Pairwise Comparison Of Criteria Research Articles

Supplying hydrogen for green steel through renewable energy sources: A case study of Turkiye

Steel is the most common industrial material worldwide due to its numerous applications, high strength and recyclability. Steel production involves alloying iron with various amounts of carbon and other elements to produce thousands of different grades and types of steel for various purposes. However, the intensive use of carbon in steel production is one of the factors contributing to global climate change. To use of hydrogen and renewable energy sources in steel production has emerged as a significant solution to reduce carbon emissions. The aim of this study is to obtain green hydrogen for the production of green steel. The focus is on utilizing offshore wind energy as a renewable energy source to give us the energy we need to electrolyze seawater. The study uses the seas of Turkiye for case analysis. In this paper, an integrated Multi-criteria decision-making method is used to integrate hybrid energy systems and their application for green industry and to select a location for a power generation plant. The study is a new contribution to the literature in terms of its scope. Green steel's location selection is addressed for the first time in the literature. The weights of the criteria are determined by employing the Best-Worst Method (BWM) as a multi-criteria decision-making technique, and the alternatives are evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). By using the BWM method, decision makers can have a clear understanding of the evaluation range for pairwise comparisons of criteria, which reduces potential biases. According to the study, the northern part of the Aegean Sea in Turkiye is the most suitable alternative for green steel production, with offshore wind energy being used for hydrogen production. The study also revealed that the most important main criterion for this hybrid system is “natural factors”, and the sub-criteria are “wind speed and power density” by far compared to other sub-criteria. The fact that the area determined for the facility is suitable for construction and the possibility that the customer of the energy produced is other industrial establishments here is the most important indicator that the methods applied give good results.

Building an effective network security system of the enterprise based on the method of analyzing hierarchies of quality indicators

The article is devoted to the analysis of the optimal choice of network security systems for enterprises based on the method of pairwise comparison of criteria. The reaction speed, level of protection, integration and reliability of the systems were studied. Considered general requirements for quality and cost. The conclusion is made about the need for a comprehensive approach to system selection and careful consideration of all aspects to ensure effective information protection. The article analyzes the importance of a balanced approach between efficiency and cost when choosing a network security system. The importance of integration with existing systems and taking into account requirements for compliance with security standards is emphasized. The results of the study indicate the need for careful analysis before deciding on the choice of a network security system for the enterprise. Additionally, the article examines the influence of each of the considered criteria on the overall level of enterprise network security and the reliability of information protection. The proposed recommendations on the optimal choice of network security systems can be useful for enterprise management and information security specialists, contributing to the improvement of the overall level of cyber protection. In conclusion, the article offers a comprehensive approach to the selection of network security systems based on an objective comparison of various criteria. Taking into account the speed of response, the level of protection, integration and cost helps enterprises to ensure effective and economical protection of their information resources. The study can be useful both for management deciding on investment in security, and for information security specialists looking for optimal solutions for the specific needs of the enterprise.

A grey ordinal priority approach for healthcare waste disposal location selection

PurposeIncreasing public consciousness and demand for sustainable environment make selection of a safe location for effective disposal of healthcare waste (HCW) a challenging issue. This problem becomes more complicated due to involvement of multiple decision makers having varying knowledge and interest, conflicting quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria, and presence of several alternative locations.Design/methodology/approachTo efficiently resolve the problem, the past researchers have already coupled different multi-criteria decision-making tools with uncertainty models and criteria weight measurement techniques, which are time-consuming and highly computationally complex. Based on involvement of a group of experts expressing their opinions with respect to relative importance of criteria and performance of alternative locations against each criterion, this paper proposes application of ordinal priority approach (OPA) integrated with grey numbers to solve an HCW disposal location selection problem.FindingsThe grey OPA can simultaneously estimate weights of the experts, criteria and locations relieving the decision makers from complicated computational steps. The potentiality of grey OPA in solving an HCW disposal location selection problem is demonstrated here using an illustrative example consisting of three experts, six criteria and four alternative locations.Originality/valueThe derived results show that it can be employed to deal with real-time HCW disposal location selection problems in uncertain environment providing acceptable and robust decisions. It relieves the experts from pair-wise comparisons of criteria, normalization of data, identification of ideal and anti-ideal solutions, aggregation of information and so on, while arriving at the most consistent decision with minimum computational effort.

Цифрові компетентності людського капіталу в реалізації цифрових стратегій підприємств машинобудування

The aim of the study is to identify the impact of digital competencies of human capital on the formation of enterprise digitalization strategies. The article proposes the division of digital competencies into basic, functional, operational competencies, and competencies of the owner. The strategies of digitalization of enterprises, further divided into strategy of digitalization of business processes, strategy of digitalization of products, strategy of digitalization of enterprise, and strategy of digital outsourcing, have been allocated. In the course of the study, applying the methodology for analyzing priorities, a hierarchy of goals, criteria and alternatives for the formation of digital competencies is built. The dependencies of digital competencies of human capital of machine-building enterprises have been formed with consequent separating the digitalization strategies. A pairwise comparison of criteria is carried out on the principle of assessing the relative importance of one of the criteria relative to the other according to the scale proposed by T. Saaty. The article defines an indicator of random consistency. Based on the above methodology, the corresponding indicators were computed using a pairwise comparison, thus allowing to identify the role of each of the criteria (digital competencies) in the implementation of subcriteria (digitalization strategies). The article specifies that the presence of digital competencies in the owner determines the depth of penetration of digital technologies into the processes of production and economic activity. It is noted that the effectiveness of introduction of digital technologies correlates with the development of digital competencies of the owner, who can act as a generator of future digital changes in the enterprise. A structuring of digital competence priorities for each of the strategies is carried out to identify the role of each of the group of digital competencies in the implementation of digitalization strategies of machine-building enterprises. The global priorities of strategic alternatives in the development of digital competencies of employees of a machine-building enterprise are determined. The article identifies requirements for types of digital competencies for each of the strategies and groups them according to the requirements for their scope

Application of AHP Technique for the selection of Military Warehouse: An Empirical Analysis for Turkey

Military warehouses are of critical importance for the sustainability and continuity of military logistics. Military warehouses also play an active role in responding to the direct needs of military units, as well as spare parts for maintenance and repair. The main purpose of this research is to determine the location of the military warehouses needed by the military units in Turkey. For this purpose, 5 different regions have been created. The best military warehouse location is determined for each region. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique is applied in the research. 9 criteria are used to solve the problem. Pairwise, comparison of criteria and alternatives is evaluated by 20 decision makers who are experts in the field of military logistics. Among the 7 alternatives in the first region, the best alternative location is Istanbul. Among the 10 alternatives in the second region, the best alternative location is İzmir. Among the 14 alternatives in the third region, the best alternative location is Ankara. Among the 9 alternatives in the fourth region, the best alternative location is Erzurum. Among the 13 alternatives in the fifth region, the best alternative location is Malatya. Implications based on the findings obtained are shared.

A GIS based Fuzzy-AHP for delineating groundwater potential zones in tropical river basin, southern part of India

Groundwater plays a vital role in the development of ecological niches, the durability of the environment, and the socio-economic growth of an area. To meet the demand for groundwater over the increasing population, the scientific community stresses the prospective of identifying groundwater potential zones (GWPZ), aiming at conservation, planning, and regulation for optimum utilization of this natural resource. The GWPZ evaluation of the Karuvannur River Basin (KRB) in the southern part of India was carried out through GIS-Fuzzy-Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP), by assigning weights to interdependent factors controlling groundwater potentials such as geomorphology (Gm), slope(S), geology(G), drainage density (Dd), lineament density (Ld) and Land Use Land Cover (Lu) with the aid of Geographical Information system (GIS). FAHP includes a pairwise comparison of criteria and sub-criteria elements expressed with Triangular Fuzzy Numbers (TFNs), which can avoid vagueness, imprecision, and uncertainty of the linguistic scale. The model result was validated with the depth to water level data of dug wells by plotting them on the GWPZ map. This study reveals that the FAHP method is efficient in delineating GWPZ in this region with an accuracy of 80.9%. Further, GWPZ are reliant on underlying lithology; very good (48.1%) aquifers occupy the coastal area; good (12.7%); moderate (18.3%) aquifers are provided by the secondary porosity provided by underlying structures while poor aquifers (20.9%) occupy the eastern hard rock areas of KRB. This type of cost-effective FAHP method is efficient in delineating GWPZ and can be used for sustainable groundwater policies and management.

An attitudinal consensus method under uncertainty in 3PRLP selection

To underpin a reverse logistics (RL) outsourcing decision, this study aims to investigate a third-party reverse logistics provider (3PRLP) selection problem under the framework of group decision making (GDM). Group attitude towards distinctive opinions may affect the time and cost on consensus reaching process (CRP). Therefore, an attitudinal consensus method under uncertainty is established and composed of three parts: initialization process, consensus process and selection process. In initialization process, considering each expert’s risk preference, a transformation rule is deployed to compute semantics possibility distribution of general comparative linguistic expressions (GCLEs) based on the numerical counterpart of linguistic assessment. In consensus process, three group attitudes-oriented consensus policies are qualitatively presented, including maximum, indifference and minimum disagreement consensus policies. Considering the feasible interval of attitudinal parameter, a new consensus measure under uncertainty, i.e., attitudinal consensus acceptability index (ACAI), is quantitively defined by stochastic acceptability analysis. To resolve the issue that the consensus degree fails to reach a predefined level, an automatic feedback mechanism is designed, and is supported by a consensus improvement algorithm evolving GCLEs’ possibility distribution. In selection process, to identify the criteria weight, incomplete information such as pairwise comparisons of criteria are characterized by ordinal regression-like linear programming. TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese of interactive and multiple attribute decision making) is extended on fuzzy measure and then acted as rank function in stochastic acceptability analysis to explore the uncertainty of criteria preference. Lastly, 3PRLP selection for an automobile manufacturing firm is conducted to demonstrate the flexibility and practicability of our method along with sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis.

Product design evaluation based on FAHP and cloud model

In view of the shortcomings of the existing evaluation methods in fully considering the fuzziness and randomness of product design evaluation, a novel product design evaluation method based on FAHP and cloud model is proposed. First, a hierarchical structure model of product design evaluation is established. Second, fuzzy pairwise comparison of criteria is constructed through questionnaire survey, and the digital characteristics of weight cloud model are acquired by the proposed fuzzy weight model. Then, based on the factor scores, the digital characteristics of scoring cloud model are obtained by backward cloud. Finally, the digital characteristics of comprehensive evaluation cloud model are obtained by using the proposed improved fuzzy composite operator, and the forward cloud is used to get the cloud picture for evaluation. Taking reading lamp as an example, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified. The results show that compared with the other two methods, the Kendall rank correlation coefficients of entropy of the method are increased by 0.17 and 0.33, respectively, which proves that the method achieves more accurate evaluation result under the complex criteria, and provides a more effective tool for decision makers and designers to evaluate and optimize design schemes.

Метод аддитивной свертки при многокритериальной оценке управленческих решений в экономике

The proposed method is based on an expert assessment of the weights of the compared criteria using additive convolution. The research material allows us to carry out a numerical assessment of various projects with sufficient reliability, to build a scale of their priority. The main criteria for evaluating an investment project are proposed. An example of choosing an innovative project using an additive criterion is considered. An example of constructing a normalized matrix of pairwise comparison of criteria is shown. Conclusions are drawn on the rating scale of projects based on the selected criteria.

An Ecosystem Service Approach to Assessing Agro-Ecosystems in Urban Landscapes

Creating sustainable urban landscapes in light of growing population pressures requires interdisciplinary multi-functional solutions. Alternative agro-ecosystems described as food forests, permaculture gardens, and/or edible landscapes among others could offer potential ways to address the social, economic, and ecological goals of various stakeholders simultaneously. Current research is lacking a comprehensive tool that can assess the performance of alternative agro-ecosystems that have both functional and aesthetic values. The present research uses a novel rubric, the Permaculture and Agro-ecosystems Sustainability Scorecard (PASS) that combines agricultural sustainability and ecosystem services (ES) indicators in order to assess alternative agro-ecosystems. The rubric evaluates provisioning, regulating, supporting, economic and cultural ES and includes benefits such as pollinator presence, increased biodiversity, alternative pesticides and fertilizer use, carbon sequestration, food security, and human interactions. Based on the concepts and principles drawn from four popular frameworks and sub-disciplines, namely, SAFE, SITES, permaculture, and agroecology, we identify sixteen broad ES indicators and 59 sub-indices and measure them using data collected through site observation, survey, interviews, and documentary research. For easy comparison across different urban agriculture sites, the above sub-indices are further aggregated into five ES criteria using stakeholder-informed weights. The weights are developed through pair-wise comparison of criteria by sample survey respondents. The PASS framework is used to score twelve sites in South Florida that meet specific criteria in the small farm, residential, and public space categories. Sample respondents place the highest weight on cultural services. Contrary to the popular notion of promoting urban agriculture for food security, the results show that the majority of the sites score highest in the supporting services provided, followed by regulating and cultural services, and lowest in the economic services category. The supporting service for most of the sample sites score consistently very high, close to the highest possible level of 5.0. There is a wide variation in provisioning and economic values across the study sites. The paper offers several ideas for mainstreaming the ES indicators into urban planning and decision-making and some of the practical difficulties one might face along the way. We conclude that in order to realize the broader ES benefits of urban agriculture in particular and agro-ecosystems in general, a multi-pronged policy and planning approach is necessary.

An Integrated Framework for Cloud Service Selection Based on BOM and燭OPSIS

Many businesses have experienced difficulties in selecting a cloud service provider (CSP) due to the rapid advancement of cloud computing services and the proliferation of CSPs. Many independent criteria should be considered when evaluating the services provided by different CSPs. It is a case of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). This paper presents an integrated MCDM cloud service selection framework for determining the most appropriate service provider based on the best only method (BOM) and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). To obtain the weights of criteria and the relative importance of CSPs based on each criterion, BOM performs pairwise comparisons of criteria and also for alternatives on each criterion, and TOPSIS uses these weights to rank cloud alternatives. An evaluation and validation of the proposed framework have been carried out through a use-case model to prove its efficiency and accuracy. Moreover, the developed framework was compared with the analytical hierarchical process (AHP), a popular MCDM approach, based on two perspectives: efficiency and consistency. According to the research results, the proposed framework only requires 25% of the comparisons needed for the AHP approach. Furthermore, the proposed framework has a CR of 0%, whereas AHP has 38%. Thus, the proposed framework performs better than AHP when it comes to computation complexity and consistency, implying that it is more efficient and trustworthy.

Evaluating and ranking the circular supply chain implementation enablers

This research aims to evaluate and rank the Circular Supply Chain (CSC) enablers for the effective implementation of CSC management. From the literature and input received from industrial experts, 30 CSC enablers are identified. Further, the selected CSC enablers are classified into seven main categories. This research employs the Pythagorean fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (PF-AHP) technique to prioritize the selected CSC enablers based on pairwise comparison of criteria and sub-criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated with the help of responses received from an Indian manufacturing industry. The result reveals that global climate pressure and ecological scarcity of resources is the most significant enabler and the environment management certifications and systems is the least important enabler. The result of the present study will assist the practitioners / decision makers in implementing CSC in manufacturing organizations by adopting the ranking obtained in a systematic way.

Theory and methodology of teaching and upbringing by fields and levels of education (pedagogical sciences)

The object of research is the process of choosing elements in the organization of distance learning. On the basis of the method, a tree of the hierarchy of the choice of distance learning elements was built; matrices of pairwise comparisons of distance learning elements for each of the criteria and a matrix of pair-wise comparison of criteria from the point of view of the importance of the goal are built; calculated the values of the utility functions for each element of distance learning; the interpretation of the results obtained was carried out. The proposed approach to substantiating the composition of distance learning elements is advisable to use in the development of work programs for disciplines, in the organization of the educational process both with partial use of distance learning elements, and in the development of distance learning courses in general.

Establishment of Natural Hazards Mapping Criteria Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Despite the large number of studies on natural hazards mapping and modeling, an increasing number of disasters still occur worldwide. Floods, landslides, and tsunamis, among others, consistently hit vulnerable countries, resulting in increasing death tolls and economic losses in the last decades. The increased reliability of available hazard maps is still insufficient when not fully integrated and incorporated in the respective communities' land use plans. As a pro-active and preventive approach in combatting disasters, land use planning requires the relevant stakeholders' active participation. This study derives the most crucial criteria in the eyes of planners, experts, and decision-makers for natural hazards mapping as part of land use planning and part of disaster risk reduction. These stakeholders and experts establish criteria for flood, landslide, earthquake and storm surge hazard mapping through Multi-criteria Evaluation (MCE). The MCE technique compares the relative merits of different spatially related criteria following the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) through pair-wise comparisons of criteria by experts and the decision-makers. This research process derives a general and consistent list of criteria for hazard mapping initially developed and based in the Philippines, which can be used in subsequent GIS analysis. Results further show the advantages of using AHP in a multi-criteria analysis for decision-making and compliance.

SOFTWARE SELECTION ON BASE OF FUZZY AHP METHOD

The article is devoted to the problem of multi-criteria decision making. As application problem is used the software selection problem. The analysis of existing methods for solving this problem is given. As a method for solving this problem, the most popular fuzzy AHP method (Analytic Hierarchy Process) is proposed. This method use original algorithm for pairwise comparison of criteria and alternatives. The issues of practical implementation of this method are discussed in details. The results of the solution test problem at all stages are presented.

A combination risk-based approach to post-earthquake temporary accommodation site selection: A case study in Iran

One of the most important problems after natural disasters in every country is the preparation of temporary accommodations for victims. The developers of preventive plans are also faced with numerous uncertainties in this crisis management topic. Furthermore, uncertainty is not defined in classical mathematical sets. Therefore, the use of intuitionistic fuzzy sets, which include considerations for uncertainty, can be useful in prospective planning in order to counteract possible risks. The main aim of this study is to propose a combined method using risk management and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IF-AHP) for locating and prioritizing the post-earthquake temporary accommodation sites. To this end, the city of Sanandaj in Iran was selected as the case study of this method. First, brainstorming sessions with 9 crisis management experts from various organizations of Kurdistan province were used to determine 6 decision-making criteria. These criteria were based on identified risks in temporary accommodation process after an earthquake in the region, and criteria extracted from previous studies regarding temporary accommodation locations. The possible alternatives for temporary accommodation sites in this study were 13 different urban public spaces. The pairwise comparison of criteria based on the aim and pairwise comparison of alternative temporary accommodation options based on each criterion was carried out by experts and using intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Finally, the IF-AHP process was used to determine the priority of each alternative.

Study on the reliability assessment and early-warning method of online auditing based on the perspective of IT control

PurposeAn important issue in online auditing is how to improve the reliability of online auditing in order to reduce the overall audit risk. In this paper, a reliability assessment and early-warning method of online auditing based on RC (rank centroid), AHP (analytic hierarchy process) and GM (1,1) is proposed from the perspective of information technology (IT) audit risk control.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins by structuring the AHP hierarchy to the reliability assessment of online auditing used in China. Then, RC is used to rank the importance of the assessment criteria. Pairwise comparisons of criteria are made based on the rank results of RC, and this leads to a matrix of comparisons. Next, the comparison matrices are translated into weights, and the reliability assessment and early-warning model of online auditing is constructed using the GM (1,1) model. A case illustration is given to analyze the application of this method.FindingsResearch results show that the reliability of the evaluation method designed in this paper is rigorous and effective. The reliability assessment and early-warning method of online auditing based on RC/AHP/GM (1,1) can assess and give an effective early warning of reliability changes in an online auditing system, which can meet the needs of current online auditing projects.Practical implicationsThe results of this study have good potential for widespread future implementation of online auditing projects.Originality/valueAn effective reliability assessment and early-warning method of online auditing is proposed from the perspective of IT audit risk control in this study.

The reintroduction of Castor fiber in Piedmont (Italy): An integrated SWOT-spatial multicriteria based approach for the analysis of suitability scenarios

The Castor fiber or Eurasian beaver can change its habitat by building dams and creating ponds. For this reason, Castor fiber is known as an “ecosystem engineer” for aquatic and riparian environments. Despite its ecological importance, at the beginning of the 20th century the population was reduced to only 1200 beavers in Europe and Asia, due to uncontrolled hunting. Recently, some reintroductions and translocations have partly re-established the population. In Italy, however, the beaver disappeared in the 16th century and no action has been taken despite the recommendation of the Council of Europe to perform a feasibility study.This research evaluates beaver reintroduction and identifies suitable areas in Italy and, in particular, in the Piedmont region. In order to achieve this, a SWOT analysis combined with a Spatial Multicriteria Analysis was performed. Firstly, the zoological and ethological aspects concerning this rodent were studied, as well as the historical reasons that led to its disappearance in Italy and near extinction in Eurasia. Secondly, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of the territory were identified for beaver reintroduction. The SWOT analysis was implemented, as the starting point for the spatial multicriteria analysis. Thirdly, the Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) was structured into two criteria, i.e. Potentials and Criticalities, representing the spatialization of strengths and weaknesses. The final result of the MC-SDSS is a map showing suitable areas for beaver reintroduction in Piedmont. This map is the weighted sum of the maps of criticalities and potentialities, performed through a set of GIS operations and weighted through a pairwise comparison of criteria by experts.The analysis was conducted for the Piedmont region, but the integrated approach and the set of criteria can also be applied in other regions. Moreover, this mixed-method approach takes into account the characteristics necessary for the choice of suitable beaver habitats and also includes economic and social aspects. Therefore, it is an improvement on the Habitat Suitability Index (HIS), generally used in reintroductions. The aspects considered in the analysis are fundamental for the future development of a shared action plan, which considers both technical and social motivations and acts for the long-term on a wide area.

Novel Extension of DEMATEL Method by Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers and D Numbers for Management of Decision-Making Processes

The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is one of the most significant multi-criteria techniques for defining the relationships among criteria and for defining the weight coefficients of criteria. Since multi-criteria models are very often used in management and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, the fuzzy DEMATEL model has been extended in this paper by D numbers (fuzzy DEMATEL-D). The aim of this research was to develop a multi-criteria methodology that enables the objective processing of fuzzy linguistic information in the pairwise comparison of criteria. This aim was achieved through the development of the fuzzy DEMATEL-D method. Combining D numbers with trapezoidal fuzzy linguistic variables (LVs) allows for the additional processing of uncertainties and ambiguities that exist in experts’ preferences when comparing criteria with each other. In addition, the fuzzy DEMATEL-D methodology has a unique reasoning algorithm that allows for the rational processing of uncertainties when using fuzzy linguistic expressions for pairwise comparisons of criteria. The fuzzy DEMATEL-D methodology provides an original uncertainty management framework that is rational and concise. In order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, a case study with the application of the proposed multi-criteria methodology is presented.

A Model for Determining Weight Coefficients by Forming a Non-Decreasing Series at Criteria Significance Levels (NDSL)

In this paper, a new method for determining weight coefficients by forming a non-decreasing series at criteria significance levels (the NDSL method) is presented. The NDLS method includes the identification of the best criterion (i.e., the most significant and most influential criterion) and the ranking of criteria in a decreasing series from the most significant to the least significant criterion. Criteria are then grouped as per the levels of significance within the framework of which experts express their preferences in compliance with the significance of such criteria. By employing this procedure, fully consistent results are obtained. In this paper, the advantages of the NDSL model are singled out through a comparison with the Best Worst Method (BWM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) models. The advantages include the following: (1) the NDSL model requires a significantly smaller number of pairwise comparisons of criteria, only involving an n − 1 comparison, whereas the AHP requires an n(n − 1)/2 comparison and the BWM a 2n − 3 comparison; (2) it enables us to obtain reliable (consistent) results, even in the case of a larger number of criteria (more than nine criteria); (3) the NDSL model applies an original algorithm for grouping criteria according to the levels of significance, through which the deficiencies of the 9-degree scale applied in the BWM and AHP models are eliminated. By doing so, the small range and inconsistency of the 9-degree scale are eliminated; (4) while the BWM includes the defining of one unique best/worst criterion, the NDSL model eliminates this limitation and gives decision-makers the freedom to express the relationships between criteria in accordance with their preferences. In order to demonstrate the performance of the developed model, it was tested on a real-world problem and the results were validated through a comparison with the BWM and AHP models.