Decision Making Trial And Evaluation Laboratory Method Research Articles

Group hierarchical DEMATEL method for reaching consensus

Most existing decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) methods are only suitable for small and simple systems, and do not consider whether expert consensus has been reached. In this study, a group hierarchical DEMATEL method is designed for reaching consensus in complex systems. The hierarchical DEMATEL method is extended from individual decisions to group decisions and its decision-making process is analyzed. Then, the limitations of expert knowledge and experience are considered, and the basic probability distribution (BPA) function is employed to obtain judgment opinions on each level of the system. The initial direct-relation (IDR) matrix construction method is designed and a consensus-reaching method is constructed from three levels of the hierarchical system. For reaching consensus, the process of feedback adjustment is established with the help of an automatic opinion correction mechanism. The steps of the group hierarchical DEMATEL method for reaching consensus are summarized by following the principle of the classical DEMATEL method. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method and algorithms, indicating that it can improve decision-making efficiency for complex systems.

Selection of Business Process Modeling Tool with the Application of Fuzzy DEMATEL and TOPSIS Method

The business process modeling tool selection problem has a significant impact on the overall performance of enterprise business process modeling, which will directly affect the development of enterprise information systems. Apart from that, the process to select the business process modeling tool from all alternatives is a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem. This paper develops a methodology based on the hybrid fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to help companies select the optimal business process modeling tool, where the business process modeling process is more efficient, economic and safe. The proposed method has the following state-of-the-art contributions and features: (1) the latest application of the MCDM methodology to the field of BPM tool selection, (2) addressing the direct and indirect impact between criteria in the selection of BPM tools, and (3) considering the hybrid fuzzy (uncertainty) decision-making issue in the BPM tool selection process. Meanwhile, the mathematical formula in TOPSIS can be regarded as a formula for solving a symmetric problem. The hybrid fuzzy DEMATEL method is used to obtain the weight for the criteria to be considered in the BPM tool selection process, and the TOPSIS method is used to obtain the final business process modeling tool.

Analysis of causal relations of marine accidents during ship navigation under pilotage: A DEMATEL approach

Marine accidents cause many irreversible losses for life, property, and the environment. Moreover, accidents occurred in coastal areas cause even more. As a precaution, marine pilotage plays a key role in the safety of navigation. However, accidents still occur in coastal areas even if the pilot is on board. The paper, therefore, focuses on ship accidents that occurred while pilot is on board. In addition to pilot, as many complicated factors affect ship navigation in coastal areas and contribute ship accidents, solving intertwined relations between factors is essential to understanding accidents reasons. In this study, 32 factors contributing to ship accidents were identified based on accident investigation reports obtained from Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) and expert opinion. These factors were analyzed by using DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method to solve causal relations between factors. The findings showed that the human and ship related factors are the most significant main categories in the accidents under pilotage. In addition, their sub-categories which are crew training, ship condition, length over all, ship draught, master experience, pilot experience, and bridge team management have the most critical effect on the occurrence of accidents. It was concluded that there is a need for highly collaborative and fruitful relationship between master and pilot to provide safe navigation. Accordingly, effective control and preventive measures, which also provide a deeper understanding of safety management in the dangerous water are extensively discussed. Consequently, the obtained results provide valuable information for maritime transportation safety.

A data-driven method for modeling human factors in maritime accidents by integrating DEMATEL and FCM based on HFACS: A case of ship collisions

A data-driven method is proposed to measure the static and dynamic interrelations between human factors contributing to maritime accidents. The proposed method integrates the superiorities of the HFACS (Human Factors Analysis and Classification System), DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory), and FCM (Fuzzy Cognitive Map). First, a maritime accident scenario is defined based on 240 ship collision accident reports, then the human factors at different levels are identified and structured within the HFACS framework under the guidance of grounded theory. Second, the DEMATEL method is adopted to determine the causal relationship between human factors and the importance ranking of each factor based on historical accident statistics. The FCM model is developed in the end to realize dynamic prediction and diagnostic inference of human factors involved in maritime accidents. More objective and realistic results are presented by applying the proposed method without the necessity of expert judgment. The results show that “Lookout negligence”, “Poor safety management practice of the shipping company”, and “Failure to take effective collision avoidance actions promptly” are the top three important human factors, additionally, “Not familiar with COLREG” has the highest influencing degree and “Lookout negligence” has the highest influenced degree in the human factors network.

Unveiling the relation between the challenges and benefits of operational excellence and industry 4.0: a hybrid fuzzy decision-making approach

PurposeOperational excellence (OpEx) is a direction toward learning and developing an excellent culture in all aspects of an organization. To reach this culture, revolutionizing activities using industry 4.0 (i4.0) technologies might be a significant empowering tool. This study aims to identify the challenges and benefits of both concepts and investigate their interrelationship to be considered in applying industry 4.0 technologies toward operational excellence.Design/methodology/approachThe challenges and benefits of OpEx and i4.0 are identified and finalized by reviewing the literature. The causal relations between the considered factors are extracted using the fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method. Then, the analytical network process (ANP) is applied to determine the importance and weight of the factors (challenges and benefits of OpEx and i4.0) according to the constructed network.FindingsThe findings illustrated a strong network structure between the factors. First, the causal factors included OpEx and i4.0 challenges, while the OpEx challenges also affected the i4.0 challenges. Both group challenges had a significant effect on OpEx and i4.0 benefits. This means that challenges are the causal factors to be considered in the alignment of i4.0 toward OpEx. Among the OpEx challenges, lack of strategic planning and proper infrastructure were the main influential factors. In contrast, lack of government support and undeveloped business models were identified as the main challenges of i4.0.Originality/valueOpEx and i4.0 concepts are reviewed and their pros and cons are studied. Previous studies determined an interaction among these concepts. However, from a practical viewpoint, the relation between the challenges and benefits of i4.0 and OpEx was studied for the first time for their alignment.

Evaluation on service quality in institutional pensions based on a novel hierarchical DEMATEL method for PLTSs

In recent years, to address the continued aging of China’s population, the Chinese government has focused on the issue of pensions through a series of pension policies. The traditional system of institutional pensions is facing serious challenges, with a variety of novel pension modes placing them under enormous pressure. Furthermore, the development of institutional pensions has been restricted by many factors, such as long construction cycles and high fees, meaning that this traditional system no longer meets the pension needs of the elderly. Improving the service quality of institutional pensions is inevitable for future progress. Thus, identifying the key factors that influence the service quality of institutional pensions, and understanding the relationships between these factors, is hugely significant. Furthermore, traditional decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method can not solve this problem because the number of factors is too large. To address these issues, we establish an evaluation system for Chinese pension institutions, and propose a hierarchical DEMATEL model based on probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs), which can help decision makers to find the key factors influencing service quality in institutional pensions and deal with the evaluation problem with a large number of criteria. The proposed hierarchical DEMATEL model based on PLTSs fully reflects experts’ preferences and evaluation information, and is able to identify the directions in which China’s pension institutions should improve their quality of service. In addition, we use the best-worst method (BWM) to calculate the importance values of each subsystem, which makes the cause-effect relationship between subsystems more reasonable than the traditional DEMATEL method. Finally, we apply our method to evaluate nursing homes in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province and propose some managerial implications.

An adoptive renewable energy resource selection using Hesitant Pythagorean Fuzzy DEMATEL and VIKOR methods

Nowadays, energy from renewable energy resources (RERs) partially satisfies society’s energy demands. Investment in the renewable energy system is an arduous task because of huge investments. Generally, RERs selection involves conflicting criteria. Hence there is necessary to evaluate the RERs alternatives in economic, technological, and environmental aspects. Here, DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method has been utilized to assess the interrelationship among the criteria under hesitant Pythagorean fuzzy (HPF) information. The Pythagorean fuzzy set (PFS) has recently obtained enormous attention and is applied widely in decision-making. We have proposed an integrating model with DEMATEL and VIKOR (Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje) methods to identify and evaluate the criteria and alternatives in RERs selection. Within the proposed model, the HPF-DEMATEL method is utilized for weighting the criteria, and the HPF-VIKOR method is utilized for ranking. Finally, an illustrative example demonstrates the proposed method.

Application fuzzy DEMATEL methodology to investigate some technical parameters of biochemical methane potential (BMP) test produced vegetable waste anaerobic biogas.

As the transition to renewable energy systems is accelerating, anaerobic digestion, which is one of the methods of energy recovery from organic substrates, continues to be studied with great interest by scientists. Anaerobic digestion research and applications are mostly carried out with biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests to decide the methane potency of sewage sludge, energy crops, and organic wastes. Unlike long and costly continually reactor experiments, actually, BMP tests are cumulative and can be performed with a relatively low investment of materials, technical labor, and also time. For the BMP to give accurate results, the effect of all the tools and technical parameters used in the implementation of the BMP should be well understood. In such situations, it is very useful to apply fuzzy logic methods in multi-criteria decision-making stages when more than one parameter changes at the same time. Therefore, in this study, fifteen parameters were determined and analyzed with the fuzzy DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) method to understand the cause-effect mechanism of the technical parameters of BMP. As a result of these analyses, it was seen that the material of the reactor (ri-cj value of 0.55), the particle size (ri-cj value of 0.43), the effect of mixing (ri-cj value of 0.32), and the amount of the total solids (TSA) (ri-cj value of 0.25) had a high effect in the causal sense. It was observed that the first-order parameter (material of reactor) was 27% stronger than the second-order (the particle size) parameter in terms of causality. Likewise, the second-order parameter is 34% stronger than the third-order parameter (the effect of mixing) in terms of cause effect. In addition, it was understood that the most effective parameters in the mechanism of effect were pH (ri + cj value of 3.41), C/N ratio (ri + cj value of 3.26), and temperature (ri + cj value of 3.07), respectively. Besides, high methane yield is seen in mesophilic conditions. The average cumulative biogas yield of the reactor is 282.1 NmL/g VS. The highest percentage of methane formed in the biogas occurred on the 21st day. Briefly, this study is important to provide a facilitating way for researchers working on BMP to understand the cause-effect mechanism of system technical requirements.

Modeling the strategies to accelerate the natural gas business market growth in a developing country

PurposeRising energy demand and the quest for achieving climate change targets have been pushing emerging markets like India to bolster the natural gas share in their energy mix. The country has set an aggressive target of increasing natural gas share in the energy mix to 15% by 2030. The purpose of this study is to acknowledge the need for adopting and developing strategies for natural gas business market development to ensure a reliable supply at an affordable price. Hence, this study explores the natural gas market business development strategies and assesses them through cause/effect analysis.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposed an integrated framework based on the Grey concept and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique to assess and determine the interdependence among the natural gas business market development strategies by cause-and-effect group analysis. The application of Grey theory reduced the uncertainty and subjectivity involved in the decision-making process. Later, sensitivity analysis is also performed to check the robustness of the framework.FindingsThe natural gas business market development strategies are identified through a systematic literature search and contributions from industry experts. The findings of this study highlight the importance of developing pipeline and storage infrastructure facilities, ensuring supply security through long-term imports and overseas investment, implementing free-market-based pricing, simplification and standardization of regulatory processes at state and national levels, etc., for the development of the natural gas market development in India.Research limitations/implicationsThis study acknowledges the natural gas market development strategies and evaluated them into cause-and-effect groups which are limited to Indian context. All evaluations in the Grey-based DEMATEL method were made in this study based on the decision team inputs which limits the generalization to other geographies. Moreover, the opinions of the experts can be subjective and differ. The selection of the experts is done through non-probability sampling process.Practical implicationsThis study could support the government and decision-makers in formulating the appropriate strategies to develop the domestic natural gas market. The cause-and-effect relationships are helpful for the companies, management, government, regulators and other stakeholders to understand the criticality of the causal strategies that must be implemented for developing the favorable natural gas business market scenario.Originality/valueThis study explores and evaluates the strategies that successfully bolster the natural gas business demand in India using Grey-based DEMATEL framework. By focusing on those critical strategies, relevant stakeholders would ensure a reliable natural gas supply at affordable prices.

Overcoming the post-processing barriers for 3D-printed medical models

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify, analyse and model the post-processing barriers of 3D-printed medical models (3DPMM) printed by fused deposition modelling to overcome these barriers for improved operational efficiency in the Indian context.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used interpretive structural modelling (ISM), cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to understand the hierarchical and contextual relations among the barriers of the post-processing.FindingsA total of 11 post-processing barriers were identified in this study using ISM, literature review and experts’ input. The MICMAC analysis identified support material removal, surface finishing, cleaning, inspection and issues with quality consistency as significant driving barriers for post-processing. MICMAC also identified linkage barriers as well as dependent barriers. The ISM digraph model was developed using a final reachability matrix, which would help practitioners specifically tackle post-processing barriers. Further, the DEMATEL method allows practitioners to emphasize the causal effects of post-processing barriers and guides them in overcoming these barriers.Research limitations/implicationsThere may have been a few post-processing barriers that were overlooked by the Indian experts, which might have been important for other country’s perspective.Practical implicationsThe presented ISM model and DEMATEL provide directions for operation managers in planning operational strategies for overcoming post-processing issues in the medical 3D-printing industry. Also, managers may formulate operational strategies based on the driving and dependence power of post-processing barriers as well as the causal effects relationships of the barriers.Originality/valueThis study contributes to identifying, analyzing and modelling the post-processing barriers of 3DPMM through a combined ISM and DEMATEL methodology, which has not yet been reviewed. This study also contributes to decision makers developing suitable strategies to overcome the post-processing barriers for improved operational efficiency.

Innovative Strategy Development Approach for Enhancing the Effective Implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code

Maritime transport is a rule-intensive mode of transport. Maritime accidents continue to occur, however, and the catastrophic consequences of such accidents means that maritime transport safety continues to be an important subject. The International Safety Management (ISM) Code is one of the most important steps taken to prevent accidents and enhance shipping safety with the establishment of the safety management system (SMS). However, the important point is not only the establishment of the SMS but also the effective implementation of the ISM Code. To improve the effective implementation of the ISM Code, an innovative strategy development approach has been developed with the integration of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) methodologies. In the study, causal relationships between ISM Code clauses are mainly analyzed with the DEMATEL method. Subsequently, using the results obtained from the analysis of the causal relationships, potential strategies to improve the effective implementation of the ISM Code are presented by using the TRIZ method. The findings of the paper could provide beneficial outcomes for shipping companies and national and international regulatory bodies to enhance maritime transport safety by improving the effectiveness of implementation of the ISM Code.

An intuitionistic fuzzy decision support system for COVID-19 lockdown relaxation protocols in India

In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified a world-threatening virus, SARS-CoV-2. To diminish the virus spread rate, India implemented a six-month-long lockdown. During this period, the Indian government lifted certain restrictions. Therefore, this study investigates the efficacy of India’s lockdown relaxation protocols using fuzzy decision-making. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is one of the fuzzy MCDM methods. When it is associated with intuitionistic fuzzy circumstances, it is known as the intuitionistic fuzzy DEMATEL (IF-DEMATEL) method. Moreover, converting intuitionistic fuzzy into a crisp score (CIFCS) algorithm is an aggregation technique utilized for the intuitionistic fuzzy set. By using IF-DEMATEL and CIFCS, the most efficient lockdown relaxation protocols for COVID-19 are determined. It also provides the cause and effect relationship of the lockdown relaxation protocols. Additionally, the comparative study is carried out through various DEMATEL methods to see the effectiveness of the result. The findings would be helpful to the government’s decision-making process in the fight against the pandemic.

Optimization of Process Parameters for A Wind Turbine in A Ducting System Through The Taguchi-Pareto-DEMATEL Method

In a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, ducting systems with wind turbines are responses to the system’s high wind energy yields. However, the efficiency of the system is a challenge. To tackle this issue, optimization of process parameters plays a central role. Unfortunately, while applying the Taguchi method as an optimization procedure for high wind energy yields, the existing procedures are not clear enough to project a deep understanding of how to establish priorities among the system's parameters and yet showcase relationships among them. Consequently, this study proposes a new approach, the Taguchi-Pareto DEMATEL (Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory), to establish priorities among the process parameters and concurrently define associations among the parameters of the wind turbine inducting system. The proposed method amalgamates the Taguchi-Pareto method, which prioritizes the process parameters and minimizes the anticipated value of the variance with DEMATEL. The DEMATEL method is infused into the structure to verify interconnection among the wind turbine process parameters and establish a map to show the comparative association within the parameters. Thus, the DEMATEL framework probes and solves the complex energy yield problem of the wind turbine. The parameters used are input air pressure, ducting height, the distance between the blower and the pipe, total effective length, and the gap between the truck and runout. The desired optimal value of parameters for the proposed method are as follows: P2H2TG2EL1BD1, which is interpreted as 2.5m/s of air pressure, 0.5in of height, 1in of truck gap, 0.5in of effective length, and 0.5in of blower distance. The optimized parameters of a ducted wind turbine in an HVAC system could be of vast interest to HVAC systems to plan and monitor wind turbine performance.

PLTS/DEMATEL-based key policy factor identification for marine fisheries management in China

China has a number of fisheries management policies aimed at curbing the decline of fisheries resources. Due to the management subject is relatively unitary, we speculate that policies are constantly influencing each other, which results in system fault. To investigate the structural correlation between policies, a hybrid method comprising the probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS), the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory (DST), and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) was proposed. First, the policy factors for China’s marine fisheries management are analyzed, and the PLTS is used to obtain the original data given by experts to describe the direct influence degree between each pair of policy factors. Then, all PLTSs are transferred to the basic probability assignment functions, and they are fused by Dempster’s rule to obtain the initial direct-relation (IDR) matrix. With the IDR matrix as inputs, the DEMATEL method was employed to identify the key policy factors. The results found that the prominence degrees of the two policies of output control were the highest, indicating that output control is the core policy type that can be critically linked to the effectiveness of policy system. Finally, the corresponding suggestions were put forward.

A quantitative approach to the development of ballast water treatment systems in ships

ABSTRACT Selection of the right ship ballast water treatment system is quite costly. In the present study, a decision-making approach was developed based on the associated issues, processes and the best solution under current conditions for selecting the ballast water treatment system for ships. The analysis of the study data revealed that the best decision-making system should include integrated DEMATEL (The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) and ANP (Analytic Network Process) methods, especially since the current criteria interacted, there was a network among the criteria sets, and the system approach should be holistic. The study findings demonstrated that C4 (impact on the technical status of the ship) was the most significant criterion, while C11 (initial investment cost) was the most significant sub-criterion.

Risk assessment model for international construction projects considering risk interdependence using the DEMATEL method.

Given the complexity of international construction projects (ICP), risk management difficulties commonly cause cost overruns. This paper analyzes the problems of risk interdependence and subjective ratings in the application of the traditional risk assessment model in ICP. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a risk assessment model for ICP that considers risk interdependence and obtains references from similar projects. The model applies the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) to determine the risk interdependence and its contribution to the overall project risk. Moreover, this model recalls the risks, probabilities, impacts, and risk events records of similar historical projects as the necessary inputs, thereby addressing the issue of subjectivity. An integrated framework is provided to identify, analyze, and prioritize ICP risks to incorporate risk interdependence into the risk management process. Finally, this paper demonstrates and validates the proposed model through a real project. The proposed model is useful for international construction companies to support project selection and bidding decisions in the early stage of ICP.

Using the Neutrosophic DEMATEL Method to Determine the Effect of Internet Finance and Big Data Risk Control Monitoring

Internet financial (IF) is an exchanged of goods and pays money over the Internet. The IF plays a critical role in financial fields. The IF is an innovation in the market and financial. The IF is better than the traditional financial. The IF has many criteria and subcriteria. Because there are so many different types of Internet-related financial risks, it is important for the institutions that deal with them to have effective risk prevention, control, monitoring, and management systems in place and to alert the public to any new threats. The goal of this paper is to determine the impacts of IF and big data risk control monitoring. The concept of multicriteria decision-making proposed in this paper deals with four main criteria and seventeen subcriteria. This paper proposed a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method for computing the influence of the IF. The DEMATAL method is integrated with neutrosophic sets for overcoming incomplete and vague information. The applications are proposed to show the outcomes of the proposed methodology.

Exploring Key Decisive Factors in Manufacturing Strategies in the Adoption of Industry 4.0 by Using the Fuzzy DEMATEL Method

Globalization has created a highly competitive and diverse market, an uncertain and risky business environment, and changing customer expectations. An effective manufacturing strategy reduces complexity and provides organizations with a well-organized manufacturing structure. However, existing research on manufacturing strategies appears scattered, lacking systematic understanding and finding no causal relationship between manufacturing strategies’ outputs (MSOs) and their importance. Therefore, this study is a pioneer in identifying the influential factors of MSOs in the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies utilizing the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach. This method is considered an effective method for identifying the cause-effect relationship of complex problems. It evaluates interdependent relationships among MSO factors from the perspective of academic and industry experts. Identifying cause and effect factors leads to increasing the market’s competitiveness and prioritizing them. To deal with the vagueness of human beings’ perceptions, this study utilizes fuzzy set theory and the DEMATEL method to form a structural model. Results show that customer satisfaction, cost per unit produced, and the number of advanced features are the main factors influencing MSOs.

Analysis of crowdfunding platforms for microgrid project investors via a q-rung orthopair fuzzy hybrid decision-making approach

Effective crowdfunding platforms positively contribute toward improving microgrid energy management systems. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis is required to understand the key factors responsible for success in crowdfunding systems by considering various criteria. This study evaluates crowdfunding platforms for microgrid project investments. In this context, a novel fuzzy decision-making model that includes two different stages is proposed. First, the selected criteria for the crowdfunding platforms for microgrid project investments are evaluated. Second, alternatives, regarding the microgrid project investments, are ranked. In this process, a multi-stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (M-SWARA) approach based on q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (q-ROFSs) is considered. Intuitionistic and Pythagorean fuzzy sets are also used in the calculation process to make a comparative evaluation. Similarly, a sensitivity analysis of the ranking alternatives is also conducted with 12 different q values. All the results are rather similar; thus, the findings are reliable. Another model is also created for this purpose with the help of the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution methodologies to check the performance of the proposed model. It is defined that by considering the q-ROF DEMATEL weights, the ranking results vary for different cases. The proposed model with a M-SWARA is more reliable than the model created via the DEMATEL method. This situation provides information regarding the superiority of the model proposed in this study. It is concluded that security is the most important factor in crowdfunding platforms for smart-grid project investors. Additionally, solar panels and energy storage systems/batteries are the most significant alternatives for microgrid project investors. Necessary measures should be taken to forestall the risk of fraud that may occur on this platform. Therefore, the website to be established must be secure against possible hacking attacks. Another important conclusion of this study is that solar panels should be preliminarily developed to increase the effectiveness of microgrid systems.

A combined methodology based on Z-fuzzy numbers for sustainability assessment of hydrogen energy storage systems

One of the most significant ways of providing supply security in energy and effective utilization of energy sources is energy storage. Hydrogen, which is a crucial energy carrier, has received more attention in recent years due to its importance for a carbon-free economy and society. There are various physical and material-based storage methods for hydrogen storage. When examined in terms of factors that may affect the storage decision, each storage alternative has positive and negative features. In this regard, determining the most suitable hydrogen energy storage alternative by considering economic, technological, environmental, and social factors is a decision-making problem which is needed to be handled carefully to benefit from this technology in the most effective way. Since this problem requires the consideration of many criteria, some of which have dependencies among themselves or conflict with each other, and experts' judgments including uncertainty along with different degrees of reliability, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach based on z-fuzzy numbers will be an appropriate tool to make an efficient investment decision. Through that, in this study, a novel combined methodology consisting of Decision-MAking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), cognitive mapping, and VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) methods under z-fuzzy environment has been introduced. In the study, after the proposed z-fuzzy DEMATEL method is used to identify the dependencies among energy storage technologies’ assessment criteria, z-fuzzy cognitive mapping is employed to determine the importance degrees of criteria. Finally, the most suitable hydrogen energy storage alternative is selected by utilizing the z-fuzzy VIKOR technique. As a result of applying this methodology, storage capacity and response time have been determined as the most and the least important criteria with the weights of “0.0649” and “0.0447” respectively, and the alternative “carbon nanotubes” has been determined as the most appropriate option for Turkey. Comparative and sensitivity analyses have also been carried out to validate the proposed methodology and demonstrate the flexibility and robustness of decisions. As a result, we aimed to present a beneficial road map for researchers and policymakers studying hydrogen storage.