Multi crteria decision making and its applications : a literature review

This paper presents current techniques used in Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and their applications. Two basic approaches for MCDM, namely Artificial Intelligence MCDM (AIMCDM) and Classical MCDM (CMCDM) are discussed and investigated. Recent articles from international journals related to MCDM are collected and analyzed to find which approach is more common than the other in MCDM. Also, which area these techniques are applied to. Those articles are appearing in journals for the year 2008 only. This paper provides evidence that currently, both AIMCDM and CMCDM are equally common in MCDM

Typology Selection of Retaining Walls Based on Multicriteria Decision-Making Methods

This research received no external funding.In civil engineering and construction, in the selection of the most adequate and sustainable alternative, all of the alternatives and selection criteria, such as the requirements of the construction process (which are often overlooked) and the preferences of designers, clients, or contractors, are not always taken into account. The purpose of this article is to suggest a methodology that may allow studying all of the possible alternatives to find the most ideal solution among all of the existing possibilities for the selection of retaining walls to be built in infrastructures in different environments. For this purpose, all typologies of retaining walls and selection criteria (external requirements, construction requirements, characteristics of the natural land and economic criteria) are first identified. Subsequently, a simple methodological method is proposed, allowing the relative importance of each criterion to be established and allowing us to select the most suitable solution for each situation by successively applying different multicriteria decision-making methods. Finally, the methodology developed is applied to two projects in different locations with different constraints. The results obtained provide a set of compromise solutions that remain as best-rank alternatives when the weights of the criteria change. Therefore, the methodology developed can be applied to the selection of typologies of other structures in future projects

Screening and Sufficiency in Multiobjective Decision Problems with Large Alternative Sets

Portfolio selection problems with combinatorially-large alternative sets can be impossible to evaluate precisely on a reasonable timescale. When portfolios require complex modeling for performance assessment, prohibitive computational processing times can result. Eliminating a small number of alternatives through an intelligent screening process can greatly reduce the number of alternative combinations, thereby decreasing a problem\u27s evaluation time and cost. A methodology was developed for the class of hierarchical portfolio selection problems in which multiple objectives are all judged on the same sub-objectives. First, a novel capability-based alternative screening process was devised to identify and remove poor alternatives, thereby reducing the number of portfolios. Then, a performance-based portfolio screening process was explored to estimate portfolio sufficiency according to the performance requirements of the decision maker. Following the establishment of a set of sufficient portfolios, the analyst can employ higher resolution post-analysis methods to choose a final solution. Finally, the methodology was applied to a portfolio selection problem in which the United States Strategic Command attempts to select an ideal mix of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets. After deconstructing the actual objective hierarchy, a set of representative alternatives were evaluated and a variety of screening procedures were applied to demonstrate significant reduction in the number of possible portfolios

PROMETHEE-SAPEVO-M1 a Hybrid Approach Based on Ordinal and Cardinal Inputs: Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Helicopters to Support Brazilian Navy Operations

This paper presents a new approach based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), named PROMETHEE-SAPEVO-M1, through its implementation and feasibility related to the decision-making process regarding the evaluation of helicopters of attack of the Brazilian Navy. The proposed methodology aims to present an integration of ordinal evaluation into the cardinal procedure from the PROMETHEE method, enabling to perform qualitative and quantitative data and generate the criteria weights by pairwise evaluation, transparently. The modeling provides three models of preference analysis, as partial, complete, and outranking by intervals, along with an intra-criterion analysis by veto threshold, enabling the analysis of the performance of an alternative in a specific criterion. As a demonstration of the application, is carried out a case study by the PROMETHEE-SAPEVO-M1 web platform, addressing a strategic analysis of attack helicopters to be acquired by the Brazilian Navy, from the need to be evaluating multiple specifications with different levels of importance within the context problem. The modeling implementation in the case study is made in detail, first performing the alternatives in each criterion and then presenting the results by three different models of preference analysis, along with the intra-criterion analysis and a rank reversal procedure. Moreover, is realized a comparison analysis to the PROMETHEE method, exploring the main features of the PROMETHEE-SAPEVO-M1. Moreover, a section of discussion is presented, exposing some features and main points of the proposal. Therefore, this paper provides a valuable contribution to academia and society since it represents the application of an MCDA method in the state of the art, contributing to the decision-making resolution of the most diverse real problems.This research was funded by Centre for Research & Development in Mechanical Engineering (CIDEM), School of Engineering of Porto (ISEP), Polytechnic of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 431 4249-015 Porto, Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Elimination Method of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA): A Simple Methodological Approach for Assessing Agricultural Sustainability

In the present world context, there is a need to assess the sustainability of agricultural systems. Various methods have been proposed to assess agricultural sustainability. Like in many other fields, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) has recently been used as a methodological approach for the assessment of agricultural sustainability. In this paper, an attempt is made to apply Elimination, a MCDA method, to an agricultural sustainability assessment, and to investigate its benefits and drawbacks. This article starts by explaining the importance of agricultural sustainability. Common MCDA types are discussed, with a description of the state-of-the-art method for incorporating multi-criteria and reference values for agricultural sustainability assessment. Then, a generic description of the Elimination Method is provided, and its modeling approach is applied to a case study in coastal Bangladesh. An assessment of the results is provided, and the issues that need consideration before applying Elimination to agricultural sustainability, are examined. Whilst having some limitations, the case study shows that it is applicable for agricultural sustainability assessments and for ranking the sustainability of agricultural systems. The assessment is quick compared to other assessment methods and is shown to be helpful for agricultural sustainability assessment. It is a relatively simple and straightforward analytical tool that could be widely and easily applied. However, it is suggested that appropriate care must be taken to ensure the successful use of the Elimination Method during the assessment process.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canad

Continuous Decision Support

Organizations are often faced with portfolio construction efforts that require them to select one or more alternatives, subject to resource constraints, with the aim of achieving the maximum value possible. This is a well-defined problem with a number of analytically defensible approaches, provided the entire set of alternatives is known when the decision event takes place. Less well treated in the literature is how to approach this problem when the entire set of alternatives is unknown, as when the alternatives arrive over time. This change in the availability of data shifts the problem from one of identifying an optimal subset to one in which a series of smaller decisions are undertaken regarding the acceptability of each alternative as it presents itself. This work expands upon a methodology known as the Triage Method. The original Triage Method provided a screening tool that could be applied to alternatives as they presented themselves to determine if they should be accepted for further study, rejected out of hand, or held pending until later date. This decision was made strictly upon the value of the alternative and with no consideration of its cost. Two extensions to the Triage Method are offered which provide a capability to consider cost and other resource requirements of the alternatives, thus allowing a move from simply screening to portfolio selection. Guidelines are presented as to when each of these extensions is best employed, a characterization of the performance tradeoff between these and more traditional methodologies is developed, and insight and techniques for setting the value of parameters required by the extensions are provided

The Latest Scientific Problems Related to the Implementation and Diagnostics of Construction Objects

This book contains publications related to the special topic entitled: "The Latest Scientific Problems Related to the Implementation and Diagnostics of Construction Objects". Construction is a sector of the economy that is characterized by a very high variability of execution conditions and a large variety of building structures. In a period of very rapid economic development, this high variability and diversity generates many new scientific problems that must be solved in order to further improve the quality of production, as well as to reduce the cost and time of construction. The purpose of the issue is to present and discuss the results of the latest research in the broad field of construction engineering, particularly concerning: modification of the composition of construction materials using various micro- and nanomaterials, by-products or wastes; modern methods of controlling construction processes; methods of planning and effective management in construction, as well as methods of diagnosing construction objects. The articles published in this issue deal with theoretical, experimental, applied and modeling research conducted worldwide in the above-mentioned scientific areas