A method of suppliers evaluation and choice based on AHP and fuzzy theory

During recent years, how to determine suitable suppliers in the supply chain has become a key strategic consideration. However, the nature of these decisions usually is complex and unstructured. In general, many quantitative and qualitative factors such as quality, price, and flexibility and delivery performance must be considered to determine suitable suppliers. The evaluation process typically consists of identifying the attributes and factors relevant to the decision, and measuring the performance of a supplier by considering the relevant factors. Much of the data are difficult to obtain and ambiguous or vague to interpret. Nonetheless, a rational process of evaluation must exist to select the most appropriate suppliers. This paper proposes fuzzy comprehensive method for evaluating the suppliers based on AHP. The method combines AHP and fuzzy theory and provides a comprehensive evolution method for choosing partner of supply chain. Finally, an example is shown to highlight the procedure of the proposed method at the end of this paper. This paper shows that the proposed model is very well suited as a decision making tool for supplier selection decisions.