Multiple Attribute Decision Making ─ Methods and Applications

Decision makers are often faced with several conflicting alternatives. How do they evaluate trade-offs when there are more than three criteria? To help people make optimal decisions, scholars in the discipline of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) continue to develop new methods for structuring preferences and determining the correct relative weights for criteria. A compilation of modern decision-making techniques, Multiple Attribute Decision Making: Methods and Applications focuses on the fuzzy set approach to multiple attribute decision making (MADM). Drawing on their experience, the authors bring together current methods and real-life applications of MADM techniques for decision analysis. They also propose a novel hybrid MADM model that combines DEMATEL and analytic network process (ANP) with VIKOR procedures.

The first part of the book focuses on the theory of each method and includes examples that can be calculated without a computer, providing a complete understanding of the procedures. Methods include the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), ANP, simple additive weighting method, ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, the gray relational model, fuzzy integral technique, rough sets, and the structural model. Integrating theory and practice, the second part of the book illustrates how methods can be used to solve real-world MADM problems. Applications covered in the book include:

• AHP to select planning and design services for a construction project
• TOPSIS and VIKOR to evaluate the best alternative-fuel vehicles for urban areas
• ELECTRE to solve network design problems in urban transportation planning
• PROMETEE to set priorities for the development of new energy systems, from solar thermal to hydrogen energy
• Fuzzy integrals to evaluate enterprise intranet web sites
• Rough sets to make decisions in insurance marketing

Helping readers understand how to apply MADM techniques to their decision making, this book is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students as well as practitioners.

Gwo-Hshiung Tzeng is a Distinguished Chair Professor of Kainan University, Taiwan. He received a Bachelor’s degree in business management from the Tatung Institute of Technology (1967); a Master’s degree in urban planning from Chung Hsing University (1971); and a PhD in management science from Osaka University, Japan (1977). His current research interests include statistics, multivariate analysis, networks, routing and scheduling, multiple criteria decision making, fuzzy theory, hierarchical structure analysis for application to technology management, energy, environment, transportation systems, transportation investment, logistics, location, urban planning, tourism, technology management, electronic commerce, and global supply chains. He is editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Operations Research and the International Journal of Information Systems for Logistics and Management, among others.

Jih-Jeng Huang is currently Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Information Management at Soochow University, Taiwan, and teaches research method, multivariate analysis, and capital asset and pricing models, among others. He received his PhD in Information Management from the National Taiwan University. His current research interests include multiple criteria decision making, knowledge management, behavioral economics and finance, and data analysis. He has published on these interests widely in journals and conference proceedings.