Collaboration-oriented supplier selection method using TRFN-AHP

AS a new trend of a product development pattern in supplier- customerrelationship management, early supplier involvement helps to minimize the. totalcosts in nowadays dramatic changing and cost reducing business environment.Selecting an appropriate supplier is important not only for the. customer'sproduct developing and manufacturing process, but also counting for the. successor not in strategic partnership establishment. Supplier involved collaborativeproduct development is a new way to enhance this partnership for both sides invalue chain. A series of criteria and attributes for the. supplier selection incollaborative R&D are presented, which are summarized as R&D capacity,information system, willing to collaborate, enterprise background and riskmanagement. An improved fuzzy number method is also introduced to reflect the.customs and feelings of decision makers. Based on analytic hierarchy process andthis new trapezoidal fuzzy number, a new algorithm for evaluating supplier'scapacity in collaborative R&D environment is developed. ICIC International © 2009.