of changing each parameter is evaluated by considering the energy balance. Finally, the study uses the Analytical Hierarchy Procedure (AHP) to choose the best sustainable retrofit option in order to reduce the carbon footprint in a domestic house. The alternatives considered are sealing the building envelope (installing cavity-wall insulation), on-site energy generation (solar PVTs), installation of energy efficient appliances, and home monitoring with smart meters. The procedure suggests a solution that best meets the criteria of cost, greenhouse gases emissions reduction, and ease of installation. The case study suggests that smart meters monitoring is the best option, followed by cavity-wall insulation.

A 2D GIS Approach for Mapping Aquiferous Zones Using Remotely Sensed Data within Obubra, Southeast-Nigeria

Groundwater is vital to the sustenance and well-being of man-kind, although it is constantly under immense pressure. For this reason, there is need to develop an effective, reliable, scientific and sustainable means of delineating zones of groundwater occurrence and distribution with high precision in other to effectively explore for this resource. In this study, remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) have been combined to develop thematic maps of the zones of groundwater occurrence and distribution based on variable factors such as; elevation, drainage, lineament, slope, lithology and soil. The analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) was employed to classify and subsequently assign weight to each variable factor through weighted overlay analysis. Integration of these factors with their relative classes defined was used to produce a 2D-model for predicting surface aquifers mapped within Obubra. The study delineated three (3) surface aquifer zones representing groundwater potential zones. Zones representing high groundwater potential cover an area of approximately 331.94 Km2, accounting for 29.58% of the study area. The region that represents moderate to good groundwater occurrence and distribution covers an estimated area of approximately 648.42 Km2, occupying 57.78% of the study area. Zones with groundwater of low potential account for a total surface area of approximately 141.81 Km2 which is about 12.64% of the entire study area. Regions that show good to moderate and high groundwater potentials, have a wider distribution all across the study area except at the southernmost part. The study therefore shows that it is effective in delineating surface potential zones and hitherto a 2D surface aquifer model for groundwater exploration campaigns within Obubra and its environs.

The Comparative Significance of Contingencies to Quality Management

The purpose of this research is to examine the relative effect of contingencies such as organizational characteristics and business environment on the implementation of quality management system in business. The predictor variables affect the adoption of quality management system at different levels. Nonetheless, these influential levels have not been assessed and compared amongst the predictor variables. This research uses the analytic hierarchy procedure to evaluate and rank the comparative importance that the predictor variables play in implementing quality management system in business. Then for the robustness of the findings from the analytic hierarchy procedure, this research also employs mean-test procedures to re-assesses the relative importance levels. The findings are robust across the two methods. Organizational characteristics are more important than business environment in explaining the implementation of quality management system. Of the twelve elements of organizational characteristics and environmental uncertainty, decentralization is the most imperative; whereas technology is the least essential. This research has some implications on how business executives should adopt quality management system facing different types of organizational characteristics and business environment.

Household-oriented benefits largely outweigh commercial benefits derived from cattle in Mabalane District, Mozambique

In Sub-Saharan Africa, research aimed at improving household livelihoods through cattle often targets commercial benefits while neglecting household-oriented benefits. The latter are rarely articulated, and their comprehensive role in livelihoods is little understood by policymakers. The main aim of this study was to assess household-oriented benefits of cattle as a basis for formulating appropriate policies. Data were collected from 192 households selected through multistage random sampling in Mabalane District of Mozambique in 2009. The main objectives of cattle raising were identified and ranked in order of importance by using the analytical hierarchy procedure. The vast majority (98%) of households kept cattle primarily to derive various types of household-oriented benefits such as draft power, financing, insurance, saving, social status and bridewealth. Only 2% of households kept cattle mainly for commercial benefits. The households secured financing, insurance and saving primarily by capital accumulation through herd expansion, for example after a good crop harvest, using the profit to purchase a young calf, an ox or a heifer. Households reporting social prestige as an important objective for raising cattle were mainly those already with high social status. In Mabalane District, a large herd of cattle is considered evidence of one’s ability to manage communally owned resources. This suggests that the functions of draft power, financing, insurance and saving play important roles in the livelihoods of most of agro-pastoral households in Mozambique—arguably more important than meat and milk. The reliance on financing, insurance and saving benefits of cattle, as well as the low level of milk and meat marketing, could be explained by the low level of development within the district, exacerbated by the civil war that ended in the 1990s.

Dependence of Knowledge Management on Organizational Characteristics

Organizational structure and organizational culture are factors forming organizational characteristics, which are determinants of knowledge management. Prior research has explored the influence of organizational structure and organizational culture on the management of knowledge; however none of them have evaluated the relative importance of organizational culture and structure to the management of knowledge. The current project attempts to re-investigate the relations of the knowledge management with organizational structure and culture by using the multiple linear regressions. Especially, it applies the analytic hierarchy procedure to rank the comparative significance between organizational structure and organizational culture to the knowledge management. The data for analyses was obtained from 101 publicly listed firms in Vietnamese Stock Exchanges. The findings provide statistically significant evidence on the influences of organizational culture and structure on the knowledge management and the influential levels are different. This research makes some contributions. For theoretical aspect, the findings offer new evidence on the relative importance between organizational structure and organizational culture to the knowledge management that is organizational culture more important than organizational structure in boosting the implementation of knowledge management in business. On practical aspect, the empirical findings will help executives come to better decisions in the management of knowledge conditional on kinds of organizational characteristics.

Effects of inventory classifications on CONWIP system: a case study

This paper studies the effects of integrating four inventory classification methods into constant work-in-process (CONWIP) systems in a multistage batch production. The inventory classification methods are multiple closed-loop CONWIP (MCC), parallel CONWIP (PC), analytical hierarchy procedure, and weighted linear optimization (WLO). Discrete-event simulation models were built. A full-factorial experimental design was employed. Response surface methodology generated suitable regression models for performance comparison of different ABC analysis methods. In the second stage of experiment, the ABC analysis methods from the first stage were fine-tuned and compared. PC and WLO are the most preferred methods because of higher total outputs, lower work-in-process levels, and shorter flow times compared with the other two methods. However, the revenue accrued through WLO is higher than that accrued via PC. This study complements existing literature on price setting in manufacturing organizations by delineating classification of finished goods based on both exogenous and production factors.

SELECTION OF VARIOGRAM MODEL FOR SPATIAL RAINFALL MAPPING USING ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCEDURE (AHP)

In geostatistical analysis, spatial interpolation at any unmeasured point is done using the parameters of a variogram model that matches the experimental data. Several variogram models can be used and the accuracy of the spatial map produced depends on the selection of the most appropriate variogram model that fits the spatial distribution of the experimental data. Therefore, in this study, a multiple-criteria decision-making method, Analytical Hierarchy Procedure (AHP), is used to evaluate and select the best variogram model for mapping spatial rainfall in the upper reaches of the Kelang River basin in Malaysia. Using daily rainfall data from 71 rain gauge stations, geostatistical analysis was done with the Ordinary Kriging interpolation method and 5 alternatives of variogram models, namely Spherical, Tetraspherical, Pentaspherical, Exponential and Gaussian for spatial rainfall mapping. The accuracy of the spatial rainfall map was evaluated using four criteria of spatial interpolation error indicators, which are Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE), Average Standard Error (ASE), Mean Standardized Error (MSE) and Root-Mean-Square Standardized Error (RMSSE). The results showed that the Spherical model was ranked at the top for producing the best spatial rainfall map of the study area.