Selection of a communication satellite manufacturer using MCDM methods

Procurement of a new communication satellite is a lengthy and often complicated process. During this process the prospective satellite system operator acts as a purchaser and the manufacturer acts as a supplier for space segment and related earth facilities. Although there is a limited number of manufacturers able to meet technical capabilities to deliver a satellite to the on orbit position with the given degree of risk, selection of a manufacturer is a challenging mission. In this paper, we utilized two of the most commonly used multi criteria decision making methods namely Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to select the most suitable communication satellite manufacturer. First, the set of selection criteria is determined and a decision hierarchy is established by the experts of the field. Then, AHP is used to determine the weights of the selection criteria. Finally, TOPSIS is used to rank the alternative manufacturers. The case study demonstrated that the established decision hierarchy and the utilized methods can be used for real-world problems faced in the satellite industry.