Multi-criteria Method Research Articles

Recent advances in multi-criteria decision analysis: A comprehensive review of applications and trends

In recent years, multi-criteria decision support methods have become widely used research tools by both scientists and practitioners. Theoretical works involving new multi-criteria methods and developments of existing methods immediately find applications in areas of business practice. This paper attempts to sort out the areas of application of MCDA methods. For this purpose, the relevant literature from 2018–2023 was reviewed. The inclusion selection criteria were defined as addressing multi-criteria practical issues, open accessibility, comprehensive research methodology and findings, and the use of an MCDA method in the evaluation process. Detailed research identified that the main areas of use of MCDA methods are healthcare, energy management, supplier selection, and transportation. Due to the timeliness and importance of the problem, a detailed study of the use of MCDA methods in sustainability issues was separated. The paper contributes contributions to both theory and economic practice. The article provides a series of recommendations both on the methodological side of the problems to be solved and shows the practical prism of individual decision models, offering ready-to-use decision models, and providing a comprehensive review of recent MCDA advancements, fostering informed and reliable decision-making. Additionally, this review sheds light on the latest developments in MCDA, emphasizing trends in Decision Support Systems (DSS) and prominent application areas in contemporary research.

Multi-criteria analysis of deep pits sustainable development strategy

Relevance. Long periods of development of steeply dipping deposits necessitate multiple adjustments of mining and technical system throughout an open pit life cycle. The decisions made determine the development strategy of a mining enterprise for a long period. The complexity of making such strategic decisions depends on numerous influencing parameters. These parameters have a different impact, have a variety of units of measurement, target values, and are not only quantitative but also qualitative. There is a need for new approaches to the choice of development strategy of the mining and technical system of an open pit, as well as its main subsystem – the opening-up of an opencast system. It is proposed to base these approaches on multi-criteria decision-making methods that consider many influencing parameters. Aim. Development of a methodology for choosing a strategy for sustainable development of the deep open pit mining and technical system based on multi-criteria decision-making methods and assessment of the opening system parameters. Objects. Mining enterprise, mining and technical systems, opening system. Methods. Literature review, system analysis, multi-criteria decision making. Results. The authors have determined the main strategies for development of the mining and technical system for deep open pits. These strategies aim at achieving the sustainable development of the mining and technical system: adjustment of the current stage mining parameters; transition to a new stage of mining; transition to a combined open-underground mining; mine closure. The key role of the opening system in the structure of the mining and technical system is substantiated to ensure its sustainable development. The authors systematized the main parameters for evaluating the pit opening system and set target values for each parameter. A review of the main multi-criteria decision-making methods used to solve various problems in the mining industry is made. A rank coefficient is proposed for choosing the mining and technical system development strategy. The calculation of this coefficient is based on a combination of the fuzzy AHP and CRADIS multi-criteria methods. A method was developed for selecting a strategy for sustainable development of the mining and technical system of deep open pits. A case study was conducted on the conditions of the Maly Kuibas open pit. The obtained results strongly suggest that the best strategy with the highest ranking is the transition to the combined development method.

Ranking the importance of multi-criteria evaluation indicators based on their transitivity

In recent decades, multi-criteria methods have been increasingly used for the quantitative assessment of the development of socioeconomic systems. Their essence lies in weighted indicators, i.e., combining the values multiplied by the weights into one summarizing index. However, determining the significance of indicators is important in such approaches. It can be done in one or two stages. In the first case, the significance is assessed immediately, in the second case, the importance ranks of the indicators are determined before the assessment. Today, most people are satisfied with the first method, i.e., determining significance without knowing the importance ranks. This makes sense when the number of indicators is small. Socio-economic phenomena are, by their nature, complex and multifaceted, so in practice they manifest in many aspects. Therefore, their condition can be adequately assessed only with a large number of indicators. The significance of the indicators of such systems is assessed by comparing the importance of paired indicators. However, in the presence of a large number of indicators, there are constantly recurring problems - excessive volumes of expert evaluations and, as a result, a decrease in the adequacy of the evaluation. Transitive analysis of index importance (TAII) is the proposed methodology that allows to significantly increase the number of evaluated indicators while reducing the volume of expert evaluations and increasing their adequacy. This can be achieved by integrating their transitivity as a property into the ranking procedure of determining the importance of indicators. In this way, the volume of expert evaluations can be reduced by 40%. The suitability of the proposed methodology has been verified using real problems.

A MULTICRITERIA METHOD TO IDENTIFY AND RANK IEQ CRITICALITIES: MEASUREMENTS AND APPLICATIONS FOR AN EXISTING SCHOOL BUILDING

This study proposes a method to obtain a ranking of the critical issues related to Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)in existing school buildings . A multi-criteria method for a comprehensive evaluation of IEQ in school buildings is described and discussed. The method includes data collection, field measurements, and subjective investigations. The novelty of the study does not lie in the single stages of which the method is composed (for example in the phase involving field measurements, there are consolidated procedures in the technical and scientific literature to conduct them), but rather in the collection and rationalization of a complete and articulated assessment process that can guide the technicians and managers in the decision making. To show the whole proposed evaluation method, the case study of the university classrooms of the School of Engineering of Pisa was studied. From the application of the evaluation method to the case study, a rank of the IEQ critical issues observed and a rank of the most IEQ critical environments was therefore obtained. The study also focused on the impact of weighting schemes of the IEQ assessment results. Then the results of the case study were discussed by evaluating the impact of alternative weighing schemes present in the scientific literature. The discussion shows that to identify the most critical environmental factors, the choice of the weighting scheme is extremely important although the greatest weight does not always correspond to the most critical environmental factor. The presented results can interest not only technical personnel involved in IEQ assessments and interventions for its improvement, but also researchers investigating IEQ that intend to compare methodologies and weighting schemes.

Electromobility of the Courier Market

The article delves into the examination of the potential implementation of electromobility within the courier market while also introducing renewable energy sources as a complementary element to support this transition. Given the increasing trend of electrifying courier company fleets, the research was carried out using data provided by the company. This study aimed to select a suitable electric vehicle and adapt routes to ensure that all orders could be effectively handled using electric cars. A multi-criteria method was applied to select the electric vehicle, and a simulation program utilized by the studied company was employed to optimize existing courier routes, which is presented in a procedural format. The research results demonstrate the viability of incorporating electric vehicles into the courier market, albeit requiring modifications to current routes. The article concludes with a summary and proposes further research avenues.

Version [1.2]- [pyrepo-mcda - Reference Objects based MCDA Software Package

This paper presents an update of the pyrepo-mcda Python package, providing a broad set of multi-criteria methods and methods supporting decision analysis, such as determining compromise rankings, criteria weights, distance metrics, and performing sensitive analysis. The pyrepo-mcda package was extended with the Vector Measure Construction Method (VMCM). This update expands the scope of multi-criteria analysis approaches offered by the proposed package. Several features of the VMCM method, such as considering non-typical objects, the possibility of individual defining patterns, and classifying evaluated objects, are sought by decision-makers in many decision-making problems, especially sustainability assessment.

THE APPLICATION OF ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS (AHP) FOR SELECTING COMMUNITY PROBLEMS: MULTICRITERIA DECISION- MAKING APPROACH ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASPECTS

Addressing environmental health problems within communities necessitates an approach that considers multiple factors. A multicriteria method can identify useful decisions for carrying out alternative aspects of environmental health. This cross-sectional study illustrates the utility of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique, which is suitable for combining qualitative and quantitative factors across a wide area. This study aims to apply a multicriteria decision-making approach. Stakeholder opinions were collected and the Expert Choice software was utilised. The results showed that solid waste management was the most suitable alternative in addressing problems in the community, with a significance level of 34.3% (Consistency Ratio; CR ≤ 0.1). Other alternatives were wastewater management (26.8%), air pollution management (25.3%), water consumption and quality (8.1%), and food safety and sanitation (5.6%). This study recommends the use of AHP as a crucial tool for prioritising environmental management plans to allocate resources necessary to mitigate adverse environmental health aspects within the community

The new investing effectiveness evaluation multi-criteria method in modern energy supply systems

The new investing effectiveness evaluation multi-criteria method in modern energy supply systems

Development and analysis of multi-criteria methods for assessing competencies in non-linguistic universities

Development and analysis of multi-criteria methods for assessing competencies in non-linguistic universities

The Conceptual Model of the BIM4NZEB-DS System for Selecting Technological Variants of Rational Passive Energy Efficiency Measures for a Sustainable Building


 
 
 
 Implementing sustainable solutions in building design is one of the significant elements in achieving the transition to sustainability. The diversity of structural elements, construction materials, and the various preferences of interested parties complicate the decision-making process. Building Information Modeling (BIM) provides a wide range of available technological solutions and methods for automated decision support and can make decision-making more efficient. This study presents the conceptual model for BIM4NZEB-DS system for the automated selection of rational variants of passive energy efficiency measures. The algorithm of this system will integrate the solutions for data transfer from the BIM model and multi-criteria methods for the analysis of variants. The assessment of variants is based on economic and environmental criteria. The purpose of the system is to increase the reliability of the assessment, optimise the technological and human resources required, and minimise the time of decision-making. The developed system will be validated using the BIM model of real-case building
 
 
 

Assessment of Green Banking Performance

Internal and external pressures are pushing the financial system towards an increasingly environmentally responsible orientation. The damaging practices of green-washing necessitate the search for new ways of monitoring. The question then arises, how can one measure the actual degree of greenness of a banking industry? This study aims to create a new methodology framework to measure green performance in the banking industry using multi-criteria methods. We offer a theoretical contribution. First, a set of criteria was identified at the theoretical level. Second, the criteria were evaluated by practitioners and aggregated using the ‘TOPSIS’ method. This index may constitute a basis for ranking banks. The results showed that the most important factors to be considered when evaluating the performance of green banking are the greenness of the customers, the development of innovations leading to a green economy, the availability of green financial products and services, and the promotion of green education. These results lead to the conclusion that both banks and clients should become “greener” and utilize more green innovations and financial products/services.

Analytical Hierarchy Process and Failure Mode and Effect Analysis on HVAC Semi-Hermetic Compressor Maintenance Strategy

The article paper presents a strategic tool used in maintenance strategy deployment using failure mode and effect analysis method in oil and gas semi hermetic compressor perspective. This research aims to study and formulate framework of maintenance strategy using Analytical Hierarchical Process and Failure Mode and Effect Analysis of HVAC semi hermetic compressor used at the offshore oil platform. The case study has been conducted systematically at a company involved in maintenance activities at regular basis servicing HVAC equipment and parts which in this case focusing on Semi Hermetic Compressors at case studies taken from two companies, both involved in oil and gas production. The ranking of severity associated with Risk Priority Number in Failure Mode Effect Analysis table for this case study is obtained from assessment on maintenance history report lodged on Semi Hermetic Compressor serviced by the company. The severity assessment also studied based on Pareto Analysis on occurrence from maintenance history report. Based on the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) analysis, recommendations are made for semi hermetic compressor for maintenance strategy propositions to improve lifetime and reliability as FMEA output being used as input for synthesize using multi criteria method Analytical Hierarchical Process.

Novel semi-quantitative risk model based on AHP: A case study of US driving risks

Road safety is a priority, worldwide. The European Commission aims to reduce fatalities by 2030. The same goal was set for the US. These goals stem from the World Health Organization's (WHO's) broader global context, which has distinctly emphasized a substantial reduction in road traffic injuries. Although different risk factors were observed in different geographical locations, the major risk factors for all locations were similar. They involve influencing human behavior, such as speeding or driving. Several methods have been used to better understand and extract risk factors. However, the complexity of road traffic implies the need for a multi-criteria method. As a result, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) has emerged as a potential method for this type of risk. The AHP is commonly associated with the use of qualitative methods such as surveys. We propose a novel semi-quantitative multi-criteria risk model (SMCRisk) based on the AHP, deployed in a quantitative and partially qualitative manner by adding a severity factor. The multi-level framework differentiates between the driver's behavior and the driver's state. Our method results correspond to a real situation and confirm that driver behavior and state are major risk factors. In future, this method will lay the foundation for integrating a fully quantitative method by considering the potential use of data originating directly from the IoT, which is a part of our research on holistic risk assessment.

A multicriteria model to support decisions regarding data protection compliance

ABSTRACT With the advent of the General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD) in Brazil, companies need to adapt to the law and, therefore, must identify weaknesses in relation to the protection of personal data. Next, actions are defined that include investments in technology, infrastructure and training. These actions require resources, either for the implementation of some technology or readjustment of the system, time for implementation, restructuring of processes, and involvement of key people. Considering these actions can also impact the organizational strategy, this work proposes a model to support the prioritization of actions necessary to comply with the LGPD. The model is based on the FITradeoff (Flexible and Interactive Tradeoff) multicriteria method. The proposed model was applied in a Brazilian organization that is adapting to the LGPD and needed formal support in relation to decisions. The recommendations obtained demonstrated alignment with the company's needs and strategies.

IDENTIFICATION OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE

In the conditions of the new economy, human resources as carriers of human capital are one of the most important pillars of creating innovations and positively stimulating the performance of the economy. Much research has confirmed that, on the one hand, human capital and innovation are important stimuli for economic growth, but on the other hand, human capital and innovation interact with each other. Innovation is not possible without human capital, but also innovation affects human capital. Innovations require high quality and well-educated human capital. In our contribution, we focus on identifying the relationship between the development of human resources and the results in innovation performance of the economy in the Visegrad Group countries. We use multi-criteria methods to evaluate both human resources and innovation performance and subsequently examine the mutual relationship between human resources and innovation performance.

ACCESSIBILITY STUDY OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND CONTEMPORARY HERITAGE – ON THE EXAMPLE OF KIELCE’S PUBLIC UTILITY BUILDINGS

Ensuring the accessibility of buildings and spaces is a common contemporary challenge, in particular for historic buildings and spaces as well as the heritage of contemporary culture. It involves all activities aimed at adapting facilities and space to the needs of people with various disabilities, including seniors. The problem of aging societies and increasing life expectancy forces extensive changes both in the approach to architectural and urban design as well as in the practice of making historic buildings accessible through architectural solutions. Particularly in existing public buildings, it becomes very important to pay attention to the specific needs and reduced psychophysical abilities of various groups of architecture recipients due to their age. For this reason, the article analyzes the accessibility of selected examples of historical objects (case studies) functioning in the structures of the modern city of Kielce – for several dozen years. In order to get acquainted with the functioning and architectural solutions of buildings, which are among the most frequented by the general public, in situ research was carried out, the multi-criteria method was used, enabling comparative analyzes and being an effective tool in making a precise assessment. The research was focused on the location of the city of Kielce, taking into account current reports and statistics indicating the largest increase in the number of people over 65 in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It was found that it is important to revise the approach and generally accepted functional and spatial solutions regarding the accessibility of this type of facilities.

Current Soil Degradation Assessment in the Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam, by Multi-Criteria Analysis and GIS Technology

This article aims to provide a scientific basis for solutions to use soil cover for sustainable agricultural and rational forestry development. We used traditional methods such as survey and data collection; soil profile comparison method; vegetation indicator for soil degradation; determining the physical and chemical limiting factors of the soil; combined with the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and the multi-criteria method (MCE) to conduct a soil degradation assessment for the Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. In this study, nine indicators affecting the current soil degradation were selected and then the single-dimensional maps were superimposed to form the current soil degradation map for the study area at a scale of 1/10,000. The study results show that: lightly degraded soil accounts for 48.81% of the total natural area of the study area; medium degradation accounts for 22.07%; and severe degradation accounts for 19.66%. The study results show that most of the soil in the study area is at a moderate to severe level of degradation and shows the need for synchronous implementation of reasonable solutions to prevent degradation and use soil sustainably in the Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam.

A multi-criteria approach for comparing alternative fuels and energy systems onboard ships

This paper aims to present the upgrade of the Helper for Energy Layouts in Maritime applications (HELM) software tool, developed by the authors to compare traditional and innovative systems for energy production and storage onboard maritime vessels. The algorithm adopts a multi-criteria method and it carries out the analysis on a large and updated database of market solutions. A wide range of maps is implemented in the tool, correlating costs, volumes, weights, emissions and fuel environmental hazards with energy demand, applicative scenario and vessel type. The equations implemented in the software and the algorithm employed to evaluate and compare the technologies are reported. In this work, four different vessels are investigated, namely: (i) a small sail yacht; (ii) a small passenger ferry for inland water navigation; (iii) a large cruise ship; (iv) a large container ship. For each case study, the choice of the best solution is performed, considering the constraints, the inputs and the single parameters: in all cases, the solution chosen corresponds to the real one installed on board or to a solution that is going to be installed. It is worth noting that the multi-criteria analysis has a general approach, allowing to give preliminary information on the best energy system solution, also to comply with the application requirements (i.e. pollutant emissions in ports and restricted areas).

An interval type-2 fuzzy best-worst method and likelihood-based multi-criteria method in group decision-making

In real-world decision-making problems, a group of decision-makers (DMs) with different levels of expertise gathers to investigate the problem from various perspectives. Making the best choice from an analogous shortlist of competitors is challenging, even for an expert group. To address these types of problems, a new multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) methodology under the interval type-2 trapezoidal fuzzy (IT2TrF) environment is proposed. The proposed IT2TrF MCGDM method comprises three phases. In the first phase, the IT2TrF cognitive best-worst method (IT2TrF-CBWM) is introduced to calculate the initial weights of criteria using the interval scale. Subsequently, a new consistency index (CI) and consistency ratio (CR) are presented. In the second phase, an optimization model is proposed to determine the final IT2TrF weights of criteria. Finally, a likelihood-based method for solving MCGDM problems is introduced in the third phase. The validity of the proposed method is illustrated by addressing a healthcare waste (HCW) treatment technology selection problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sensitivity and comparative analyses highlight the superiority and effectiveness of the presented MCGDM method.

Goal programming and multi-criteria methods in remanufacturing and reverse logistics: Systematic literature review and survey

Environmental concerns, largely caused by a linear take-make-dispose model of manufacturing, have raised the need to incorporate the flow of used products to capture their residual value, thus shifting the traditional linear model to a more circular one. Remanufacturing is considered a key element in achieving circularity goals, as it offers greater environmental and economic benefits than other existing used product recovery options. The incorporation of used products in the supply chain poses challenging problems in which it is often necessary to consider trade-offs between different conflicting objectives, where multi-criteria decision-making methods, such as goal programming (GP), are mostly used. Since the last known review of the literature about these topics considers publications up to the year 2017, and it is observed that the number of publications has been growing significantly in recent years, it seems appropriate to carry out a more up-to-date review. This paper presents a review of the recent literature on GP and other multi-criteria methods applied to closed-loop supply chain systems, with focus on reverse logistics and remanufacturing as one of the most frequently recovery option used in the industry. The review was carried out in a systematic manner, using four of the most recognized scientific document repositories and a period of time for publications ranging from 2011 to 2021. After a detailed filtering process of almost 150 documents initially found, a final database of 38 documents was obtained for an in-depth review. The 38 documents were classified in three categories: supply chain management and design, strategic decisions in circular economy, and production planning. Half of the documents reviewed fall into the category of production planning, with a particular interest in disassembly planning issues and the advantages offered by technological advances such as the Internet of Things (IoT). It was observed that most of the investigations consider the economic and environmental dimensions, leaving aside the social dimension. This confirms a trend previously observed in the literature. In addition, a global analysis of the collected documents was carried out to determine which are the most used decision-making criteria for closed-loop systems with product recovery. Legal, production planning and life cycle assessment aspects that deserve further study in the future are also suggested.