An intelligent model based on integration of data envelopment analysis and support vector machine for Supplier Selection

Selecting the most appropriate among the alternatives available is one of the issues that, leaves decision-makers in a difficult position, as traditional approaches may not produce a realistic solution in this process. Therefore, in this paper an integrated selection method that uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) and support vector machine (SVM) is developed to select efficient suppliers based on their predicted efficiency scores under fuzzy environment. The graded mean integration (GMI) representation of fuzzy numbers was used as a defuzzification method. Actual efficiency score was then calculated for each decision making unit (DMU) using CCR-DEA model. Afterward, suppliers’ performance-related data was used for training SVM-DEA model