To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM).
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM).'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Mosadeghi, Razieh. "A Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model for Coastal Land Use Planning." Thesis, Griffith University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367691.
Full textAbstract:
Modern planning theories encourage approaches that consider different stakeholders with a variety of discourse types and values to minimise politically motivated and single interest dominated decisions. Quantitative approaches such as Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques combined with GIS have been applied successfully in a number of land suitability analysis and environmental planning and management scenarios. The use of spatial MCDM techniques can improve the transparency and analytic rigor of the future land use decisions. In the last decade, applications of the MCDM techniques in GIS-based land suitability procedures have increased, however, applying these techniques at large-scale planning processes is rare. This highlights the need for examining how quantitative approaches such as MCDM techniques can integrate and therefore improve local planning and decision-making outcomes. This study is considered to be the first that by using a realistic and detailed set of criteria and group decision making, compares two MCDM techniques (analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP) Fuzzy AHP) in defining the extent of land-use zones at a large scale in Australia. The presented approach is particularly helpful in situation where local decision-makers are left with considerable room for discretion during the political transitions.
Consequently, this research examines the application of MCDM methods in local land use planning for a 17,500 ha area, controlled by four local government areas (LGAs) in the northeast Gold Coast, located in southeast Queensland, Australia.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Environment
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
Full Text
2
Alsayed, Mohammed. "Optimal Sizing of Power Generation Systems Based on Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)." Doctoral thesis, Università di Catania, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10761/1338.
Full textAbstract:
Power Generation Systems (PGSs) based on Hybrid Renewable Energy (HRE) are one of the promising solutions for future distributed generation systems. Among different configurations, Hybrid Photovoltaic - Wind turbine (PV-WT) grid connected PGSs are the most adopted for their good performance. However, due to the complexity of the system caused by wind power variability and solar radiation intermittency, the optimal balance between these two energy sources requires particular attention to achieve a good engineering solution.
This thesis deals with the optimal sharing and sizing of PV-WT by adopting different Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) optimization approaches. Different approaches have been developed using Multi attribute decision Making (MADM) and Multi Objective Decision Making (MODM).
Moreover, sensitivity and uncertainty of MCDM algorithms have been analyzed, by considering different weighting criteria techniques with different fluctuation scenarios of wind speed and solar radiation profiles, and by considering stochastic analysis to solar radiation, wind speed, and load demand input data , thus highlighting advantages and drawbacks of the proposed optimal sizing approaches. The developed approaches could be assumed as a powerful roadmap for decision makers, analysts, and policy makers.
3
Medineckiene, Milena. "Integrated decision making in civil engineering, based on multi-criteria assessment and buildings’ certification." Doctoral thesis, KTH, Byggnadsteknik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-200946.
Full textAbstract:
Significant investments are being made in the construction sector in order to raise the quality of the buildings and make them more sustainable and energy-efficient. The key aspect of these investments should be the purposeful optimization of the possible renovation and construction measures. However, this important matter usually is being pushed aside in favor of construction price and/or quality. Nevertheless, there are plenty of criteria that play a major role in building sustainable development. The main purpose of this study is to present a tool that combines multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods and building certification systems in order to make weighted decisions in complicated construction tasks. For this, a decision making model was developed with a focus on sustainability, buildings’ life cycle, MCDM methods, and building certification. The first section of this thesis, the introduction, discusses the importance of the investigated area, and the main objectives, tasks, and structure of the thesis. A literature review is presented in Section 2 – Theory. The main works in the area of sustainability, LCA, building certification, and MCDM are collected to show their role and importance and how they interact in the construction industry. Section 3 presents and discusses the main ideas and instructions of the proposed decision making model. Section 4 (Methodology) introduces the main existing and proposed techniques that I have used to implement the study. Sections 5 and 6 are the case studies, which demonstrate how the proposed methods can be used in practice. Final conclusions and recommendations are presented in Section 7.QC 20170209
Funded by L.E. Lundberg foundation
4
Mehmood, Tallat, and Farnaz Khodabandeh. "Ranking suppliers by using the Sustainable Supplier Evaluation Criteria (SSEC) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för ekonomistyrning och logistik (ELO), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-64703.
Full textAbstract:
Background: Despite the competition for achieving lower costs and higher profits, companies are nowadays becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social impacts of their operations. This is unveiled by growing numbers of sustainable activities in companies’ reports. Companies’ are also under more pressure from authorities and public to increase their business’s environmental performance, a so-called sustainable management process. Besides the pressure for developing environmental responsible activities, companies still remain with their low cost measures. Hence, they are concerned with the issue of identifying suitable measures to assess their sustainability.Supplier selection, processes by which companies evaluate, select and maintain their suppliers, regarded as one of the major operations affecting companies sustainable performance. While supplier selection was often performed in the past using conventional measures, there is an essential need to develop a framework for sustainable supplier selection in supply chain. By doing this research the company can ensure its operations are in line with environmental and social regulations and requirements. Research questions: - What is the important and applicable sustainable supplier evaluation criteria (SSEC) that could be applied? - What Multi criteria decision making method (MCDM) is suitable for evaluating and ranking the suppliers? - How would Renault group in Iran rank the supplier against the sustainable supplier evaluation criteria (SSEC)? - Which Sustainable supplier evaluation criteria (SSEC) could help the lowest ranked supplier to improve its sustainability performance? Purpose: The purpose of this research is to develop important and applicable sustainable supplier evaluation criteria (SSEC) and find out the multi criteria decision making method (MCDM) for ranking the suppliers. Furthermore, it also suggests to the manger to improve the sustainability performance of lower ranked suppliers. Method: The empirical data and the conclusions made from Renault Group in Iran are based on qualitative case study. This thesis is written from a positivistic perspective with a deductive approach. Conclusions: The main conclusions of this study are as below: - Developing a comprehensive list of attributes including the most important and applicable Sustainable Supplier Evaluation Criteria (SSEC) for evaluating sustainability performance of supplier for Renault Company in Iran. - TOPSIS is evaluated MCDM method to rank the suppliers against SSEC in Renault group in Iran. - The suppliers of the company are ranked and the best and the weakest supplier are determined using the TOPSIS. - The lowest ranked supplier is showed which SSEC could improve its performance by applying a parametric analysis.
5
Dunn, Alexander Hiram. "A multi-criteria approach to the evaluation of food safety interventions." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/10243.
Full textAbstract:
New Zealand faces a range of food safety hazards. Microbial hazards alone were estimated to cause over 2,000 years of lost healthy life in 2011 (Cressey, 2012) and $62m in medical costs and lost productivity in 2009 (Gadiel & Abelson, 2010).
Chemical hazards are thought to be well managed through existing controls (Vannoort & Thomson, 2009) whereas microbial hazards are considered harder to control, primarily due to their ability to reproduce along the food production chain. Microbial hazards are thought to cause the majority of acute foodborne gastroenteritis.
This research reviewed food safety literature and official documentation, and conducted 55 interviews, mostly with food safety experts from different stakeholder groups, to examine the food safety decision-making environment in New Zealand. This research explores the concept of the ‘stakeholder’ in the context of food safety decision-making and proposes an inclusive ‘stakeholder’ definition as any group which is able to affect, or be affected by, the decision-making process. Utilising this definition, and guided by interviews, New Zealand stakeholders in food safety decision-making were identified and classified as follows:
•Regulators
•Public health authorities
•Food safety scientists/academics
•Consumers
•Māori
•Food Businesses (further classified as):
o Farmers
o Processors
o Food retailers
o Exporters
Interviews with stakeholders from these groups highlighted twelve criteria as being relevant to multiple groups during food safety intervention evaluation:
•Effectiveness
•Financial cost
•Market Access
•Consumer Perceptions
•Ease of Implementation
•Quality or Suitability
•Quality of Science
•Equity of Costs
•Equity of Benefits
•Workplace Safety
•Cultural Impact
•Animal Welfare
There are a number of different ways to measure or assess performance on these criteria. Some are able to be quantitatively measured, while others may require the use of value judgements. This thesis used the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) metric for quantifying effectiveness during the testing of different MCDA models.
This thesis reviews the MCDA process and the food safety specific MCDA literature. There are different ways of conducting MCDA. In particular, there are a large number of models available for the aggregation phase; the process of converting model inputs, in the form of criteria scores and weights, into model recommendations. This thesis has described and reviewed the main classes of model.
The literature review and interview process guided the construction and testing of three classes of MCDA model; the Weighted Sum, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and PROMETHEE models. These models were selected due to their having different characteristics and degrees of complexity, as well as their popularity in the food safety and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) literature. Models were tested on the problem of selecting the most appropriate intervention to address the historic Campylobacter in poultry problem in New Zealand during the mid-2000s. Experimentation was conducted on these models to explore how different configurations utilise data and produce model outputs. This experimentation included:
•Varying the format of input data
•Exploring the effects of including/excluding criteria
•Methods for sensitivity analysis
•Exploring how data inputs and outputs can be elicited and presented using visual tools
• Creating and using hybrid MCDA models
The results of this testing are a key output of this thesis and provide insight into how such models might be used in food safety decision-making. The conclusions reached throughout this research phase can be classified into one of two broad groups:
•Those relating to MCDA as a holistic process/methodology for decision-making
•Those relating to the specific models and mathematical procedures for generating numerical inputs and outputs
This thesis demonstrates that food-safety decision-making is a true multi-criteria, multi-stakeholder problem. The different stakeholders in food-safety decision-making do not always agree on the value and importance of the attributes used to evaluate competing intervention schemes. MCDA is well suited to cope with such complexity as it provides a structured methodology for the systematic and explicit identification, recording and aggregation of qualitative and quantitative information, gathered from a number of different sources, with the output able to serve as a basis for decision-making.
The MCDA models studied in this thesis range from models that are simple and quick to construct and use, to more time consuming models with sophisticated algorithms. The type of model used for MCDA, the way these models are configured and the way inputs are generated or elicited can have a significant impact on the results of an analysis. This thesis has identified a number of key methodological considerations for those looking to employ one of the many available MCDA models. These considerations include:
•Whether a model can accommodate the type and format of input data
•The desired degree of compensation between criteria (i.e. full, partial or no compensation)
•Whether the goal of an analysis is the identification of a ‘best’ option(s), or the facilitation of discussion, and communication of data
•The degree of transparency required from a model and whether an easily understood audit trail is desired/required
•The desired output of a model (e.g. complete or partial ranking).
This thesis has also identified a number of practical considerations when selecting which model to use in food safety decision-making. These include:
•The amount of time and energy required of stakeholders in the generation of data inputs (elicitation burden)
•The degree of training required for participants
•How data inputs are to be elicited and aggregated in different group decision-making environments
•The availability of MCDA software for assisting an analysis
Considering the above points will assist users in selecting a suitable MCDA model that meets their requirements and constraints.
This thesis provides original and practical knowledge to assist groups or individuals looking to employ MCDA in the context of food-safety intervention decision-making. This research could also serve as a guide for those looking to evaluate a different selection of MCDA models.
6
VASSONEY, ERICA. "Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) for the sustainable management of water withdrawals in Alpine watercourses." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2022. https://hdl.handle.net/11583/2973093.
Full text
7
Tiesmeier, Dominique Katlin. "MCDM problem-structuring framework and a real estate decision support model." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/mcdm-problemstructuring-framework-and-a-real-estate-decision-support-model(a3376b20-6d3c-4b78-9aac-e645b454ad51).html.
Full textAbstract:
The real estate selection process might be regarded as a typical Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem. With current literature concentrating predominantly on institutional investment decision making, additional effort should be directed towards studying inexperienced homebuyers who want to buy a property in which to live. In this context, authors have described the decision environment as a complex decision process with restricted access to property data, high financial burdens partially due to the illiquid nature of the investment, the unfamiliarity with the decision task and low transparency in information aggregation. Consequently, this situation could benefit from a more structured approach that assists homebuyers in their actions. In order to guide the decision making process and provide a suitable support mechanism, it is necessary to first structure the problem and extract the required information. A thorough literature review shows that little guidance is available for MCDM problem structuring. Consequently, this research first proposes an MCDM problem-structuring framework to decompose complex problems into smaller parts. Foremost, the application is intended for high-involvement consumer products and services. This framework is derived from MCDM and methodology literature, where the former provides the elements that need to be defined in any MCDM problem situation, and the latter suggests suitable data collection and analysis methods to obtain the information. As a result, the first contribution to existing literature is the introduction of an MCDM problem-structuring framework, which consists of a carefully designed sequential exploratory mixed method procedure. Next, following the proposed structure, the real estate selection problem in Majorca (Spain) is defined. Whilst providing the inherent problem elements and establishing a comprehensive list of evaluation criteria to assess luxury properties, the fieldwork also offers behavioural insights, contributing and supplementing existing real estate research. In particular, major misunderstandings and false assumptions during real estate agent and client interactions are observed, stressing the need to optimise communication and targeting strategies. On the basis of the relevant real estate evaluation criteria, a dataset of alternative houses is created and subsequently rated by prospective luxury-homebuyers. This provides the basis for the third research focus, the construction of a decision support model for real estate selection. In accordance to the problem features and model requirements, the Evidential Reasoning (ER) rule is identified to offer a powerful and transparent evidence aggregation process, with the potential to have a superior performance than other methods in addressing the selection decision. Due to the ER rule’s short history (2013), application studies in general are practically non-existing and unprecedented in the real estate domain. Therefore, the use of a modified ER model can provide the real estate literature with a prescriptive multi-criteria decision support mechanism, whilst simultaneously offering an application study for the MCDM community and other relevant decision analysis domains. In closing, modelling a real problem using the ER rule highlights the method’s advantages and might in turn increase awareness, leading to more applications.
8
jia, jianmin. "Multi-Criteria Evaluation in Support of the Decision-Making Process in Highway Construction Projects." FIU Digital Commons, 2017. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3202.
Full textAbstract:
The decision-making process in highway construction projects identifies and selects the optimal alternative based on the user requirements and evaluation criteria. The current practice of the decision-making process does not consider all construction impacts in an integrated decision-making process. This dissertation developed a multi-criteria evaluation framework to support the decision-making process in highway construction projects. In addition to the construction cost and mobility impacts, reliability, safety, and emission impacts are assessed at different evaluation levels and used as inputs to the decision-making process.
Two levels of analysis, referred to as the planning level and operation level, are proposed in this research to provide input to a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) process that considers user prioritization of the assessed criteria. The planning level analysis provides faster and less detailed assessments of the inputs to the MCDM utilizing analytical tools, mainly in a spreadsheet format. The second level of analysis produces more detailed inputs to the MCDM and utilizes a combination of mesoscopic simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment tool, and microscopic simulation tool, combined with other utilities.
The outputs generated from the two levels of analysis are used as inputs to a decision-making process based on present worth analysis and the Fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Situation) MCDM method and the results are compared.
9
Landmesser, John Andrew. "Improving it portfolio management decision confidence using multi-criteria decision making and hypervariate display techniques." Thesis, Nova Southeastern University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3609737.
Full textAbstract:
Information technology (IT) investment decision makers are required to process large volumes of complex data. An existing body of knowledge relevant to IT portfolio management (PfM), decision analysis, visual comprehension of large volumes of information, and IT investment decision making suggest Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and hypervariate display techniques can reduce cognitive load and improve decision confidence in IT PfM decisions. This dissertation investigates improving the decision confidence by reducing cognitive burden of the decision maker through greater comprehension of relevant decision information. Decision makers from across the federal government were presented with actual federal IT portfolio project lifecycle costs and durations using hypervariate displays to better comprehend IT portfolio information more quickly and make more confident decisions. Other information economics attributes were randomized for IT portfolio projects to generate Balanced Scorecard (BSC) values to support MCDM decision aids focused on IT investment alignment with specific business objectives and constraints. Both quantitative and qualitative measures of participant comprehension, confidence, and efficiency were measured to assess hypervariate display treatment and then MCDM decision aid treatment effectiveness. Morae Recorder Autopilot guided participants through scenario tasks and collected study data without researcher intervention for analysis using Morae Manager. Results showed improved comprehension and decision confidence using hypervariate displays of federal IT portfolio information over the standard displays. Both quantitative and qualitative data showed significant differences in accomplishment of assigned IT portfolio management tasks and increased confidence in decisions. MCDM techniques, incorporating IT BSC, Monte Carlo simulation, and optimization algorithms to provide cost, value, and risk optimized portfolios improved decision making efficiency. Participants did not find improved quality and reduced uncertainty from optimized IT portfolio information. However, on average participants were satisfied and confident with the portfolio optimizations. Improved and efficient methods of delivering and visualizing IT portfolio information can reduce decision maker cognitive load, improve comprehension efficiency, and improve decision making confidence. Study results contribute to knowledge in the area of comprehension and decision making cognitive processes, and demonstrate important linkages between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Decision Support Systems (DSS) to support IT PfM decision making.
10
Di, Teodoro Alessandro. "Teoria dei giochi e Multi-criteria decision-making per reti mobili Ad-hoc: un protocollo di routing." Master's thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2014. http://amslaurea.unibo.it/6594/.
Full textAbstract:
Nell'elaborato si analizzano aspetti della teoria dei giochi e della multi-criteria decision-making. La riflessione serve a proporre le basi per un nuovo modello di protocollo di routing in ambito Mobile Ad-hoc Networks. Questo prototipo mira a generare una rete che riesca a gestirsi in maniera ottimale grazie ad un'acuta tecnica di clusterizzazione. Allo stesso tempo si propone come obiettivo il risparmio energetico e la partecipazione collaborativa di tutti i componenti.
11
Hedgren, Amanda, and Daniel Genberg. "Multi criteria decision making approach for strategic evaluation of environmental trade-off solution in logistics : A case study at Northvolt." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik, konst och samhälle, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-85731.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate to what extent the environmental agenda should be taken into consideration during the project phase of logistics at Northvolt. The objective is to build an optimization model for route planning with a trade-off solution for three criteria; cost, emission and time. An abductive research approach is used. The empirical data was collected quantitatively in accordance with cross-industry standard process for data mining. The results obtained from the optimization model were based on an emission calculation framework and weights assigned to the three selected criteria by five decision makers. These results are compared to an as-is analysis of current and of historical transportations as well as to expected future transportations. These results provide insights and emphasize the importance of agility in decision making aiming at the reduction of emissions. The analysis shows that increased costs do not have a clear correlation with reduced emissions or transportation time. It also demonstrates that transporting goods on sea would increase the transportation time but decrease the emissions. The conclusions of the study are that costs can be reduced by 8%, emissions by 6% and transportation time by 14%, compared to their current operations. Short-term recommendations address the need of being agile in the route planning and analyse each shipment individually where the weights of the criteria should be alternated depending on the status of the project. This requires increased communication with the installation team on site and negotiation of contractual rates from additional ports in Sweden. Long-term recommendations emphasise the importance of developing and using emission key performance indicators to set targets in combination with a strategy in order to steer daily operations.
12
Lidouh, Karim. "Integration of multi-criteria tools in geographical information systems." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/209356.
Full textAbstract:
For a little over twenty years, researchers have worked on integrating multi-criteria aggregation procedures (MCAP) to GIS. Several notable contributions have brought this field to what it is today. After studying the course of MCDA-GIS integration through several works, we question the future of such an attempt. Indeed most works that aim for an integration do not survive long after their direct purpose has been fulfilled. We end up understanding through a critical review of the existing systems that technical integration means nothing if it is not visible to the user on an operational level.We therefore propose several contributions to improve the usability of MCDA methods in a geographic context. One of our works consists in adapting the PROMETHEE-GAIA methodology to be used on maps for spatially referenced problems. To do so, we define symbols/glyphs that display select parts of the results obtained through the PROMETHEE and GAIA methods. This allows for the comparison of alternatives' profiles and characteristics based on their geographic location which wasn't possible before. This adaptation helps us combine multicriteria and geographic aspects in an entirely new way.
We also propose some extensions of the GAIA method to improve the quality of the results and reduce the risk of wrong interpretations to be made due to losses of data.
Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
13
Kirlangicoglu, Cem. "A New Census Geography For Turkey Using Geographic Information Systems A Case Study On Cankaya District, Ankara." Master's thesis, METU, 2005. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12606144/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Today, population census results are not only fundamental for population counting but also for providing various information to many organizations and people who make research and take decisions about human-related issues. However, statistics produced on the basis of administrative divisions in Turkey are inadequate to meet the needs of most
In this study, a new census geography is aimed for Turkey using Geographic Information Systems and Multi Criteria Decision Making methodologies. This new census geography is for statistical purposes only, independent from legal boundaries and generated by the concept of small area statistics. New rules and methodologies are created by taking the United States and the United Kingdom systems as models to reach to the main aim, and then they are applied on a case study area, Çankaya District in Ankara. Through this application process, firstly all the collected graphical and nongraphical raw data are geo-referenced and combined in a common geodatabase. Secondly, this geodatabase is used to understand the differentiation of quality of life indicators across the case study area. This pattern is then used to draw the boundaries of small statistical units of the new census geography in terms of the previously defined population sizes. In conclusion, a nationwide standard census geography hierarchy, which ranges between national level at the top and block level at the bottom, is proposed for use in 2010 Population Census and afterwards.
14
Singh, Minerva. "Design of a system to support policy formulation for sustainable biofuel production." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2010. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:db054d43-6359-45cd-af82-a71abd2b288b.
Full textAbstract:
The increased demand for biofuels is expected to put additional strain on the available agricultural resources while at the same time causing environmental degradation. Hence, new energy policies need to be formulated and implemented in order to meet global energy needs while reducing the impact of biofuels farming and production. This research focuses on proving a decision support system which can aid the formulation of policies for the sustainable biofuel production. The system seeks to address policy formulation that requires reconciliation of the qualitative aspects of decision making (such as stakeholder’s viewpoints) with quantitative data, which often may be imprecise. To allow this, based on: Fuzzy logic and Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) in the form of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Using these concepts, three software functionalities, “Options vs. Fuzzy Criteria Matrix”, “Analytical Hierarchy Process” and “Fuzzy AHP” were developed. These were added within the framework of pre-existing base software, Compendium (developed by the Open University, UK). A number of case study based models have been investigated using the software. These models made use of data from the Philippines and India in order to pinpoint suitable land and crop options for these countries. The models based on AHP and Fuzzy AHP were very successful in identifying suitable crop options for India by capturing both the stakeholder viewpoints and quantitative data. The software functionalities are very effective in scenario planning and selection of policies that would be beneficial in achieving a desired future scenario. The models further revealed that the newly developed software correctly identified many of the important issues in a consistent manner.
15
Saksrisathaporn, Krittiya. "A multi-criteria decision support system using knowledge management and project life cycle approach : application to humanitarian supply chain management." Thesis, Lyon 2, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015LYO22016/document.
Full textAbstract:
Cette thèse vise à contribuer à la compréhension des cycle de vie d’une opération humanitaire (HOLC). Gestion de la chaîne d'approvisionnement humanitaire (HSCM) dans un contexte de mise en perspective et dans l’objectif de proposer un modèle décisionnel qui s'applique aux phases de HOLC lors d’une situation réelle. Cela inclut la mise en oeuvre du modèle proposé pour concevoir et développer un outil d'aide à la décision afin d'améliorer les performances de la logistique humanitaire tant dans les opérations de secours nationaux qu’internationaux.Cette recherche est divisée en trois phases. La première partie vise à présenter le sens de l'étude ; la zone de recherche prise en compte pour la gestion de la chaîne d'approvisionnement (SCM) doit être clairement définie. La première phase consiste à clarifier et définir le HSCM HL, la gestion de la chaîne d'approvisionnement commerciale (CSCM) et le SCM, ainsi que la relation entre ces différents éléments. La gestion du cycle de vie du projet (PLCM) et les différentes approches sont également présentés. La compréhension de la différence entre la gestion du cycle de vie du projet (PLM) et la PLCM est également nécessaire, cela ne peut être abordé dans la phase de cycle de vie de l'opération humanitaire. De plus, les modèles Multiple-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) et l’aide à la décision concernant le HL sont analysés pour établir le fossé existant en matière de recherche. Les approches MCDM qui mettent en oeuvre le système d'aide à la décision (DSS) et la manière dont le MAS a été utilisé dans le contexte HSCM sont étudiées.La deuxième phase consiste en la proposition d’un modèle décisionnel fondé sur l’approche MCDM à l'appui de la décision du décideur avant qu'il/elle prenne des mesures. Ce modèle prévoit le classement des alternatives concernant l'entrepôt, le fournisseur et le transport au cours des phases de HOLC. Le modèle décisionnel proposé est réalisée en 3 scénarios. I. La décision en 4phases HOLC – opération de secours internationale de la Croix-Rouge Française (CRF). II. La décision en3phases HOLC – opération nationale dela Croix-Rouge thaïlandaise (TRC). III. La décision au niveau de la phase de réponse HOLC – opération internationale du TRC dans quatre pays. Dans cette phase, le scénario I et II sont réalisés étape par étape au travers de calculs numériques et formules mathématiques. Le scénario III sera présenté dans la troisième phase. Pour établir trois scénarios, les données internes recueillies lors des entretiens avec le chef de la logistique de la Croix-Rouge Française, et le vice-président de la fondation de la Coix-Rouge thaïlandaise, seront utilisées. Les données externes proviennent de chercheurs qui sont des experts dans le domaine HL ou le champ du HSCM, de la littérature, et de sources issues des organismes humanitaires (documents d’ateliers, rapports, informations publiées sur leurs sites officiels).Dans la troisième phase, une application Internet multi-critères (decision support system MCDSS WB) mettant en oeuvre le modèle proposé est élaborée. Afin d'atteindre une décision appropriée en temps réel, le WB-MCDSS est développé sur la base d’un protocole client-serveur et est simple à utiliser. Le dernier mais non le moindre ; une application de validation du modèle est réalisée à l'aide de l'approche de l'analyse de sensibilitéThis thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of HOLC in context of the HSCM and to propose a decision model which applies to the phases of HOLC the decision making regarding a real situation . This include the implementation of the proposed model to design and develop a decision support tool in order to improve the performance of humanitarian logistics in both national and international relief operations.This research is divided into three phases; the first phase is to clarify and define HL among HSCM, commercial supply chain management (CSCM) and SCM and their relationship. Project Life Cycle Management (PLCM) approaches are also presented. The difference between project life cycle management (PLM) and PLCM is also required to distinguish a clear understanding which can be addressed in the phase of humanitarian operation life cycle. Additionally, the literature of Multiple-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) models and existing decision aid system for HL are analyzed to establish the research gap. The MCDM approaches which implement the decision support system (DSS) and lastly how DSS has been used in the HSCM context.The second phase is to propose a decision model based on MCDM approaches to support the decision of the decision maker before he/she takes action. This model provides the ranking alternatives to warehouse, supplier and transportation over the phases of HOLC. The proposed decision model is conducted in 3 scenarios; I. The decision in 4-phase HOLC, international relief operation of French Red Cross (FRC). II. The decision on 3-phase HOLC, national operation by the Thai Red Cross (TRC). III. The decision on response phase HOLC, international operation by the FRC in four countries. In this phase, the scenario I and II are performed step by step though numerical calculation and mathematical formulas. The scenario III will be presented in the third phase.In the third phase, an application of web-based multi-criteria decision support system (WB-MCDSS) which implement the proposed model is developed. The web-based multi-criteria decision support system is developed based on the integration of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and TOPSIS approaches. In order to achieve an appropriate decision in a real time response, the WB-MCDSS is developed based on server-client protocol and is simple to operate. Last but not least, a validation application of the model is performed using the sensitivity analysis approach
16
Perez, Gallardo Jorge Raúl. "Ecodesign of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems with multi-objective optimization and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)." Phd thesis, Toulouse, INPT, 2013. http://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/10505/1/perez_gallardo_partie_1_sur_2.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Because of the increasing demand for the provision of energy worldwide and the numerous damages caused by a major use of fossil sources, the contribution of renewable energies has been increasing significantly in the global energy mix with the aim at moving towards a more sustainable development. In this context, this work aims at the development of a general methodology for designing PV systems based on ecodesign principles and taking into account simultaneously both techno-economic and environmental considerations. In order to evaluate the environmental performance of PV systems, an environmental assessment technique was used based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The environmental model was successfully coupled with the design stage model of a PV grid-connected system (PVGCS). The PVGCS design model was then developed involving the estimation of solar radiation received in a specific geographic location, the calculation of the annual energy generated from the solar radiation received, the characteristics of the different components and the evaluation of the techno-economic criteria through Energy PayBack Time (EPBT) and PayBack Time (PBT). The performance model was then embedded in an outer multi-objective genetic algorithm optimization loop based on a variant of NSGA-II. A set of Pareto solutions was generated representing the optimal trade-off between the objectives considered in the analysis. A multi-variable statistical method (i.e., Principal Componet Analysis, PCA) was then applied to detect and omit redundant objectives that could be left out of the analysis without disturbing the main features of the solution space. Finally, a decision-making tool based on M-TOPSIS was used to select the alternative that provided a better compromise among all the objective functions that have been investigated. The results showed that while the PV modules based on c-Si have a better performance in energy generation, the environmental aspect is what makes them fall to the last positions. TF PV modules present the best trade-off in all scenarios under consideration. A special attention was paid to recycling process of PV module even if there is not yet enough information currently available for all the technologies evaluated. The main cause of this lack of information is the lifetime of PV modules. The data relative to the recycling processes for m-Si and CdTe PV technologies were introduced in the optimization procedure for ecodesign. By considering energy production and EPBT as optimization criteria into a bi-objective optimization cases, the importance of the benefits of PV modules end-of-life management was confirmed. An economic study of the recycling strategy must be investigated in order to have a more comprehensive view for decision making.
17
Staedelin, Marie. "Methodological approaches for the benefit-risk assessment of medicinal products in European regulatory decision-making : a special emphasis on the MultiCriteria Decision Analysis "MCDA” Method a quantitative approach." Thesis, Strasbourg, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014STRAJ013.
Full textAbstract:
L'évaluation des bénéfices et des risques des médicaments joue un rôle central dans la protection de la santé publique. Cependant, et de l’avis général, il apparaît que cette évaluation nécessite d’être revisitée. En 2010, aucun examen n’avait encore été effectué pour déterminer si les méthodes disponibles pouvaient être appliquées à l’évaluation de la balance bénéfice-risque des médicaments dans le cadre réglementaire, et si oui à quel point elles seraient applicable. L’objectif de cette thèse a donc été d’identifier la ou les méthodes pouvant être théoriquement utilisées pour ce type d’évaluation, puis de les confronter à des cas concrets afin d’en déterminer leur applicabilité. Les résultats de l’évaluation des méthodes ont montrés que les méthodes les plus appropriées sont la méthode d’aide à la décision multicritère (MCDA) ainsi que ses variantes. Les résultats de l'application pratique de la méthode MCDA ont indiqué que cette méthode peut être utilisé dans les scénarios communs d'enregistrement en Europe. Cependant il convient de noter que cette méthode ne fournit ni une recette « prête à l'emploi » pour exécuter cette évaluation ni une réponse directeThe benefit-risk evaluation of new medicines plays a central role in safeguarding public health. Nevertheless, it seems that the benefit-risk evaluation calls for further improvement. In 2010, no review had been performed of how available benefit-risk assessment methods could be applied for a regulatory benefit-risk assessment and how feasible that would be when facing real-life cases. The objective of this thesis has thus been to identify method(s) that could be theoretically used for such an assessment, and then to confront it/them to real-life cases, in order to determine their applicability. The results of the methods evaluation showed that the most suitable methods for a regulatory benefit-risk assessment of medicinal products are the MCDA method and the MCDA based methods. The results of the practical application of the MCDA indicated that the method could be used for medicinal products registered through a common registration scenario in Europe. However it should be noted that this method provides neither a “ready-made” recipe to perform an assessment nor a direct answer
18
Panayiotou, Helen. "Vibrational spectroscopy of keratin fibres : A forensic approach." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2004. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/15953/7/Helen_Panayiotou_Thesis_ePrint-15953.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Human hair profiling is an integral part of a forensic investigation but it is one of the most technically difficult subjects in forensic science. This thesis describes the research and development of a novel approach for the rapid identification of unknown human and other related keratin fibres found at a crime scene. The work presented here is developed systematically and considers sample collection, sample preparation, analysis and interpretation of spectral data for the profiling of hair fibres encountered in criminal cases. Spectral comparison of fibres was facilitated with the use of chemometrics methods such as PCA, SIMCA and Fuzzy Clustering, and the less common approach of multi-criteria decision making methodology (MCDM).
The aim of the thesis was to investigate the potential of some vibrational spectroscopy techniques for matching and discrimination of single keratin hair fibres in the context of forensic evidence.
The first objective (chapter 3) of the thesis was to evaluate the use of Raman and FT-IR micro-spectroscopy techniques for the forensic sampling of hair fibres and to propose the preferred technique for future forensic hair comparisons. The selection of the preferred technique was based on criteria such as spectral quality, ease of use, rapid analysis and universal application to different hair samples. FT-IR micro-spectroscopy was found to be the most appropriate technique for hair analysis because it enabled the rapid collection of spectra from a wide variety of hair fibres. Raman micro-spectroscopy, on the other hand, was hindered with fluorescence problems and did not allow the collection of spectra from pigmented fibres. This objective has therefore shown that FT-IR micro-spectroscopy is the preferable spectroscopic technique for forensic analysis of hair fibres, whilst Raman spectroscopy is the least preferred.
The second objective (chapter 3) was to investigate, through a series of experiments, the effect of chemical treatment on the micro-environment of human hair fibres. The effect of bleaching agents on the hair fibres was studied with some detail at different treatment times and the results indicate a significant change in the chemical environment of the secondary structure of the hair fibre along with changes in the C-C backbone structure. One of the most important outcomes of this research was the behaviour of the fÑ-helix during chemical treatment. The hydrogen bonding in the fÑ-helix provides for the stable structure of the fibre and therefore any disruption to the fÑ-helix will inevitably damage the molecular structure of the fibre. The results highlighted the behaviour of the fÑ-helix, which undergoes a significant decrease in content during oxidation, and is partly converted to a random-coil structure, whilst the fÒ-sheet component of the secondary structure remains unaffected. The reported investigations show that the combination of FT-IR and Raman micro-spectroscopy can provide an insight and understanding into the complex chemical properties and reactions within a treated hair fibre. Importantly, this work demonstrates that with the aid of chemometrics, it is possible to investigate simultaneously FT-IR and Raman micro-spectroscopic information from oxidised hair fibres collected from one subject and treated at different times. The discrimination and matching of hair fibres on the basis of treatment has potential forensic applications.
The third objective (chapter 4) attempted to expand the forensic application of FT-IR micro-spectroscopy to other keratin fibres. Animal fibres are commonly encountered in crime scenes and it thus becomes important to establish the origin of those fibres. The aim of this work was to establish the forensic applications of FT-IR micro-spectroscopy to animal fibres and to investigate any fundamental molecular differences between these fibres. The results established a discrimination between fibres consisting predominantly of fÑ-helix and those containing mainly a fÒ-sheet structure. More importantly, it was demonstrated through curve-fitting and chemometrics, that each keratin fibre contains a characteristic secondary structure arrangement. The work presented here is the first detailed FT-IR micro-spectroscopic study, utilising chemometrics as well as MCDM methods, for a wide range of keratin fibres, which are commonly, found as forensic evidence. Furthermore, it was demonstrated with the aid of the rank ordering MCDM methods PROMETHEE and GAIA, that it is possible to rank and discriminate keratin fibres according to their molecular characteristics obtained from direct measurements together with information sourced from the literature.
The final objective (chapter 5) of the thesis was to propose an alternative method for the discrimination and matching of single scalp human hair fibres through the use of FT-IR micro-spectroscopy and chemometrics. The work successfully demonstrated, through a number of case scenarios, the application of the technique for the identification of variables such as gender and race for an unknown single hair fibre. In addition, it was also illustrated that known hair fibres (from the suspect or victim) can be readily matched to the unknown hair fibres found at the crime scene. This is the first time that a substantial, systematic FT-IR study of forensic hair identification has been presented. The research has shown that it is possible to model and correlate individual¡¦s characteristics with hair properties at molecular level with the use of chemometrics methods. A number of different, important forensic variables of immediate use to police in a crime scene investigation such as gender, race, treatment, black and white hair fibres were investigated. Blind samples were successfully applied both to validate available experimental data and extend the current database of experimental determinations. Protocols were posed for the application of this methodology in the future.
The proposed FT-IR methodology presented in this thesis has provided an alternative approach to the characterisation of single scalp human hair fibres. The technique enables the rapid collection of spectra, followed by the objective analytical capabilities of chemometrics to successfully discriminate animal fibres, human hair fibres from different sources, treated from untreated hair fibres, as well as black and white hair fibres, on the basis of their molecular structure. The results can be readily produced and explained in the courts of law. Although the proposed relatively fast FT-IR technique is not aimed at displacing the two slower existing methods of hair analysis, namely comparative optical microscopy and DNA analysis, it has given a new dimension to the characterisation of hair fibres at a molecular level, providing a powerful tool for forensic investigations.
19
Panayiotou, Helen. "Vibrational spectroscopy of keratin fibres : A forensic approach." Queensland University of Technology, 2004. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15953/.
Full textAbstract:
Human hair profiling is an integral part of a forensic investigation but it is one of the most technically difficult subjects in forensic science. This thesis describes the research and development of a novel approach for the rapid identification of unknown human and other related keratin fibres found at a crime scene. The work presented here is developed systematically and considers sample collection, sample preparation, analysis and interpretation of spectral data for the profiling of hair fibres encountered in criminal cases. Spectral comparison of fibres was facilitated with the use of chemometrics methods such as PCA, SIMCA and Fuzzy Clustering, and the less common approach of multi-criteria decision making methodology (MCDM). The aim of the thesis was to investigate the potential of some vibrational spectroscopy techniques for matching and discrimination of single keratin hair fibres in the context of forensic evidence. The first objective (chapter 3) of the thesis was to evaluate the use of Raman and FT-IR micro-spectroscopy techniques for the forensic sampling of hair fibres and to propose the preferred technique for future forensic hair comparisons. The selection of the preferred technique was based on criteria such as spectral quality, ease of use, rapid analysis and universal application to different hair samples. FT-IR micro-spectroscopy was found to be the most appropriate technique for hair analysis because it enabled the rapid collection of spectra from a wide variety of hair fibres. Raman micro-spectroscopy, on the other hand, was hindered with fluorescence problems and did not allow the collection of spectra from pigmented fibres. This objective has therefore shown that FT-IR micro-spectroscopy is the preferable spectroscopic technique for forensic analysis of hair fibres, whilst Raman spectroscopy is the least preferred. The second objective (chapter 3) was to investigate, through a series of experiments, the effect of chemical treatment on the micro-environment of human hair fibres. The effect of bleaching agents on the hair fibres was studied with some detail at different treatment times and the results indicate a significant change in the chemical environment of the secondary structure of the hair fibre along with changes in the C-C backbone structure. One of the most important outcomes of this research was the behaviour of the fÑ-helix during chemical treatment. The hydrogen bonding in the fÑ-helix provides for the stable structure of the fibre and therefore any disruption to the fÑ-helix will inevitably damage the molecular structure of the fibre. The results highlighted the behaviour of the fÑ-helix, which undergoes a significant decrease in content during oxidation, and is partly converted to a random-coil structure, whilst the fÒ-sheet component of the secondary structure remains unaffected. The reported investigations show that the combination of FT-IR and Raman micro-spectroscopy can provide an insight and understanding into the complex chemical properties and reactions within a treated hair fibre. Importantly, this work demonstrates that with the aid of chemometrics, it is possible to investigate simultaneously FT-IR and Raman micro-spectroscopic information from oxidised hair fibres collected from one subject and treated at different times. The discrimination and matching of hair fibres on the basis of treatment has potential forensic applications. The third objective (chapter 4) attempted to expand the forensic application of FT-IR micro-spectroscopy to other keratin fibres. Animal fibres are commonly encountered in crime scenes and it thus becomes important to establish the origin of those fibres. The aim of this work was to establish the forensic applications of FT-IR micro-spectroscopy to animal fibres and to investigate any fundamental molecular differences between these fibres. The results established a discrimination between fibres consisting predominantly of fÑ-helix and those containing mainly a fÒ-sheet structure. More importantly, it was demonstrated through curve-fitting and chemometrics, that each keratin fibre contains a characteristic secondary structure arrangement. The work presented here is the first detailed FT-IR micro-spectroscopic study, utilising chemometrics as well as MCDM methods, for a wide range of keratin fibres, which are commonly, found as forensic evidence. Furthermore, it was demonstrated with the aid of the rank ordering MCDM methods PROMETHEE and GAIA, that it is possible to rank and discriminate keratin fibres according to their molecular characteristics obtained from direct measurements together with information sourced from the literature. The final objective (chapter 5) of the thesis was to propose an alternative method for the discrimination and matching of single scalp human hair fibres through the use of FT-IR micro-spectroscopy and chemometrics. The work successfully demonstrated, through a number of case scenarios, the application of the technique for the identification of variables such as gender and race for an unknown single hair fibre. In addition, it was also illustrated that known hair fibres (from the suspect or victim) can be readily matched to the unknown hair fibres found at the crime scene. This is the first time that a substantial, systematic FT-IR study of forensic hair identification has been presented. The research has shown that it is possible to model and correlate individual¡¦s characteristics with hair properties at molecular level with the use of chemometrics methods. A number of different, important forensic variables of immediate use to police in a crime scene investigation such as gender, race, treatment, black and white hair fibres were investigated. Blind samples were successfully applied both to validate available experimental data and extend the current database of experimental determinations. Protocols were posed for the application of this methodology in the future. The proposed FT-IR methodology presented in this thesis has provided an alternative approach to the characterisation of single scalp human hair fibres. The technique enables the rapid collection of spectra, followed by the objective analytical capabilities of chemometrics to successfully discriminate animal fibres, human hair fibres from different sources, treated from untreated hair fibres, as well as black and white hair fibres, on the basis of their molecular structure. The results can be readily produced and explained in the courts of law. Although the proposed relatively fast FT-IR technique is not aimed at displacing the two slower existing methods of hair analysis, namely comparative optical microscopy and DNA analysis, it has given a new dimension to the characterisation of hair fibres at a molecular level, providing a powerful tool for forensic investigations.
20
Taghizadeh, Vahed Amir. "Fan And Pitch Angle Selection For Efficient Mine Ventilation Using Analytical Hierachy Process And Neuro Fuzzy Approach." Master's thesis, METU, 2012. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12614320/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Ventilation is a critical task in underground mining operation. Lack of a good ventilation system causes accumulation of harmful gases, explosions, and even fatalities. A proper ventilation system provides adequate fresh air to miners for a safe and comfortable working environment. Fans, which provide air flow to different faces of a mine, have great impact in ventilation systems. Thus, selection of appropriate fans for a mine is the acute task. Unsuitable selection of a fan decreases safety and production rate, which increases capital and operational costs. Moreover, pitch angle of fans&rsquoblades plays an important role in fan&rsquo
s efficiency. Therefore, selection of a fan and its pitch angle, which yields the maximum efficiency, is an emerging issue for an efficient mine ventilation. The main objective of this research study is to provide a decision making methodology for the selection of a main fan and its appropriate pitch angle for efficient mine ventilation. Nowadays, analytical hierarchy process as multi criteria decision making is used, and it yields outputs based on pairwise comparison. On the other hand, Fuzzy Logic as a soft computing method was combined with analytical hierarchy process and combined model did not yield appropriate results
because Fuzzy AHP increased uncertainty ratio in this study. However, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process might be inapplicable when it faces with vague and complex data set. Soft computing methods can be utilized for complicated situations. One of the soft computing methods is a Neuro-Fuzzy algorithm which is used in classification and DM issues. This study has two phases: i) selection of an appropriate fan using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) and ii) selection of an appropriate pitch angle using Neuro-Fuzzy algorithm and Fuzzy AHP method. This study showed that AHP can be effectively utilized for main fan selection. It performs better than Fuzzy AHP because FAHP contains more expertise and makes problems more complex for evaluating. When FAHP and Neuro-Fuzzy is compared for pitch angle selection, both methodologies yielded the same results. Therefore, utilization of Neuro-Fuzzy in situation with complicated and vague data will be applicable.
21
Iezzi, Jana. "Multi-criteria decision making in outpatient scheduling." [Tampa, Fla] : University of South Florida, 2006. http://purl.fcla.edu/usf/dc/et/SFE0001817.
Full text
22
Von, Doderer Clemens Cornelius Christian. "Determining sustainable lignocellulosic bioenergy systems in the Cape Winelands District Municipality, South Africa." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71838.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (PhD(Agric))--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The energy paradigm shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is driven, among others, by a growing sustainability awareness, necessitating more sophisticated measurements in terms of a wider range of criteria. Technical efficiency, financial profitability, environmental friendliness and social acceptance are some of the factors determining the sustainability of renewable energy systems. The resulting complexity and conflicting decision criteria, however, constitute major barriers to processing the information and decision-making based on the information. Seeking to implement local bioenergy systems, policymakers of the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM), South Africa, are confronted with such a problem. Following a case study approach, this study illustrates how life-cycle assessment (LCA), multi-period budgeting (MPB) and geographic information systems (GIS) can aid the decision-making process by providing financial-economic, socio-economic and environmental friendliness performance data in a structured and transparent manner, allowing for a comparison of the magnitude of each considered criterion along the life-cycle. However, as the environmental impacts cannot readily be expressed in monetary terms on a cardinal scale, these considerations are given less attention or are omitted completely in a market economy. By measuring the various considerations on an ordinal scale and by attaching weights to them using the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach, this study, illustrates how to internalise externalities as typical market failures, aiding policymakers of the CWDM to choose the most sustainable bioenergy system. Following the LCA approach, 37 lignocellulosic bioenergy systems, encompassing different combinations of type of harvesting and primary transport, type of pretreatment (comminution, drying, and fast pyrolysis) and location thereof (roadside or landing of the central conversion plant), type of secondary transport from the roadside to the central conversion plant, and type of biomass upgrading and conversion into electricity, were assessed against five financial-economic viability criteria, three socio-economic potential criteria and five environmental impact criteria. The quantitative performance data were then, as part of the MCDA process, translated into a standardised ‘common language’ of relative performance. An expert group attached weights to the considered criteria using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The ‘financial-economic viability’ main criterion received a weight of almost 60%, ‘socio-economic potential’, nearly 25% and ‘lowest environmental impact’, the remainder of around 16%. Taking the prerequisite of financial-economic viability into consideration, the preferred option across all areas of the CWDM (despite various levels of productivity) comprises a feller-buncher for harvesting, a forwarder for primary transportation, mobile comminution at the roadside, secondary transport in truck-container-trailer combinations and an integrated gasification system for the conversion into electricity.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die energie paradigma verandering van fossielbrandstowwe na hernubare energiebronne word gedryf deur ‘n groeiende klem op volhoubaarheid, wat ook meer gesofistikeerde meting in terme van ‘n wyer verskeidenheid maatstawwe vereis. Tegniese doeltreffendheid, finansiële winsgewendheid, omgewingsvriendelikheid en sosiale aanvaarbaarheid is sommige van die faktore wat die volhoubaarheid van hernubare energie stelsels bepaal. Die verskeidenheid oorwegings bring egter kompleksiteit en konflik mee by die verwerking van inligting en die besluitneming wat daarop berus. Beleidmakers van die Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit wat ten doel het om plaaslik bio-energie stelsels te implementeer, word met hierdie probleem gekonfronteer. Hierdie ondersoek illustreer aan die hand van ‘n gevallestudie benadering hoe lewensiklus analise, multiperiode begroting en geografiese inligtingstelsels besluitneming kan ondersteun deur die voorsiening van finansieel-ekonomiese, sosio-ekonomiese (indiensneming) en omgewingsvriendelikheid prestasie data op ‘n gestruktureerde en deursigtige wyse. Dit maak die vergelyking van die waardes van al die kriteria by elke fase van die lewensiklus moontlik. Aangesien die omgewingseffekte nie geredelik in monetêre terme op ‘n kardinale skaal gemeet kan word nie, kry hulle binne die markekonomie minder aandag of word selfs buite rekening gelaat. Deur hierdie verskeidenheid kriteria op ‘n ordinale skaal te meet en gewigte met behulp van multikriteria besluitneming aan hulle toe te ken, toon hierdie ondersoek hoe om eksternaliteite as tipiese markmislukkings te internaliseer om beleidmakers van die Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit in staat te stel om die mees volhoubare bio-energie stelsel te kies. Met behulp van lewensiklus analise is 37 lignosellulose bio-energie stelsels geïdentifiseer as verskillende kombinasies van oes van die bome, primêre vervoer van houtstompe, vooraf verwerking (verspaandering, droging, vinnige pirolise), die ligging van hierdie aktiwiteite (langs ‘n plantasie of by ‘n sentrale omsettingsaanleg), tipe sekondêre vervoer van houtspaanders vanaf die plantasie na die sentrale omsettingsaanleg en tipe biomassa opgradering en omsetting van die houtspaanders na elektrisiteit. Die verskillende stelsels is gemeet aan die hand van vyf finansieel-ekonomiese kriteria, drie indiensneming potensiaal kriteria en vyf omgewingsimpak kriteria. Die kwantitatiewe metings is deur middel van multikriteria besluitneming omgeskakel na ’n gestandaardiseerde “gemeenskaplike taal” van relatiewe prestasie. Lede van ‘n ekspertgroep het gewigte is aan die onderskeie kriteria met behulp van die analitiese hierargie proses toegeken. Aan die finansieel-ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid hoof kriterium is ‘n gewig van by die 60% toegeken, aan die indiensnemingspotensiaal bykans 25% en aan omgewingsvriendelikheid sowat 16%. Die voorkeur kombinasie vir al die areas van die Kaapse Wynland Distriksmunisipaliteit sluit in ‘n saag-bondelaar vir die oesproses, ‘n plantasie-vragmotor vir primêre vervoer, mobiele verspaandering langs die plantasie, ‘n vragmotor-skeepshouer-treiler kombinasies vir die sekondêre vervoer van houtspaanders en ‘n geïntegreerde vergassingstelsel vir die omsetting van houtspaanders na elektrisiteit.
23
Bozkurt, Ahmet. "Multi-criteria Decision Making With Interdependent Criteria Using Prospect Theory." Master's thesis, METU, 2007. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12608408/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
In this study, an integrated solution methodology for a general discrete multi-criteria decision making problem is developed based on the well-known outranking method Promethee II. While the methodology handles the existence of interdependency between the criteria, it can also incorporate the prospect theory in order to correctly reflect the decision behavior of the decision maker. A software is also developed for the application of the methodology and some applications are performed and presented.
24
Butler, John Christopher. "Simulation analysis of multi-criteria decision models /." Digital version accessible at:, 1998. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.
Full text
25
Ismaili, Hami. "Multi-criteria Decision Support for Strategic Program Prioritization at Defence Research and Development Canada." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23996.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of this thesis research is to model the multiple program objectives used by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) for the annual management and allocation of their broad range of Science and Technology (S&T) projects in order to best achieve the strategic goals of the agency and the government.
This M.Sc. thesis presents methodologies, techniques and applications in Linear Programming (LP) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) for decision support in program prioritization and project selection of the DRDC S&T projects.
The results of this research produce a model that supports decision makers effectively in the assignment of limited human and financial resources to competing S&T projects based on the evaluation of projects that merit funding and the multiple criteria established by the organization. While there is a well-defined set of criteria for the annual program formulation process, the selection procedure is currently based on simple scoring processes and expert judgement; it lacks a well-defined and structured analysis. The application of an MCDM framework is proposed to take advantage of the well-structured problem and improve annual renewal and ongoing monitoring or project performance measures. The results of the analysis provide a traceable and rigorous MCDM framework to evaluate the performance of DRDC S&T projects for enhanced resource allocation.
26
Hodgett, Richard Edgar. "Multi-criteria decision-making in whole process design." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1838.
Full textAbstract:
In recent years, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries have faced increased development times and costs with fewer novel chemicals being discovered. This has resulted in many companies focusing on innovative research and development as they consider this key to business success. In particular, a number of leading industrial organisations have adopted the principles of Whole Process Design (WPD). WPD considers the optimisation of the entire product development process, from raw materials to end product, rather than focusing on each individual unit operation. The complexity involved in the implementation of WPD requires rationalised decision-making, often with limited or uncertain information. This thesis assesses the most widely applied methods in Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in conjunction with the results of two interviews and two questionnaires that identified the industrial requirements for decision-making during WPD. From the findings of this work, a novel decision-making methodology was proposed, the outcome of which allows a decision-maker to visually interpret their decision results with associated levels of uncertainty. To validate the proposed methodology, a software framework was developed that incorporates two other decision-making approaches, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité trois (ELECTRE III). The framework was then applied to a number of industrial case studies to validate the application of the proposed methodology.
27
Morales, Mendoza Luis Fernando. "Écoconception de procédés : approche systémique couplant modélisation globale, analyse du cycle de vie et optimisation multiobjectif." Thesis, Toulouse, INPT, 2013. http://www.theses.fr/2013INPT0106/document.
Full textAbstract:
L’objectif de ce travail est de développer un cadre méthodologique et générique d’éco-conception de procédés chimiques couplant des outils de modélisation et de simulation traditionnels de procédés (HYSYS, COCO, ProSimPlus et Ariane), d’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV), d’optimisation multiobjectif basée sur des Algorithmes Génétiques et enfin des outils d’aide à la décision multicritère (ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, M-TOPSIS). Il s’agit de généraliser, d’automatiser et d’optimiser l’évaluation des impacts environnementaux au stade préliminaire de la conception d’un procédé chimique. L’approche comprend trois étapes principales. Les deux premières correspondent d’une part aux phases d’analyse de l’inventaire par calcul des bilans de matière et d’énergie et d’autre part à l’évaluation environnementale par ACV. Le problème du manque d’information ou de l’imprécision dans les bases de données classiques en ACV pour la production d’énergie notamment sous forme de vapeur largement utilisée dans les procédés a reçu une attention particulière. Une solution proposée consiste à utiliser un simulateur de procédés de production d’utilités (Ariane, ProSim SA) pour contribuer à alimenter la base de données environnementale en tenant compte de variations sur les conditions opératoires ou sur les technologies utilisées. Des sous-modules « énergie » sont ainsi proposés pour calculer les émissions relatives aux impacts liés à l’utilisation de l’énergie dans les procédés. La troisième étape réalise l’interaction entre les deux premières phases et l’optimisation multi-objectif qui met en jeu des critères économiques et environnementaux. Elle conduit à des solutions de compromis le long du front de Pareto à partir desquelles les meilleures sont choisies à l’aide de méthodes d’aide à la décision. L’approche est appliquée à des procédés de production continus : production de benzène par hydrodéalkylation du toluène HDA et production de biodiesel à partir d’huiles végétales. Une stratégie à plusieurs niveaux est mise en oeuvre pour l'analyse de l'optimisation multi-objectif. Elle est utilisée dans les deux cas d'étude afin d'analyser les comportements antagonistes des critèresThe objective of this work is to propose an integrated and generic framework for eco-design coupling traditional modelling and flowsheeting simulation tools (HYSYS, COCO, ProSimPlus and Ariane), Life Cycle Assessment, multi-objective optimization based on Genetic Algorithms and multiple criteria decision-making methods MCDM (Multiple Choice Decision Making, such as ELECTRE, PROMETHEE, M-TOPSIS) that generalizes, automates and optimizes the evaluation of the environmental criteria at earlier design stage. The approach consists of three main stages. The first two steps correspond respectively to process inventory analysis based on mass and energy balances and impact assessment phases of LCA methodology. Specific attention is paid to the main issues that can be encountered with database and impact assessment i.e. incomplete or missing information, or approximate information that does not match exactly the real situation that may introduce a bias in the environmental impact estimation. A process simulation tool dedicated to production utilities, Ariane, ProSim SA is used to fill environmental database gap, by the design of specific energy sub modules, so that the life cycle energy related emissions for any given process can be computed. The third stage of the methodology is based on the interaction of the previous steps with process simulation for environmental impact assessment and cost estimation through a computational framework. The use of multi-objective optimization methods generally leads to a set of efficient solutions, the so-called Pareto front. The next step consists in identifying the best ones through MCDM methods. The approach is applied to two processes operating in continuous mode. The capabilities of the methodology are highlighted through these case studies (benzene production by HDA process and biodiesel production from vegetable oils). A multi-level assessment for multi-objective optimization is implemented for both cases, the explored pathways depending on the analysis and antagonist behaviour of the criteria
28
Jaini, Nor. "An efficient ranking analysis in multi-criteria decision making." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2017. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/an-efficient-ranking-analysis-in-multicriteria-decision-making(c5a694d5-fd43-434f-9f9f-b86f7581b97c).html.
Full textAbstract:
This study is conducted with the aims to develop a new ranking method for multi-criteria decision making problem with conflicting criteria. Such a problem has a set of Pareto solutions, where the act of improving a value of one solution will result in depreciating some of the others. Thus, in this type of problem, there is no unique solution. However, out of many available options, the Decision Maker eventually has to choose only one solution. With this problem as the motivation, the current study develops a compromise ranking algorithm, namely a trade-off ranking method. The trade-off ranking method able to give a trade-off solution with the least compromise compared to other choices as the best solution. The properties of the algorithm are studied in the thesis on several test cases. The proposed method is compared against several multi-criteria decision making methods with ranking based on the distance measure, which are the TOPSIS, relative distance and VIKOR. The sensitivity analysis and uncertainty test are carried out to examine the methods robustness. A critical criteria analysis is also done to test for the most critical criterion in a multi-criteria problem. The decision making method is considered further in a fuzzy environment problem where the fuzzy trade-off ranking is developed and compared against existing fuzzy decision making methods.
29
Vavrek, R. "Use of selected methods multi-criteria decision." Thesis, Сумський державний університет, 2014. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/34561.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of multi-criteria decision models is to help decision maker to evaluate each alternative and to rank them in descending order of performance. This study analyses the base of concept of Multiple Attribute Decision Making for using in different areas. The aim of this paper is to describe the concept of multiple attribute decision making. Achieving this purpose, TOPSIS technique is used as decision making tools.
When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/34561
30
Andresen, Inger. "A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method for Solar Building Design." Doctoral thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art, 2000. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-451.
Full textAbstract:
The background for this thesis is based on the assumption that the success of solar buildings relies on the assessment and integration of all the different design objectives, called criteria. These criteria are often quite complicated to deal with (e.g. environmental loading) and may be conflicting. The different design issues and the many different available energy technologies call for different areas of expertise to be involved in the design of solar buildings. This makes it difficult to evaluate the overall “goodness” of a proposed design solution. Also, the communication between design professionals and the client becomes complicated.
The goal of this work was therefore to produce a means for the design team and clients to be able to better understand and handle holistic solar design. A first hypothesis was that a structured approach for evaluating design alternatives might be a means to this end.
In order to specify an approach that would fit into the building design process, an analysis of design process theory and building design practice was carried out (chapter 2). Also, special solar design issues were investigated. This analysis resulted in the following conclusions:
· Most building design processes start out with no clearly defined goals or criteria of success. The design criteria are refined and discovered through evaluation and feedback on alternative design proposals.
· Design involves a lot of subjective value judgements, and decisions are often based on experience, “gut feeling”, or intuition. Design options are evaluated based on quantitative and qualitative performance measures. There exists no objective optimal design solution.
· It is possible to identify some main activities that are common to most design processes. These are categorized into 4 main tasks: problem formulation, generation of alternatives, performance prediction and evaluation. The activities are very much overlapping and dependent on each other.
· Decision-making in design happens mainly through evaluation of proposed design solutions.
31
Marto, Marco Henrique Vieira. "Innovating forest ecosystems with advanced multi-criteria decision-making methods." Doctoral thesis, ISA, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/21204.
Full textAbstract:
Doutoramento em Engenharia Florestal e dos Recursos Naturais - Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Universidade de LisboaThis work focuses on innovating forest ecosystem management planning and on enhancing its contribution to the provision of ecosystem services. A web-based forest decision support system was developed to support public and private forest managers, involving operational research methods. First, all work related to database management and the integration of data was carried out. Databases were created with PostgreSQL, which on the one hand facilitated the development of multi-criteria linear programs, and on the other met all the data and information needs of a forest decision support system, not only for data processing and information presentation, but also as a source to be consulted and analyzed by forest decision makers. The wSADfLOR, a forest web-based decision support system, integrates one analytic tool to visualize interactive decision maps showing the decision space and trade-offs among the criteria in Pareto frontiers, according to forest users’ management options. Taking advantage of constant improvements in the Interactive Decision Maps tool in wSADfLOR, a second article was developed regarding a web-based approach to show interactive decision maps with Pareto frontiers. Based on these interactive decision maps and jointly with some decision support systems available in the EMDS platform (Criterion DecisionPlus and NetWeaver), a hybrid decision methodology for cases in which there is no consensus among the solutions chosen by different (groups of) forest decision makers was developed, enabling them to choose a unique strategic decision plan
N/A
32
Zhou, Y. (Yong). "Multi-Criteria Decision Making in software development:a systematic literature review." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2015. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-201508271929.
Full textAbstract:
Multiple Criteria Decision Making is a formal approach to assist decision makers to select the best solutions among multiple alternatives by assessing criteria which are relatively precise but generally conflicting. The utilization of MCDM are quite popular and common in software development process. In this study, a systematic literature review which includes creating review protocol, selecting primary study, making classification schema, extracting data and other relevant steps was conducted. The objective of this study are making a summary about the state-of-the-art of MCDM in software development process and identifying the MCDM methods and MCDM problems in software development by systematically structuring and analyzing the literature on those issues.
A total of 56 primary studies were identified after the review, and 33 types of MCDM methods were extracted from those primary studies. Among them, AHP was defined as the most frequent used MCDM methods in software development process by ranking the number of primary studies which applied it in their studies, and Pareto optimization was ranked in the second place. Meanwhile, 33 types of software development problems were identified. Components selection, design concepts selection and performance evaluation became the three most frequent occurred problems which need to be resolved by MCDM methods. Most of those MCDM problems were found in software design phase. There were many limitations to affect the quality of this study; however, the strictly-followed procedures of SLR and mass data from thousands of literature can still ensure the validity of this study, and this study is also able to provide the references when decision makers want to select the appropriate technique to cope with the MCDM problems.
33
Romanko, O. "Multi-criteria decision making: do economic and environmental objectives conflict?" Thesis, Видавництво СумДУ, 2009. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/13629.
Full text
34
Siraj, Sajid. "Preference elicitation from pairwise comparisons in multi-criteria decision making." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2011. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/preference-elicitation-from-pairwise-comparisons-in-multicriteria-decision-making(bf9c4efe-28b3-4e5b-807d-76df5b858aa5).html.
Full textAbstract:
Decision making is an essential activity for humans and often becomes complex in the presence of uncertainty or insufficient knowledge. This research aims at estimating preferences using pairwise comparisons. A decision maker uses pairwise comparison when he/she is unable to directly assign criteria weights or scores to the available options. The judgments provided in pairwise comparisons may not always be consistent for several reasons. Experimentation has been used to obtain statistical evidence related to the widely-used consistency measures. The results highlight the need to propose new consistency measures. Two new consistency measures - termed congruence and dissonance - are proposed to aid the decision maker in the process of elicitation. Inconsistencies in pairwise comparisons are of two types i.e. cardinal and ordinal. It is shown that both cardinal and ordinal consistency can be improved with the help of these two measures. A heuristic method is then devised to detect and remove intransitive judgments. The results suggest that the devised method is feasible for improving ordinal consistency and is computationally more efficient than the optimization-based methods. There exist situations when revision of judgments is not allowed and prioritization is required without attempting to remove inconsistency. A new prioritization method has been proposed using the graph-theoretic approach. Although the performance of the proposed prioritization method was found to be comparable to other approaches, it has practical limitation in terms of computation time. As a consequence, the problem of prioritization is explored as an optimization problem. A new method based on multi-objective optimization is formulated that offers multiple non-dominated solutions and outperforms all other relevant methods for inconsistent set of judgments. A priority estimation tool (PriEsT) has been developed that implements the proposed consistency measures and prioritization methods. In order to show the benefits of PriEsT, a case study involving Telecom infrastructure selection is presented.
35
Santos-Ramos, Raquel. "Multi-criteria preference aggregation framework for sustainable energy planning." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2018. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/a5e857bf-cb9d-462d-bb52-3f3f625e758b.
Full textAbstract:
In the energy field, the decisions need to take into consideration several factors such as the needs of the population, the environment, suitability, capital cost, sustainability, political goals and the actors involved, with their interests and preferences. The lack of homogeneity in all the factors that must be consider makes it necessary to design a process that guides the analysis process of any type of decision-maker. Decision analysis methods have been developed to aid decision-makers identify a problem, determine the criteria to be consider and their importance, recognize the stakeholders that need to be involved and pose the different alternatives to resolve or to best address the problem. These techniques range from simple to more mathematically oriented ones, from single criterion evaluation to multiple criteria, and from purely qualitative or quantitative to mixed techniques. Within the field of decision analysis, multi-criteria techniques are better suited to aid in decision situations in the energy field as these decisions require several considerations beside economic ones. This thesis uses theories and notions of decision analysis to construct a framework to be used in any energy related decision situations by non-experts. The framework tackles common challenges faced by multi-criteria decision analysis methods, including the identification of stakeholders and decision-makers, the aggregation of various decision-makers, preferences and heterogeneous inputs, and the selection of suitable criteria, alternatives and methods.
36
Abel, Edward. "Preference elicitation from pairwise comparisons for traceable multi-criteria decision making." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/preference-elicitation-from-pairwise-comparisons-for-traceable-multicriteria-decision-making(35e62809-1047-4c2f-860a-415b4236053e).html.
Full textAbstract:
For many decisions validation of their outcomes is invariably problematic to objectively assess. Therefore to aid analysis and validation of decision outcomes, approaches which provide improved traceability and more semantically meaningful measurements of the decision process are required. Hence, this research investigates traceability, transparency, interactivity and auditability to improve the decision making process. Approaches and evaluation measures are proposed to facilitate a richer decision making experience. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) seeks to determine the suitability of alternatives of a goal with respect to multiple criteria. A key component of prominent MCDA methods is the concept of pairwise comparison. For a set of elements, pairwise comparison enables an accurate and transparent extraction and codification of a decision maker’s preferences, though facilitating a separation of concerns. From a set of pairwise comparisons, a ranking of the elements under consideration can be calculated. There are scenarios when a set of pairwise comparisons undergo alteration, both for individual and multiple decision makers. A set of measures of compromise are proposed to quantify the alteration that a set of pairwise comparisons undergo in such scenarios. The measures seek to provide a decision maker with meaningful knowledge regarding how their views have altered. A set of pairwise comparisons may be inconsistent. When inconsistency is present it adversely affects a ranking of the elements derived from the comparisons. Moreover inconsistency within pairwise comparisons used for consideration of more than a handful of elements is almost inevitable. Existing approaches that seek to alter a set of comparisons to reduce inconsistency lack traceability, flexibility, and specific consideration of alteration to the judgments in a way that is meaningful to a decision maker. An approach to inconsistency reduction is proposed that seeks to address these issues. For many decisions the opinions of multiple decision makers are utilized, either to avail of their combined expertise or to incorporate conflicting views. Aggregation of multiple decision makers’ pairwise companions seek to combine the views of the group into a single representation of views. An approach to group aggregation of pairwise comparisons is proposed that models compromise between the decision makers, facilitates decision maker constraints, considers inconsistency reduction during aggregation and dynamically incorporates decision maker weights of importance. With internet access becoming widespread being able to garner the views of a large group of decision makers’ views has become feasible. An approach to the aggregation of a large group of decision makers’ preferences is proposed. The approach facilitates understanding regarding both the agreement and conflict within the group during calculation of an overall group consensus. A Multi-Objective Optimisation Decision Software (MOODS) prototype tool has been developed that implements both the new measures of compromise and the proposed approaches to inconsistency reduction and group aggregation.
37
Kristbaum, Joseph Patrick. "Strategic Decision Facilitation: An Exploration of Alternative Anchoring and Scale Distortion Optimization in Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1566290559370868.
Full text
38
Bester, Frederick Johannes. "Multi-criteria decision making and geographical information systems : an extension for ArcView." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50033.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) is a set of techniques designed specifically for the analysis of complex problems. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) focus on spatial problem-solving and spatial analysis. The integration of these methodologies offers a powerful approach to decision making. Despite the fact that most spatial decision problems are multi-criteria problems by nature, the process of MCDM is not well established or effectively integrated into the field of spatial analysis and GIS. This research focuses on bridging the gap between MCDM and GIS. To this end, a generic MCDM extension was designed and implemented in ArcView. As a result, a first version MCDM extension is offered. The extension expands ArcView's functionality with a limited set of MCDM methods. This functionality is illustrated on two problems involved with developing the tourism potential at Coutada 16 Wildlife Reserve in Mozambique. The MCDM extension facilitates procedures that allow the evaluation of spatial problems and includes the ability to deal with both raster and vector data. This system offers a generic problemsolving environment, which can be used to evaluate geographical problems of any nature. This research identifies a number of improvements to the developed functionality and successfully illustrates the potential problem-solving capabilities associated with MCDM integrated with ArcView.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Multi Kriteria Besluitneming (MKBN) is n versameling metodes vir die analise van komplekse probleme. Geografiese Inligtingstelsels (GIS) fokus op geografiese probleemoplossing en analise. Die integrasie van hierdie twee metodologieë bied 'n kragtige benadering tot besluitneming. Ten spyte daarvan dat die meeste geografiese probleme in wese meerveranderlik van aard is, is MKBN nie effektiefbinne die raamwerk van GIS geïntegreer nie. Hierdie studie fokus op die oorbrugging van die gaping tussen MKBN en GIS. Met hierdie doel voor oë is 'n generiese MKBN-uitbreiding vir ArcView ontwerp en geïmplementeer. Die resultaat is 'n eerste- weergawe MKBN-uitbreiding. Die uitbreiding brei ArcView se funksionaliteit uit om 'n beperkte versameling MKBN-metodes in te sluit. Die nuut ontwikkelde funksies word geïllustreer aan die hand van twee probleme wat die ontwikkeling van die toerismepotensiaal vir die Coutada 16 Wildreservaat in Mosambiek aanspreek. Die uitbreiding maak voorsiening vir 'n MKBN-evaluasie van geografiese probleme en besit die vermoë om beide vektor- en roosterdata te analiseer. Hierdie stelsel verskaf 'n generiese omgewing vir probleemoplossing wat gebruik kan word om byna enige geografiese probleem te analiseer. Die studie identifiseer verbeteringe op en uitbreidings van die ontwikkelde funksies en slaag daarin om die potensiaal van probleemoplossing wat deur die integrasie van MKBN-tegnieke met ArcView moontlik gemaak word, te illustreer.
39
Naim, Nur Syibrah Muhamad. "A type-2 fuzzy logic approach for multi-criteria group decision making." Thesis, University of Essex, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.635990.
Full textAbstract:
Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making (MCGDM) is a decision tool which is able to find a unique agreement from a group of decision makers (DMs) by evaluating various conflicting criteria. However, the current multi-criteria decision making with a group of DMs (MCGDM) techniques do not effectively deal with the large number of possibilities that cause disagreement between different judgements and the variety of ideas and opinions among the decision makers which lead to high_uncertainty levels. There is a growing interest to investigate techniques to handle the faced uncertainties in many decision making applications. Studies in fuzzy decision making have grown rapidly in the utilisation of extended fuzzy set theories (i.e., Type-2 Fuzzy Sets, Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets, Hesitant Fuzzy Sets, Vague Sets, Interval-valued Fuzzy Sets; etc.) to evaluate the faced uncertainties.
40
Emovon, Ikuobase. "Multi-criteria decision making support tools for maintenance of marine machinery systems." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/3280.
Full textAbstract:
For ship systems to remain reliable and safe they must be effectively maintained through a sound maintenance management system. The three major elements of maintenance management systems are; risk assessment, maintenance strategy selection and maintenance task interval determination. The implementation of these elements will generally determine the level of ship system safety and reliability. Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) is one method that can be used to optimise maintenance management systems. However the tools used within the framework of the RCM methodology have limitations which may compromise the efficiency of RCM in achieving the desired results. This research presents the development of tools to support the RCM methodology and improve its effectiveness in marine maintenance system applications. Each of the three elements of the maintenance management system has been considered in turn. With regard to risk assessment, two Multi-Criteria Decision Making techniques (MCDM); Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija Ikompromisno Resenje, meaning: Multi-criteria Optimization and Compromise Solution (VIKOR) and Compromise Programming (CP) have been integrated into Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) along with a novel averaging technique which allows the use of incomplete or imprecise failure data. Three hybrid MCDM techniques have then been compared for maintenance strategy selection; an integrated Delphi-Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, an integrated Delphi-AHP-PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organisation METHod for Enrichment Evaluation) methodology and an integrated Delphi-AHP-TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) methodology. Maintenance task interval determination has been implemented using a MCDM framework integrating a delay time model to determine the optimum inspection interval and using the age replacement model for the scheduled replacement tasks. A case study based on a marine Diesel engine has been developed with input from experts in the field to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies.
41
Ozer, Ibrahim. "Multi-criteria group decision making methods using AHP and integrated Web-based decision support systems." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27545.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores different group decision making methods using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) applied to the multi-criteria decision making problem of selecting a preferred "site" and develops a support system for group decision making. The group members consider sites to have alternative and often conflicting uses. It is imperative for decision makers in the responsible group to have an appropriate combination of tools, computer software and decisions support systems in order to make the most preferred decisions as a group despite potential inherent conflict among members of the decision making group. To support this idea and facilitate decision making, alternative group multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) evaluation techniques are examined. These include; AHP, Weighted Sum Method (WSM), Weighted Product Method (WPM), AHP Combined Method, Group Evaluation Method, Fuzzy AHP, Fuzzy AHP Combined, and Fuzzy AHP Group. A web-based comparison framework is developed as a prototype to facilitate model use. These methods are applied to the evaluation of coastal zone sites for alternate marine use including aquaculture or fish farming. Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing activities among coastal nations. At the same time, companies, researchers, and coastal communities are seeking assistance in identifying appropriate coastal zone sites for commercial fishing and aquaculture activities, habitat reserves, and marine recreation. The aquaculture case study evaluates four possible fish sites in the Grand Marian Island area of Atlantic Canada.
42
Kocaman, Veysel Kumara Soundar T. "Operation readiness level (ORL) assessment using multi criteria decision making (MCDM) methods." 2009. http://etda.libraries.psu.edu/theses/approved/WorldWideIndex/ETD-4183/index.html.
Full text
43
CHAI, YU-QIAN, and 柴雨茜. "A Multi-Criteria Decision Making(MCDM) for Wind Power Plants Location Selection." Thesis, 2019. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/63u465.
Full textAbstract:
博士國立高雄科技大學
工業工程與管理系
107
Nowadays, the development of renewable energy sources is an urgent activity. Access to this type of renewable energy not only contributes to providing energy for society but also saves energy and reduces environmental pollution. In Vietnam, given the geographic conditions of a locality with long coastline, high winds and fairly distributed all the year, wind power plants emerged as a viable option. Thus, there are many wind power plants are building. One of the most importance aim of wind power projects is wind power plant location selection, wind farm location selection is Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) that the decision maker has to face. Although some studies have applied the MCDM model in wind farm location selection, very few studies have put attention on this fuzzy problem. That is why the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and hybrid Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) are built for location selection of wind power farm in Vietnam. In the beginning, this study collected data from seven locations, with good conditions to invest in a wind power plant. an FAHP model was developed to determine the weight of each potential site to build a wind power farm. The TOPSIS is applied to rank all potential alternatives in the last stage. The results showed that Binh Thuan was the best place to build wind power plants in Vietnam. The contributions of this study has proposed an MCDM approach in a fuzzy environment for location selection of wind power farm in Vietnam. This article is also provide a practical approach and new flexible for a decision maker. This study can also provides a useful guide for wind farm locations selection in other countries.
44
Mirnoori, Seyed Vahid. "Prioritizing lean techniques by employing Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM): The case of MCoutinho." Master's thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/21418.
Full textAbstract:
The business cycle in the automotive industry follows the general economic cycle closely and
therefore, undergoes cyclical fluctuations over time. Companies in the sector are faced with
challenges and need to deal with market demands efficiently and quickly to stay competitive. Lean
approach is one of the strategies that can aid firms to improve their competitiveness by minimizing
waste (Pullan et al., 2013). In order to benefit from a lean approach, the first step is to select a
proper tool based on the available resources and requirements of the company.
Due to the fact that numerous lean tools have been introduced over time, decision makers in
company may encounter challenges in selecting the proper one with regard to their demands. To
deal with such an issue, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) can greatly assist decision
makers to compare available alternatives and consequently select the best possible solution among
them. This study aims at improving the operational process in MCoutinho Group, a Portuguese
well-known company in the automotive sector, by helping the management board in selecting lean
tool due to the company preferences.
In this study, the applicability (and results) of the application of some MCDM techniques (SAW,
TOPSIS, and VIKOR) is examined to compare ten lean tools, determined based on the literature.
The results reveal some gaps between company requirements and the demands which have been
considered in previous surveys. The process applied can save the costs of trial and error of
implementing different lean tools. And finally, adopting such a lean tool that has been selected
totally based on the exclusive requirements of the company can improve efficiency in the
company.O ciclo de negócios na indústria automotiva segue de perto o ciclo econômico geral e, portanto, sofre flutuações cíclicas ao longo do tempo. As empresas do setor enfrentam desafios e precisam lidar com as demandas do mercado de forma eficiente e rápida para se manterem competitivas. A abordagem enxuta é uma das estratégias que pode ajudar as empresas a melhorar sua competitividade, minimizando o desperdício (Pullan et al., 2013). Para se beneficiar de uma abordagem enxuta, o primeiro passo é selecionar uma ferramenta adequada com base nos recursos disponíveis e requisitos da empresa. Devido ao fato de que várias ferramentas enxutas foram introduzidas ao longo do tempo, os tomadores de decisão na empresa podem encontrar desafios ao selecionar a ferramenta adequada com relação às suas demandas. Para lidar com essa questão, a Tomada de Decisão Multi-Critérios (MCDM) pode ajudar muito os tomadores de decisão a comparar as alternativas disponíveis e, conseqüentemente, selecionar a melhor solução possível entre elas. Este estudo tem como objetivo melhorar o processo operacional do Grupo MCoutinho, empresa portuguesa de renome no setor automóvel, auxiliando a administração na seleção da ferramenta enxuta em função das preferências da empresa. Neste estudo, a aplicabilidade (e resultados) da aplicação de algumas técnicas MCDM (SAW, TOPSIS e VIKOR) é examinada para comparar dez ferramentas enxutas, determinadas com base na literatura. Os resultados revelam algumas lacunas entre os requisitos da empresa e as demandas consideradas em pesquisas anteriores. O processo aplicado pode economizar os custos de tentativa e erro de implementação de diferentes ferramentas enxutas. E, por fim, a adoção de uma ferramenta tão enxuta que foi selecionada totalmente com base nos requisitos exclusivos da empresa pode melhorar a eficiência da empresa.
45
Mazumdar, Avijit. "Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Approached on Teachers' Performance Evaluation and Appraisal." Thesis, 2009. http://ethesis.nitrkl.ac.in/260/1/project.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Education quality is the ultimate result of significant contribution by each stake holder in an education system. However, it is believed that faculty quality has direct bearing on improving and sustaining quality in education.
Teacher’s performance evaluation is nothing but a Multi Criteria Decision Making Problem (MCDM). There are several quality attributes that influence the efficiency of a potential teacher while guiding his/her students towards a
positive and value added academic outcome. However, the extent of significance of quality attributes may vary from individuals’ viewpoint. In other words, different attributes may have different weightage according to
their priority of significance while evaluating quality/performance level of a teacher. But there is no clear-cut methodology for assigning this priority
weightage for the attributes. Therefore, expert opinion is indeed required to estimate those attribute weightage values. In the present reporting, a methodology adapted from Multi-Criteria-Decision Making (MCDM) has been
proposed in order to evaluate performance of a teacher. Grey relational analysis has been explored in order to prioritize quality attributes that are expected to influence performance level of a teacher. Based on COPRAS-
method, numerical values (interval scores) on different attributes assigned for a group of teachers (multiplied by individual weightage) have been accumulated to compute an overall quality estimate indicating performance
level of individual teachers. Application feasibility as well as efficiency of this method and guidelines in solving such a multi-attribute decision making
problem has been described illustratively in this paper.
46
LIN, CHI-FA, and 林啟發. "The Study of GaAs IC Foundry FAB Location Evaluation by Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)." Thesis, 2003. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/20040576268989394320.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立交通大學
科技管理學程碩士班
91
Location selection is the key success factor for the Gallium Arsenic (GaAs) IC foundry. Questionnaire interview with experts generates 4 aspects and 12 criteria for the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to evaluate the best GaAs IC foundry location. The aspects include overall strategy, manufacturing resources, manufacturing efficiency and integrated customer service. According to the questionnaire investigation among 12 experts of the industry, the top two weight normalized criteria which influence the GaAs IC FAB location selection are manufacturing efficiency and IC FAB supporting efficiency. In this paper, five GaAs IC foundry alternative locations along the Pan-Pacific Rim are evaluated, which including America (A), China(C), Japan (J), Korea (K) and Taiwan (T). Those alternatives are ranked by multicriteria method of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The result developed by using AHP and TOPSIS indicates that the optimal alternative is Taiwan and the second alternative is Korea due to the outstanding performance in high weight normalized criteria of manufacturing efficiency and IC FAB supporting efficiency. China is ranked as the last in current stage due to the immaturity of overall IC manufacturing environments. However China was believed by those experts to be the next most suitable alternative for GaAs IC foundry location due to high potential customer growth rate, highly demand from downstream integrated system manufacturer and lower overall operation cost.
47
Vafaei, Nazanin. "Data Normalization in Decision Making Processes." Doctoral thesis, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/131054.
Full textAbstract:
With the fast-growing of data-rich systems, dealing with complex decision problems is unavoidable. Normalization is a crucial step in most multi criteria decision making (MCDM) models, to produce comparable and dimensionless data from heterogeneous data. Further, MCDM requires data to be numerical
and comparable to be aggregated into a single score per alternative, thus providing their ranking.
Several normalization techniques are available, but their performance depends on a number of characteristics of the problem at hand i.e., different normalization techniques may provide different rankings for alternatives. Therefore, it is a challenge to select a suitable normalization technique to represent an appropriate mapping from source data to a common scale. There are some attempts in the literature to address the subject of normalization in MCDM, but there is still a lack of assessment frameworks for evaluating normalization techniques.
Hence, the main contribution and objective of this study is to develop an assessment framework for analysing the effects of normalization techniques on ranking of alternatives in MCDM methods and recommend the most appropriate technique for specific decision problems. The proposed assessment framework
consists of four steps: (i) determining data types; (ii) chose potential candidate normalization techniques; (iii) analysis and evaluation of techniques; and (iv) selection of the best normalization technique. To validate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed framework, six normalization techniques (Max, Max-Min,
Sum, Vector, Logarithmic, and Fuzzification) are selected from linear, semi-linear, and non-linear categories, and tested with four well known MCDM methods (TOPSIS, SAW, AHP, and ELECTRE), from scoring, comparative, and ranking methods. Designing the proposed assessment framework led to a conceptual
model allowing an automatic decision-making process, besides recommending the most appropriate normalization technique for MCDM problems. Furthermore, the role of normalization techniques for dynamic multi criteria decision making (DMCDM) in collaborative networks is explored, specifically related to
problems of selection of suppliers, business partners, resources, etc.
To validate and test the utility and applicability of the assessment framework, a number of case studies are discussed and benchmarking and testimonies from experts are used. Also, an evaluation by the research community of the work developed is presented. The validation process demonstrated that the proposed assessment framework increases the accuracy of results in MCDM decision problems.Com o rápido crescimento dos sistemas ricos em dados, lidar com problemas de decisão complexos é inevitável. A normalização é uma etapa crucial na maioria dos modelos de tomada de decisão multicritério (MCDM), para produzir dados comparáveis e adimensionais a partir de dados heterogéneos, porque os dados precisam ser numéricos e comparáveis para serem agregados em uma única pontuação por alternativa. Como tal, várias técnicas de normalização estão disponíveis, mas o seu desempenho depende de uma série de características do problema em questão, ou seja, diferentes técnicas de normalização podem resultar em diferentes classificações para as alternativas. Portanto, é um desafio selecionar uma técnica de normalização adequada para representar o mapeamento dos dados de origem para uma escala comum. Existem algumas tentativas na literatura de abordar o assunto da normalização, mas ainda há uma falta de estrutura de avaliação para avaliar as técnicas de normalização sobre qual técnica é mais apropriada para os métodos MCDM.Assim, a principal contribuição e objetivo deste estudo são desenvolver uma ferramenta de avaliação para analisar os efeitos das técnicas de normalização na seriação de alternativas em métodos MCDM e recomendar a técnica mais adequada para problemas de decisão específicos. A estrutura de avaliação da ferramenta proposta consiste em quatro etapas: (i) determinar os tipos de dados, (ii) selecionar potenciais técnicas de normalização, (iii) análise e avaliação de técnicas em problemas de MCDM, e (iv) recomendação da melhor técnica para o problema de decisão. Para validar a eficácia e robustez da ferramenta proposta, seis técnicas de normalização (Max, Max-Min, Sum, Vector, Logarithmic e Fuzzification) foram selecionadas - das categorias lineares, semilineares e não lineares- e quatro conhecidos métodos de MCDM foram escolhidos (TOPSIS, SAW, AHP e ELECTRE). O desenho da ferramenta de avaliação proposta levou ao modelo conceptual que forneceu um processo automático de tomada de decisão, além de recomendar a técnica de normalização mais adequada para problemas de decisão. Além disso, é explorado o papel das técnicas de normalização para tomada de decisão multicritério dinâmica (DMCDM) em redes colaborativas, especificamente relacionadas com problemas de seleção de fornecedores, parceiros de negócios, recursos, etc. Para validar e testar a utilidade e aplicabilidade da ferramenta de avaliação, uma série de casos de estudo são discutidos e benchmarking e testemunhos de especialistas são usados. Além disso, uma avaliação do trabalho desenvolvido pela comunidade de investigação também é apresentada. Esta validação demonstrou que a ferramenta proposta aumenta a precisão dos resultados em problemas de decisão multicritério.
48
Chen, Yen-Kuang, and 陳衍光. "Application of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) on Site Selection of Artificial Habitats." Thesis, 2001. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/53915231060513416938.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立海洋大學
漁業科學學系
89
In order to know the suitable areas for setting artificial habitats in the coastal waters of southwestern Taiwan, I utilize Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technology with Geographical Information System (GIS) to collect, digitize and analyze all data related to this tropics. From the results, the most potentiality of setting artificial habitats in six counties of the southwestern Taiwan belongs to the coastal zones of Ping-Tong County and Kao-Hsiung County, secondary potentiality belongs to the coastal zones of Tai-Nan County and Kao-Hsiung City. The Chia-Yi County owns the least potentiality because of its broader shallow-water (<5m) area. It also shows the site selection model of artificial habitats work by comparing to the past setting evaluations of artificial habitats. The site selection model could be further modified for additional GIS layers in order to provide a better tool for decision making of artificial-habitat setting, and to enhance the effects of the artificial habitats that suitably setted.
49
NGUYEN, VAN THANH, and 阮文成. "The Study of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Model for Supplier Evaluation and Selection in the Rice Supply Chain." Thesis, 2019. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/qfaw8a.
Full textAbstract:
博士國立高雄科技大學
工業工程與管理系
107
In a market economy, choosing a supplier is a strategic decision, directly affecting to the business performance of the businesses, choosing an effective suppliers to help businesses create high quality products, low cost, meeting the demand that customers’ expect, and being able to aim for sustainable development in the future. The benefits of choosing the best suppliers help businesses gain a competitive advantages in the market. However, the process of selecting suppliers is very complicated, requiring decision makers to analyze and evaluate many qualitative and quantitative criteria are conflict together to get accurate results. Thus, this dissertation presents a mathematical model to optimize suppliers selection process, with the aim of improving products quality, timely delivery, meeting the increasing demands of customers, and ensuring reduce production costs of products. The multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model is proposed to address supplier evaluation and selection issues. In case study, the author considered twenty five rice suppliers in Viet Nam, they are adjusted based on 4 main criteria including financial criteria, delivery and services factors, qualitative criteria and environmental management systems. In the first stage of this study, fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) is applied to determine the weight of 25 potential suppliers (Decision Making Unit – DMU). Subsequently, data envelopment analysis (DEA) model were used to rank suppliers. As a results, there are 7 optimal suppliers from 25 potential suppliers list that can bring high economic efficiency for businesses.
50
Chinoda, Muriel. "A behavioural multi-criteria decision making framework for corporate climate change response." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/10457.
Full textAbstract:
The understanding that humans are bounded in their rationality has been proven to manifest in complex decision making as a result of a limit in the amount of information available, the cognitive limitations of the mind and the amount of time available in which to make a decision. Because of this, humans have been known to appeal to heuristics and the rules of thumb (termed 'satisficing‘) when making decisions, resulting in biased probability judgments and not maximizing expected utility. Corporate application of bounded rationality is still very limited. This study builds on and advances the study and application of bounded rationality in corporate environments, using climate change response as a real-life situation, and in a circular fashion help explain some of the debates and paradoxes that agitate researchers from the climate change community. Using a mixed methods comparative case study of two organisations‘ responses to climate change, the study theorises that competitive market forces and the ability of organisations to learn from other organisations limits the levels of 'satisficing‘ in strategic decision making. Instead, the limited amount of information and the fear of the unknown cause organizations to approach the subject cautiously. A tactical interpretive climate change response framework emerges.Business Management
D.B.L.