Integrating Fuzzy Delphi with Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process for Multiple Criteria Inventory Classification Golam Kabir1

Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management 2013, 3(1), 22-34

Integrating Fuzzy Delphi with Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process for Multiple Criteria Inventory Classification
Golam Kabir1 and Razia Sultana Sumi2
1

PhD Student, Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Email: [e-mail] (corresponding author). 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Stamford University, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Email: [e-mail]
Production Management Received March 7, 2012; revisions April 3, 2012; April 6, 2012; accepted April 12, 2012 Available online June 25, 2012

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Abstract: A systematic approach to the inventory control and classification may have a significant influence on company competitiveness. In practice, all inventories cannot be controlled with equal attention. In order to efficiently control the inventory items and to determine the suitable ordering policies for them, multiple criteria inventory classification is used. In this paper, a systematic and logical approach is structured for multiple criteria inventory classification through integrating Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) with Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). Fuzzy Delphi method used to identify the most important and significant criteria and, Fuzzy AHP is used to determine the relative weights of the attributes or criteria, and to classify inventories into different categories. To accredit the proposed model, it is implemented for the 351 raw materials of switch gear section of Energypac Engineering Limited (EEL), a large power engineering company of Bangladesh. Implementation results show that the proposed method can be used in inventory classification. Keywords: Multicriteria inventory classification, Fuzzy Delphi Method, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, triangular fuzzy number.

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Mr. Kabir was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering (IPE) at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He received a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in Industrial and Production Engineering from BUET in 2009 and 2011 respectively. His main scientific interest concentrates on multi criteria decision analysis under risk and uncertainty, fuzzy inference system and decision support system. He has a large number of international journal publications in his credit. Razia Sultana Sumi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration at Stamford University Bangladesh. She received BBA and MBA in Marketing Department from Dhaka University, Bangladesh. Her research interests are marketing research, productivity improvement and decision science.    Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 2013, 3(1), 22-34