The recalculation of the weights of criteria in MCDM methods using the bayes approach

The application of multiple criteria decision-making methods (MCDM) is aimed at choosing the best alternative out of the number of available versions in the absence of the apparently dominant alternative. One of the two major components of multiple criteria decision-making methods is represented by the weights of the criteria describing the considered process. The weights of the criteria quantitatively express their significance and influence on the evaluation result. The criterion weights can be subjective, i.e., based on the estimates assigned by the experts, and the so-called objective, i.e., those which assess the structure of the data array at the time of evaluation. Several groups of experts, representing the opinions of various interested parties may take part in the evaluation of criteria. The evaluation data on the criterion weights also depend on the mathematical methods used for calculations and the estimation scales. In determining the objective weights, several methods, assessing various properties or characteristics of the data array’s structure, are usually employed. Therefore, the use of the procedures, improving the accuracy of the evaluation of the weights’ values and the integration of the obtained data into a single value, is often required. The present paper offers a new approach to more accurate evaluation of the criteria weights obtained by using various methods based on the idea of the Bayes hypothesis. The performed investigation shows that the suggested method is symmetrical and does not depend on the fact whether a priori or posterior values of the weights are recalculated. This result is the theoretical basis for practical use of the method of combining the weights obtained by various approaches as the geometric mean of various estimates. The ideas suggested by the authors have been repeatedly used in the investigation for combining the objective weights, for recalculating the criteria weights after obtaining the estimates of other groups of experts and for combining the subjective and the objective weights. The recalculated values of the weights of the criteria are used in the work for evaluating the quality of the distant courses taught to the students

A new evaluation model for corporate financial performance using integrated CCSD and FCM-ARAS approach

The financial performance is an indicator of financial stability, health and condition of any organisation. It could be utilised as a proper measure of the firm’s credibility and its ability to pay off debts. Financial institutions use this measure to determine the lending policy and applicants’credits. This study proposes a model based on the CCSD weighing method and hybrid FCM- ARAS approach for clustering and evaluating the financial performance to enable banks to identify target groups and design appropriate and relevant policies. Based on previous studies and the views of senior financial managers of a public bank in Iran, eight economic criteria were evaluated. The presented method was used to assess the financial performance of 58 manufacturing companies applying for loans from a federal bank in Iran. However, the CCSD method was used to calculate criteria weights, and a hybrid FCM-ARAS approach was developed and applied to financial evaluation and clustering the companies. The use of the CCSD method can eliminate errors caused by subjective models and human judgments, and increase the accuracy of the assessment. In this study, the debt ratio and equity to total assets and ROA were identified as the main criteria to assess financial performanc

Aligning supply chain complexity with product demand and design characteristics

This study models the alignment of supply chain complexity with product demand and design characteristics and formulates appropriate strategies to enhance supply chain alignment. An integrated theoretical framework linking all the three main constructs of supply chain complexity, namely, coordination, collaboration, and configuration, with product demand and design complexities is developed and empirically tested. Data were collected from a cross-industry sample of 273 Australian manufacturing firms and analysed using structural equation modelling. The results show that volatility of demand, product life cycle, and innovativeness directly impact on the complexity of supply chain collaboration. Product modularity, on the other hand, is more likely to indirectly influence supply chain collaboration through the mediating role of coordination. Higher complexity in product demand and design characteristics increases complexity in supply chain coordination and configuration while reducing complexity in supply chain collaboration. Based on the findings, a taxonomy is proposed to provide a reference frame for practitioners to formulate appropriate alignment strategies to manage or mitigate risk associated with growing supply chain complexity

Supply chain information visibility and its impact on decision-making : an integrated model in the pharmaceutical industry : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

Supply chain information visibility (SCIV) has been largely recognized as a key issue in pharmaceutical supply chain management. In recent years, there has been growing concern regarding the exponential growth and ubiquity of supply chain information as the result of the application of advanced technologies. Thus, the topic of visibility of information flow across a supply chain has attracted interest in both practice and academia. Despite the existence of considerable literature on SCIV, the concept is still under-theorized. The lack of a clear understanding of the characteristics of SCIV has made it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of SCIV and, consequently, hinders the improvement of SCIV (McIntire, 2014). Second, recent research identifies the potential of SCIV for operational performance through supporting managerial decision-making but also points out challenges and risks. In addition, there is a dearth of behavioral empirical research on supply chain management topics with which to achieve an increase in theory-building research in the field. This research addresses these gaps in the literature and investigates how SCIV across the pharmaceutical supply chain is perceived by pharmaceutical supply chain practitioners who are involved in supply chain decision-making, and how the decision-makers make use of SCIV in their supply chain decision-making process. This study adopted an exploratory, and qualitative approach to address two research questions: “How do supply chain professionals perceive SCIV in the pharmaceutical supply chain?” and “How do supply chain professionals make informed supply chain decisions?” The constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to guide the data gathering and analysis. The data were mainly drawn from semi-structured interviews with supply chain practitioners in New Zealand-based pharmaceutical firms, working at different levels of the supply chain, including manufacturers and distributors. Based on the findings a theoretical model was developed, the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Information-based Decision-Making Model. The model explains the behavioral supply chain decision-making process in the pharmaceutical supply chain, based on the existence of a given level of SCIV. The empirical findings suggest that SCIV is achieved both within and outside of the pharmaceutical firms and that human relational factors tend to be more beneficial than technological factors in developing SCIV. The importance of this finding is that it addresses a frequently asked question in recent literature about what constitutes SCIV and how to successfully build information visibility in a supply chain. Moreover, this research contributes to the behavioural supply chain management research literature by introducing a theoretical model of pharmaceutical supply chain information-based decision-making, which is grounded in the field data. The model offers significant theoretical insight into information-based decision-making in the pharmaceutical supply chain context based on empirical data, which has been largely overlooked in the supply chain management discipline. The empirical findings suggest that supply chain practitioners make information-based decisions in which they conduct an informative engaging mechanism with technological tools, with relevant stakeholders, and with themselves. Thus, the decision-making process involves extensive data analysis along with the crucial support of experience-based intuition and relevant stakeholders’ engagement. Another key contribution of this study is the identification of the constructive aspect of political behaviour in the supply chain decision-making process in which relevant stakeholders when invited to engage in the process tend to positively contribute and buy into the decision. Finally, this thesis provides significant practical implications and suggest directions for future research. Supply chain practitioners may benefit from the study by utilizing the study’s results to develop supply chain information visibility in their firms. In addition, the theoretical model of the information-based decision-making process explicates a useful step-by-step approach for supply chain practitioners to follow in making effective supply chain operational decisions. Recommendations for further research are provided, especially the recommendations for further studies that are crucially needed to assist firms to counter the pharmaceutical supply chain disruption risks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic

Sistema de medición del rendimiento para redes colaborativas de Pymes en el sector agroindustrial de Ecuador

[ES] La colaboración empresarial evidenciada en pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes) está contribuyendo a ampliar su competitividad, impulsar diversos procesos de innovación y mejorar su rendimiento; siendo, por tanto, fundamental la medición eficaz del rendimiento como una práctica estratégica para impulsar su desarrollo y eficiencia colectiva. La medición del rendimiento (MR) es un elemento esencial para la planificación efectiva y el control empresarial; así como para la toma de decisiones, a fin de desplegar diferentes acciones de mejora. La MR en Pymes incluye las siguientes tres categorías: las medidas de rendimiento o indicadores, el diseño del sistema de medición del rendimiento (SMR) y su desarrollo. El diseño del SMR para redes de Pymes es un proceso importante para asegurar que el marco de medición integre tanto, los factores y elementos del rendimiento propios del contexto colaborativo abordado, así como los métodos y técnicas para un proceso de medición del rendimiento balanceado y con alineamiento estratégico. Sin embargo, en la literatura fueron pocos los estudios que abordaban a la MR en contextos colaborativos. Entre aquellos que lo hacían, la mayoría se relacionaba con el direccionamiento hacia las mejores prácticas; lo que señaló dificultades en cuanto a la consideración de diversos factores entorno a este grupo de Pymes y con ello su implicación en el desarrollo de SMRs específicos. Otro aspecto importante en el diseño del SMR es la presencia de múltiples tomadores de decisión, espacio que tampoco evidenció mayor aporte entre la literatura revisada. Al considerar estos aspectos en el marco del diseño de SMRs para redes de Pymes en colaboración, ninguna investigación presentó un abordaje que contemple todas las características de forma simultánea. Considerando estas brechas, este trabajo de investigación tiene por objetivo proponer un sistema de medición del rendimiento para redes colaborativas de pymes (SMR - RECOP) en un escenario de toma de decisiones en grupo, considerando un enfoque de alineamiento estratégico. La propuesta tiene como finalidad integrar los principales factores de influencia del entorno de la red de Pymes, los requerimientos de medición básicos y la visión de un crecimiento sostenible enmarcado en la eficiencia colectiva. La propuesta de medición del rendimiento utiliza el Balanced Scorecard (BSC) como herramienta para direccionar la estrategia de la red al interior del sistema de medición, donde los indicadores se encuentran en alineación directa con los objetivos estratégicos; además, la técnica Fuzzy TOPSIS para apoyar el proceso de toma de decisiones en grupo que permite la determinación de los objetivos estratégicos y; por último, mesas de diálogo como los espacios para la discusión de ideas y formulación de indicadores de medición. Estas técnicas, juntamente con los elementos citados anteriormente son integrados en una metodología de tres fases. El sistema de medición propuesto se aplica en un caso de investigación para fines de validación; la red de Pymes evaluada pertenece al sector agroindustrial productor de cacao en Ecuador, donde los contextos empresariales tanto de red y cadena se evidencian como las estratégicas colaborativas con importante presencia. La aplicación empírica del SMR - RECOP mostró como resultados necesarios de su desarrollo a los siguientes productos: un conjunto de objetivos estratégicos; un procedimiento establecido para la definición y selección de estos objetivos en el marco de la toma de decisiones en grupo; un mapa estratégico consolidado y por último un conjunto de indicadores de rendimiento. Estos resultados muestran consistencia con los estamentos pretendidos por la red y su contexto de desarrollo; así como con los requerimientos que enmarcan un SMR para Pymes.[CA] La col·laboració empresarial evidenciada en petites i mitjanes empreses (Pimes) està contribuint a ampliar la seva competitivitat, impulsar diversos processos d'innovació i millorar el seu rendiment; sent, per tant, fonamental el mesurament eficaç de l'rendiment com una pràctica estratègica per impulsar el seu desenvolupament i eficiència col·lectiva. El mesurament de l'rendiment (MR) és un element essencial per a la planificació efectiva i el control empresarial; així com per a la presa de decisions, per tal de desplegar diferents accions de millora. La MR a Pimes inclou les següents tres categories: les mesures de rendiment o indicadors, el disseny de sistema de mesurament de l'rendiment (SMR) i el seu desenvolupament. El disseny de l'SMR per a xarxes de Pimes és un procés important per assegurar que el marc de mesurament integri tant, els factors i elements de l'rendiment propis de l'context col·laboratiu abordat, així com els mètodes i tècniques per a un procés de mesurament de l'rendiment balancejat i amb alineament estratègic. No obstant això, en la literatura van ser pocs els estudis que abordaven a la MR en contextos col·laboratius. Entre aquells que ho feien, la majoria es relacionava amb l'adreçament cap a les millors pràctiques; el que va assenyalar dificultats pel que fa a la consideració de diversos factors entorn a aquest grup de Pimes i amb això la seva implicació en el desenvolupament de SMRs específics. Un altre aspecte important en el disseny de l'SMR és la presència de múltiples prenedors de decisió, espai que tampoc va evidenciar major aportació entre la literatura revisada. A l'considerar aquests aspectes en el marc de el disseny de SMRs per a xarxes de pimes en col·laboració, cap investigació va presentar un abordatge que contempli totes les característiques de forma simultània. Considerant aquestes bretxes, aquest treball de recerca té per objectiu proposar un sistema de mesurament de l'rendiment per a xarxes col·laboratives de pimes (SMR - Recull) en un escenari de presa de decisions en grup, considerant un enfocament d'alineament estratègic. La proposta té com a finalitat integrar els principals factors d'influència de l'entorn de la xarxa de pimes, els requeriments de mesurament bàsics i la visió d'un creixement sostenible emmarcat en l'eficiència col·lectiva. La proposta de mesurament de l'rendiment utilitza el Balanced Scorecard (BSC) com a eina per adreçar l'estratègia de la xarxa a l'interior de el sistema de mesurament, on els indicadors es troben en alineació directa amb els objectius estratègics; a més, la tècnica Fuzzy TOPSIS per donar suport al procés de presa de decisions en grup que permet la determinació dels objectius estratègics i; finalment, taules de diàleg com els espais per a la discussió d'idees i formulació d'indicadors de mesurament. Aquestes tècniques, conjuntament amb els elements esmentats anteriorment són integrats en una metodologia de tres fases. El sistema de mesurament proposat s'aplica en un cas d'investigació per a fins de validació; la xarxa de Pimes avaluada pertany a el sector agroindustrial productor de cacau a l'Equador, on els contextos empresarials tant de xarxa i cadena s'evidencien com les estratègiques col·laboratives amb important presència. L'aplicació empírica d'el SMR - RECOP va mostrar com a resultats necessaris del seu desenvolupament als següents productes: un conjunt d'objectius estratègics; un procediment per a la definició i selecció d'aquests objectius en el marc de la presa de decisions en grup; un mapa estratègic consolidat i finalment un conjunt d'indicadors de rendiment. Els resultats obtinguts mostren consistència amb els estaments pretesos per la xarxa i el seu context de desenvolupament; així com amb els requeriments que emmarquen un SMR per a Pimes.[EN] The business collaboration evidenced in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) is helping to expand their competitiveness, promote different innovation processes, and improve their performance. Therefore, effective performance measurement is essential as a strategic practice to promote its development and collective efficiency. Performance measurement (PM) is an essential element for effective business planning and control; as well as for decision making, in order to deploy different improvement actions. PM in SMEs includes the following three categories: performance measures or indicators, the design of the performance measurement system (PMS), and its development. The design of the PMS for SME networks is an important process to ensure that the measurement framework integrates both the factors and elements of the performance, which belong to the collaborative context addressed, as well as the methods and techniques for a balanced performance measurement process and with strategic alignment. However, in the literature, few studies addressed PM in collaborative contexts. Among those that did it, the majority was related to directing toward best practices; which pointed to difficulties in considering various factors around this group of SMEs and thus their involvement in the development of specific PMSs. Another important issue in the design of the PMS is the presence of multiple decision-makers, a space that did not show a greater contribution among the literature reviewed. When considering these aspects in the framework of PMSs design for collaborative SME networks, no research presented an approach that considers all the characteristics simultaneously. Considering these gaps, this research work aims to propose a performance measurement system for collaborative networks of SMEs (PMS - RECOP) in a group decision-making scenario, considering a strategic alignment approach. The purpose of the proposal is to integrate the main factors that influence the environment of the SMEs network, the basic measurement requirements, and the vision of sustainable growth framed in collective efficiency The performance measurement proposal uses the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a tool to direct the strategy of the network within the measurement system, where the indicators are in direct alignment with the strategic objectives. In addition, the Fuzzy TOPSIS technique supports the group decision-making process that allows the determination of strategic objectives and; finally, dialogue tables as spaces for the discussion of ideas and formulation of measurement indicators. These techniques, together with the elements aforementioned, are integrated into a three-phase methodology. The proposed evaluation system is applied in a research case for validation purposes; the network of SMEs evaluated belongs to the agro-industrial sector that produces cocoa in Ecuador, where the business contexts of both the network and the chain are evidenced as collaborative strategies with an important presence. The empirical application of the PMS - RECOP showed the following products as necessary results of its development: a set of strategic objectives, such as an established procedure for the definition and selection of these objectives within the framework of group decision-making; a consolidated strategic map, and finally a set of performance indicators. The obtained results showed consistency with the states intended by the network and its development context, as well as the requirements that frame a PMS for SMEs.Rojas Lema, XB. (2021). Sistema de medición del rendimiento para redes colaborativas de Pymes en el sector agroindustrial de Ecuador [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/165779TESI

Alignment of supply chain complexities with product demand and product design characteristics

Firms’ capacity to alter products at a short notice to fulfil an uncertain and highly diverse customer demand requires building agile supply chains, which should be highly responsive, transparent, and structurally aligned. Thus, analysing and modeling the relationship between supply chain and product characteristics are the key focus of recent supply chain management research. Most studies, however, have either concentrated on examining the relationships between supply chain and product demand or supply chain and product design. While the first perspective argues the necessity of matching the supply chains strategy to the characteristics of product demand; whereas the second perspective places greater emphasis on aligning the supply chain design with product design characteristics to improve supply chain performance.To date, there is no empirical study that has simultaneously examined the alignment of supply chain with product demand and product design. The extent and characteristics of this alignment has therefore remained unanswered. Understanding the combined impact of product demand and product design on supply chain as interlinked factors is critical to the improvement of supply chain alignment –– a strategic fit or the appropriateness level of supply chain –– to align with the complexity of product demand and design characteristics. To address this gap, the main research objectives of this thesis are: i) to identify the key characteristics of product demand and product design, which impact on the supply chain complexity; and ii) to examine the extent to which supply chains are aligned with product characteristics, considering the simultaneous role of product demand and design. Building on supply chain complexity research and drawing from previous studies on supply chain alignment theory, this thesis develops and then empirically examines an alignment-based model to establish the impact of product characteristics on supply chain complexity. Using the Hieber’s approach, this thesis measures supply chain complexity through three key constructs – complexity in coordination, configuration and collaboration of supply chain. This model investigates whether higher product demand and/or design complexity leads to higher supply chain coordination and/or configuration complexity and lower collaboration complexity. Based on the results, organisations with products having greater demand and design complexity are suggested to reduce their supply chain coordination complexity by improving information sharing and integrated planning managed by strategic centres. This serves the purpose of aligning their operations to reduce collaboration complexity and strategically re-direct their resources to enhance the supply chain performance. This research extended the supply chain alignment theory by integrating both the product demand and design as interrelated constructs in explaining supply chain complexity. A supply chain alignment framework is also developed to conceptualise and empirically examine the simultaneous impacts of product demand and product design on supply chain complexity using a structured equation modeling technique. The framework is also a decision support strategic tool to evaluate supply chain collaboration, coordination and configuration complexity at different levels according to the complexity of product demand and design characteristics

Supporting the Strategies Alignment Process in Collaborative Networks

[EN] The establishment of collaborative relationships with the network partners provides them important advantages, such as competitiveness and agility, when responding to the current rapid market evolutions. Nonetheless, the partic‐ ipation in collaborative networks becomes a complex process that starts with the alignment of all the enterprises objectives and strategies. Smart systems and approaches are needed in order support collaborative partners to deal with the strategies alignment challenge. The lack of alignment emerges because each enterprise defines its own objectives and strategies, to perform their business, and it could happen that non-compatible strategies are activated, involving the appear‐ ance of conflicts between strategies of different enterprises. To this regard, a decision support system is proposed, consisting of a mathematical model, a system dynamics method, a simulation tool and a guideline, with the main aim of supporting the process of identifying aligned strategies, among the enterprises of the collaborative network.This work has been funded in part by Programa Val i+d para investigadores en formación (ACIF 2012).Andres, B.; Poler, R. (2017). Supporting the Strategies Alignment Process in Collaborative Networks. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 499:3-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56077-9_1S319499Poler, R., Carneiro, L.M., Jasinski, T., Zolghadri, M., Pedrazzoli, P.: Intelligent Non-hierarchical Manufacturing Networks. Networks and Telecommunications Series. iSTE Wiley, Hoboken (2012)Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Afsarmanesh, H.: Collaborative Networks: Reference Modelling. 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