SUPPLIER SELECTION UNDER UNCERTAINTY: A FUZZY-SET APPOACH

Traditionally, the evaluation and selection of suppliers have been a major purchasing function. A growing concern for just in-time purchasing, global sourcing, and long-term partnership between buyers and suppliers makes selecting a righ supplier become more critical decision making process. Consequently, a rigorous and systematic method for evaluation suppliers is a must. However, assessing the values of factors(e.g. qulaity , delivery, and service) selected for evaluating suppliers contains elements of uncertainty. Although several methods have been developed for uncertainty analysis, they may not be proper tools for evaluating suppliers under uncertainty. In this paper, a methodology using a fuzzy-set approach in combination with a multicriterion decision-making (MCDM) technique is developed to use as a tool for evaluating suppliers under uncertainty. An numerical example is presented to demonstrate the method in practice.