Fuzzy Multi-criteria Decision-Making Associating Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment with Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

To encompass fuzzy information, a classical multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method called analytic hierarchy process(AHP) was often extended into a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (FMCDM) method called fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to solve decision-making problems. Practically, some approaches supposed that partial FMCDM problems had dependent evaluation criteria, and the above methods might not be fitted in the FMCDM problems with dependent evaluation criteria. To resolve the tie, we apply fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD) in yielding evaluation criteria weights of FAHP because FQFD can present the characteristic of dependent evaluation criteria. In FQFD, we use a linguistic pair-wise comparison matrix on customer demand qualities to express relative weights of varied items. The pair-wise comparison matrix in deriving priority weights belongs to FAHP computation. Additionally, linguistic relations between customer demand qualities and service development capabilities are displayed through a relation matrix. All linguistic assessments of the two matrices above are converted into fuzzy numbers. Then the related weights of customer demand qualities and the relation matrix between customer demand qualities and service development capabilities by FQFD are integrated into criteria weights. The criteria weights are multiplied by criteria ratings of an alternative and then aggregated to be the alternative performance index. Alternatives are ranked according their performance indices. Based on above, FMCDM problems with dependent evaluation criteria are solved by associating FQFD with FAHP.