RFID service provider selection: An integrated fuzzy MCDM approach

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology supports companies to optimize business processes and reduce operational costs by knowing an item's condition and location in the inventory. RFID applications expand on the basis of speed, security and correct information flow; however, selecting the most suitable RFID service provider presents a challenge. This article offers an integrated multi-criteria evaluation framework for selecting the most suitable RFID service provider by applying Fuzzy Axiomatic Design (Fuzzy AD) and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) techniques with Group Decision Making (GDM) approach. A case study is conducted and the results are discussed through a sensitivity analysis and a comparative evaluation with fuzzy TOPSIS. It is observed that an alternative RFID service provider that does not meet the defined Functional Requirements (FRs) is directly eliminated by Fuzzy AD, whereas fuzzy TOPSIS ranks it as an eligible one. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that if FRs are low enough, the outcome of Fuzzy AD and fuzzy TOPSIS do converge, underlining the goal-oriented advantage of Fuzzy AD. The paper contributes to literature by presenting a novel approach for incorporating subjective and often conflicting linguistic evaluations of a decision committee into a solid decision support model approach for selecting the most suitable RFID service provider.