A fuzzy modelling approach to supplier selection in textiles

Summary

Selecting the right suppliers is a very important part of a company-s success. Unfortunately, the selection process is complicated and is getting more so as markets become global. More suppliers are becoming available and more factors are being considered in selecting a good mix of suppliers. Currently, the existing methods devised to handle supplier selection problems suffer from being limited in scope, difficult to implement or making assumptions that limit their ability to be realistic models.
This research examines supplier selection in Textiles, emphasizing the concept of business rules in defining selection situations. Interviews are conducted with a large apparel company and the research findings are formalized in a broadly structured model that can then be applied to specific supplier selection situations. A structured methodology for analyzing selection situations is also developed. Fuzzy rule based constraint networks are used to model and solve the problem. In order to test the methodology, a software program is written and applied to an example.

This paper was first published on the earlier Egytex website. The text above is the summary that was published there.