An application of WASPAS method in risk qualitative analysis: a case study of a road construction project in Iran

Spatial assessment of sediment risk with integrated entropy-based WASPAS and fuzzy clustering methods in Turkey: impact of forestry activities and meteorological factors

The sediment formed during erosion processes is acknowledged as one of the important contributors to environmental damage. In forest areas, sediment production occurs as a result of meteorological factors and wood harvesting, as well as forest road construction activities carried out for the continuity of forests. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal the sediment risk in forest areas at the provincial level in Turkey by using entropy-based weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) and fuzzy clustering methods. The results establish that the weights of the factors affecting the sediment risk are the forest road construction rate (0.3721), the wood harvesting rate (0.3463), the average precipitation (0.2227), and the average temperature (0.0587). Seven provinces were found in the highest risk class of the cluster in terms of sediment risk. Two of those (Yalova and Kocaeli) are located in the Marmara Region, while the others (Bartın, Düzce, Giresun, Ordu, and Zonguldak) are located in the Black Sea Region. Four of the provinces in the lowest risk class of the cluster (Bingöl, Bitlis, Erzincan, and Malatya) are located in the Eastern Anatolia Region, while a fifth (Siirt) is located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. As is seen in the study, multi-criteria decision-making methods make it possible to evaluate different scenarios for sedimentation estimation and control and to select the most effective solutions. In conclusion, the use of WASPAS, entropy, and fuzzy clustering methods can provide a comprehensive and effective approach for assessing the sediment risk.

Evaluating preparedness in using blockchains for electronic health record systems

Purpose

An emerging technology in the primary stages of its life cycle is the blockchain. This research paper aims to evaluate the preparedness of hospitals in using blockchain technology in their electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Design/methodology/approach

In the initial stage, 15 criteria relating to preparedness in using blockchain in EHR systems were identified from the literature and divided into five criteria, namely, technological, legal, financial, environmental and organizational. Then, 17 experts from various specialized fields were invited to form expert panels. After validating the criteria identified by the expert panels, the weights of the criteria were determined through the fuzzy best-worst multicriteria decision-making method. Following that, the preparedness of ten selected hospitals in Tehran to use blockchain in their EHR systems was assessed via the weighted aggregated sum product assessment method. Finally, using sensitivity analysis and examining different scenarios, the robustness of the results of the proposed approach was validated.

Findings

According to expert judgments, the legal criterion (32%) was deemed the most important factor in the preparedness to use blockchain in EHR systems followed by technological (28%), financial (17%), organizational (13%) and environmental (9%) criteria. A sensitivity analysis showed that the proposed approach offers good strength and robustness in evaluating the selected hospitals.

Originality/value

This study can be useful in developing knowledge in the field of technology management for evaluating blockchain implementation in the health-care industry using a novel, coherent and robust approach. In addition, the proposed approach provides comprehensive insight for decision-makers on assessing preparedness in deploying blockchain technology in EHR systems.

2-tuple linguistic Fermatean fuzzy MAGDM based on the WASPAS method for selection of solid waste disposal location

Manufacturing plants generate toxic waste that can be harmful to workers, the population and the atmosphere. Solid waste disposal location selection (SWDLS) for manufacturing plants is one of the fastest growing challenges in many countries. The weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) is a unique combination of the weighted sum model and the weighted product model. The purpose of this research paper is to introduce a WASPAS method with a 2-tuple linguistic Fermatean fuzzy (2TLFF) set for the SWDLS problem by using the Hamacher aggregation operators. As it is based on simple and sound mathematics, being quite comprehensive in nature, it can be successfully applied to any decision-making problem. First, we briefly introduce the definition, operational laws and some aggregation operators of 2-tuple linguistic Fermatean fuzzy numbers. Thereafter, we extend the WASPAS model to the 2TLFF environment to build the 2TLFF-WASPAS model. Then, the calculation steps for the proposed WASPAS model are presented in a simplified form. Our proposed method, which is more reasonable and scientific in terms of considering the subjectivity of the decision maker's behaviors and the dominance of each alternative over others. Finally, a numerical example for SWDLS is proposed to illustrate the new method, and some comparisons are also conducted to further illustrate the advantages of the new method. The analysis shows that the results of the proposed method are stable and consistent with the results of some existing methods.

Risk assessment model for international construction projects considering risk interdependence using the DEMATEL method

Given the complexity of international construction projects (ICP), risk management difficulties commonly cause cost overruns. This paper analyzes the problems of risk interdependence and subjective ratings in the application of the traditional risk assessment model in ICP. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a risk assessment model for ICP that considers risk interdependence and obtains references from similar projects. The model applies the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) to determine the risk interdependence and its contribution to the overall project risk. Moreover, this model recalls the risks, probabilities, impacts, and risk events records of similar historical projects as the necessary inputs, thereby addressing the issue of subjectivity. An integrated framework is provided to identify, analyze, and prioritize ICP risks to incorporate risk interdependence into the risk management process. Finally, this paper demonstrates and validates the proposed model through a real project. The proposed model is useful for international construction companies to support project selection and bidding decisions in the early stage of ICP.

A hybrid model integrating FMEA and HFACS to assess the risk of inter-city bus accidents

The incidence of inter-city bus accidents receives a lot of attention from the public because they often cause heavy casualties. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) is the prevailing tool used for traffic accident risk assessment. However, it has several shortcomings, for example: (1) it can only identify the potential failure modes, but lacks the capability for quantitative risk assessment; (2) it neglects the severity, occurrence and detection of different failure modes; (3) it is unable to identify the degree of risk and priorities of the failure modes. This study proposes a novel hybrid model to overcome these problems. First, the HFACS is applied to enumerate the failure modes of inter-city bus operation. Second, the Z-number-based best–worst method is used to determine the weights of the risk factors based on the failure mode and effects analysis results. Then, a Z-number-based weighted aggregated sum product Assessment is utilized to calculate the degree of risk of the failure modes and the priorities for improvement. The results of this study determine the top three ranking failure modes, which are personal readiness from pre-conditions for unsafe behavior, human resources from organizational influence, and driver decision-making error from unsafe behavior. Finally, data for inter-city buses in Taiwan in a case study to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed model. In addition, some management implications are provided.

Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Online Food Delivery (OFD) Companies Evaluation and Selection: A Case Study in Vietnam

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the growth of the online food delivery (OFD) market in every corner of the world. In Vietnam, the food delivery service is rising rapidly and opening a large gateway of opportunities for numerous OFD platforms, also making it a competing business market in this country. Thus, to keep up with the ever-changing market dynamics, there are numerous measures and dimensions for the OFD entrepreneurs to take into consideration towards sustainable development. This paper’s objective is to evaluate major OFD companies in Vietnam based on a comprehensive set of criteria, which are social and environmental criteria (healthy and safety, information security, and environmental impact), economic criteria (delivery cost, operational capability, and risk management), service quality (order fulfillment, delivery speed, convenience of payment, online/offline service level, and customer feedback), and technology (web design, real-time tracking systems, and marketing techniques). To achieve this objective, this work proposes a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)-based framework combining the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS). The FAHP is used to generate criteria weights in which fuzzy set theory is applied to translate the linguistic evaluation statements of experts. Then, WASPAS is used to rank the OFD companies against the selected criteria. The evaluation criteria that have obtained maximum weight priority in the FAHP analysis are “convenience of payment”, “delivery speed”, “online service level”, “order fulfillment”, and “delivery cost”. From the final ranking of WASPAS, Foody is today the best performing OFD player in Vietnam regarding the selected criteria, followed by GrabFood and Now. The proposed methodology can be an accurate and robust evaluation model for the industry, while the managerial implications of this study provide significant materials for decision-makers in the OFD market in improving their businesses towards sustainable development.

A New Decision-Making Approach Based on Fermatean Fuzzy Sets and WASPAS for Green Construction Supplier Evaluation

The construction industry is an important industry because of its effects on different aspects of human life experiences and circumstances. Environmental concerns have been considered in designing and planning processes of construction supply chains in the recent past. One of the most crucial problems in managing supply chains is the process of evaluation and selection of green suppliers. This process can be categorized as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. The aim of this study is to propose a novel and efficient methodology for evaluation of green construction suppliers with uncertain information. The framework of the proposed methodology is based on weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) and the simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART), and Fermatean fuzzy sets (FFSs) are used to deal with uncertainty of information. The methodology was applied to a green supplier evaluation and selection in the construction industry. Fifteen suppliers were chosen to be evaluated with respect to seven criteria including “estimated cost”, “delivery efficiency”, “product flexibility”, “reputation and management level”, “eco-design”, and “green image pollution”. Sensitivity and comparative analyses were also conducted to assess the efficiency and validity of the proposed methodology. The analyses showed that the results of the proposed methodology were stable and also congruent with those of some existing methods.

A Failure Mode Assessment Model Based on Neutrosophic Logic for Switched-Mode Power Supply Risk Analysis

Reducing the potential risks in the manufacturing process to improve the reliability of the switched-mode power supply (SMPS) is a critical issue for the users’ safety. This paper proposes a novel failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) model based on hybrid multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM), which adopts neutrosophic set theory into the proposed model. A developed neutrosophic Best Worst method (NBWM) is used to evaluate the weights of risk factors and determine their importance. Secondly, the neutrosophic Weight Aggregated Sum Product Assessments (NWASPAS) method is utilized to calculate the Risk Priority Number (RPN) of the failure modes. The proposed model improves the shortcomings of traditional FMEA and improves the practical applicability and effectiveness of the Best Worst method (BWM) and Weight Aggregated Sum Product Assessments (WASPAS) methods. In addition, this study uses neutrosophic logic to reflect the true judgments of experts in the assessment, which considers authenticity, deviation, and uncertainty to obtain more reliable information. Finally, an empirical case study from an SMPS company headquartered in Taiwan demonstrates the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed model. In addition, by comparing with two other FMEA models, the results show that the proposed model can more clearly reflect the true and effective risks in the assessment. The results can effectively help power supply manufacturers to assess risk factors and determine key failure modes.

An Extended Shapley TODIM Approach Using Novel Exponential Fuzzy Divergence Measures for Multi-Criteria Service Quality in Vehicle Insurance Firms

Classification of the divergence measure for fuzzy sets (FSs) has been a successful approach since it has been utilized in several disciplines, e.g., image segmentation, pattern recognition, decision making, etc. The objective of the manuscript is to show the advantage of the combined methodology. A comparison clearly shows the usefulness of the proposed technique over the existing ones under the fuzzy environment. This study presents novel exponential-type divergence measures with some elegant features, which can be applied to FSs. Next, a TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for Interactive Multicriteria Decision Making) approach derived from prospect theory, Shapley function, and divergence measure for multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) is proposed. Besides, for the reason of evaluating the dominance degree of the option, and the weights of the criteria, proposed divergence measures are implemented. Evaluating and selecting the service quality is the most important issue in management; it has a direct influence on the way the manufacturer performs its tasks. Selecting the service quality can be thought of as a problem of MCDM involving numerous contradictory criteria (whether of a quantitative or qualitative nature) for the evaluation processes. In recent years, the service quality assessment is becoming increasingly complex and uncertain; as a result, some criteria assessment processes cannot be efficiently done by numerical assessments. In addition, decision experts (DEs) may not always show full rationality in different real-life situations that need decision making. Here, a real service quality evaluation problem is considered to discuss the efficacy of the developed methods. The algorithm (TODIM based on the Shapley function and divergence measures) has a unique procedure among MCDM approaches, which is demonstrated for the first time in this paper.