The analytic hierarchy process as a support for decision making

The first part of this text deals with a convention site selection as one of the most lucrative areas in the tourism industry. The second part gives a further description of a method for decision making - the analytic hierarchy process. The basic characteristics: hierarchy constructions and pair wise comparison on the given level of the hierarchy are allured. The third part offers an example of application. This example is solved using the Super - Decision software, which is developed as a computer support for the analytic hierarchy process. This indicates that the AHP approach is a useful tool to help support a decision of convention site selection.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH THE LOYALTY PROGRAMS IN RETAIL

Programi vjernosti često su dio opsežne strategije odnosa s kupcima i predstavljaju dobar način za identifikaciju kupaca, koji donose veću vrijednost od drugih, kao i zadržavanje istih. Osnovni cilj rada je prikazati utjecaj programa vjernosti u maloprodaji na zadovoljstvo potrošača. Provedbom anketnog istraživanja provjeravalo se na koji način potrošači iskazuju zadovoljstvo programima vjernosti u maloprodaji. Temeljem dobivenih rezultata (N =53) utvrđeno je da program vjernosti nije presudan čimbenik, dok su drugi čimbenici kao što su asortiman proizvoda, cijena, lokacija prodavaonice i odnos prema kupcu – članu programa vjernosti pokazali se kao najrelevantniji za zadovoljstvo potrošača.The loyalty programs are often part of a comprehensive strategy for customer relationship and provide a good way to identify and maintain customers with greater value than others. The main objective of this paper is to show the role of loyalty programs affecting customer satisfaction in retail. The purpose of the empirical research was to discover the effects of loyalty programs on customer satisfaction. Research has shown (N= 53) that the loyalty program is not the determinating factor. All other examined factors such as product range, price, the location of the store and customers relationship proved to be the more relevant to consumer satisfaction

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH THE LOYALTY PROGRAMS IN RETAIL

Programi vjernosti često su dio opsežne strategije odnosa s kupcima i predstavljaju dobar način za identifikaciju kupaca, koji donose veću vrijednost od drugih, kao i zadržavanje istih. Osnovni cilj rada je prikazati utjecaj programa vjernosti u maloprodaji na zadovoljstvo potrošača. Provedbom anketnog istraživanja provjeravalo se na koji način potrošači iskazuju zadovoljstvo programima vjernosti u maloprodaji. Temeljem dobivenih rezultata (N =53) utvrđeno je da program vjernosti nije presudan čimbenik, dok su drugi čimbenici kao što su asortiman proizvoda, cijena, lokacija prodavaonice i odnos prema kupcu – članu programa vjernosti pokazali se kao najrelevantniji za zadovoljstvo potrošača.The loyalty programs are often part of a comprehensive strategy for customer relationship and provide a good way to identify and maintain customers with greater value than others. The main objective of this paper is to show the role of loyalty programs affecting customer satisfaction in retail. The purpose of the empirical research was to discover the effects of loyalty programs on customer satisfaction. Research has shown (N= 53) that the loyalty program is not the determinating factor. All other examined factors such as product range, price, the location of the store and customers relationship proved to be the more relevant to consumer satisfaction

On the Distribution of Kurepa’s Function

Kurepa’s function and his hypothesis have been investigated by means of numerical simulation. Particular emphasis has been given to the conjecture on its distribution, that should be one of a random uniform distribution, which has been verified for large numbers. A convergence function for the two has been found

Multicriteria optimization in a fuzzy environment: The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

In the paper the fuzzy extension of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on fuzzy numbers, and its application in solving a practical problem, are considered. The paper advocates the use of contradictory test to check the fuzzy user preferences during fuzzy AHP decision-making process. We also propose consistency check and deriving priorities from inconsistent fuzzy judgment matrices to be included in the process, in order to check if the fuzzy approach can be applied in the AHP for the problem considered. An aggregation of local priorities obtained at different levels into composite global priorities for the alternatives based on weighted-sum method is also discussed. The contradictory fuzzy judgment matrix is analyzed. Our theoretical consideration has been verified by an application of commercially available Super Decisions program (developed for solving multi-criteria optimization problems using AHP approach) on the problem previously treated in the literature. The obtained results are compared with those from the literature. The conclusions are given and the possibilities for further work in the field are pointed out

On an algorithm in nondifferential convex optimization

In this paper an algorithm for minimization of a nondifferentiable function is presented. The algorithm uses the Moreau-Yosida regularization of the objective function and its second order Dini upper directional derivative. The purpose of the paper is to establish general hypotheses for this algorithm, under which convergence occurs to optimal points. A convergence proof is given, as well as an estimate of the rate of the convergence

MULTICRITERIA OPTIMIZATION IN A FUZZY ENVIRONMENT: THE FUZZY ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS 1

based on fuzzy numbers, and its application in solving a practical problem, are considered. The paper advocates the use of contradictory test to check the fuzzy user preferences during fuzzy AHP decision-making process. We also propose consistency check and deriving priorities from inconsistent fuzzy judgment matrices to be included in the process, in order to check if the fuzzy approach can be applied in the AHP for the problem considered. An aggregation of local priorities obtained at different levels into composite global priorities for the alternatives based on weighted-sum method is also discussed. The contradictory fuzzy judgment matrix is analyzed. Our theoretical consideration has been verified by an application of commercially available Super Decisions program (developed for solving multi-criteria optimization problems using AHP approach) on the problem previously treated in the literature. The obtained results are compared with those from the literature. The conclusions are given and the possibilities for further work in the field are pointed out

On Almost b-Metric Spaces and Related Fixed Point Results

In this manuscript, we introduce almost b-metric spaces and prove modifications of fixed point theorems for Reich and Hardy–Rogers type contractions. We present an approach generalizing some fixed point theorems to the case of almost b-metric spaces by reducing almost b-metrics to the corresponding b-metrics. Later, we show that this approach can not work for all kinds of contractions. To confirm this, we present a proof in which the contraction condition is such that it cannot be reduced to corresponding b-metrics