A fuzzy neural network based multi-criteria decision making approach for outsourcing supplier evaluation

For outsource-type manufacturers, as they are increasingly outsourcing more and more activities to suppliers in order to focus their core competences, more and more these companies become interested in developing and implementing strategic partnership with their suppliers. Hence, an effective tool is needed to help these companies in evaluating their suppliers and selecting the best suppliers for long-term partnership. On analyzing the criterion system for outsourcing supplier evaluation, a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach based on fuzzy neural network is proposed in this paper. An illustrative numerical example is also provided to verify the approach and demonstrate its feasibility and practicality.