An analytic hierarchy process based simulation model for entry mode decision regarding foreign direct investment

A methodology is developed for ranking entry mode alternatives encountered by individual firms considering foreign direct investment (FDI). The methodology deals with the risks and uncertainties related to FDI. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to solve the multiple criteria decision-making problem using input from a firm's management. A simulation approach is incorporated into the AHP to handle the uncertainty considerations encountered in an FDI environment. The uncertainties include: (1) uncertainty regarding the future characteristics of the FDI decision making environment, (2) uncertainty associated with the decision maker's judgment regarding pairwise comparisons necessitated by the AHP.     

An application of the integrated AHP-PGP model for performance measurement of supply chain management

The performance measurement problem has gained great attention in business and operations management literature. The first objective of this study is to determine the required performance measures and to develop a model for performance evaluation, based on these selected measures using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology. The second objective is to explain how an integrated AHP-PGP (pre-emptive goal programming) model can be used in performance measurement while optimising the overall performance. An integration of AHP and multi-objective PGP is used to consider both quantitative and qualitative performance measures in optimising the overall performance of the system. The integrated model is presented with a real-world application using source data provided by a survey conducted in India. Findings demonstrate that the integrated AHP-PGP model can be useful to all supply chain industries in their day-to-day performance measurement decisions.     

基于BSC和EVA整合战略管理的应用研究

战略管理是企业成功的关键所在。目前企业战略管理面临的一个最大问题是精心制定的战略无法得到有效的实施。本文引入平衡记分卡与经济增加值两个互补性很强的管理工具,运用层次分析法将其整合为公司全面的战略管理框架及其评价体系,以推动企业战略的成功实施。     

Prioritising indicators in improving supply chain performance using fuzzy AHP: insights from the case example of four Indian manufacturing companies

Abstract

In this contribution, we aim to prioritise the indicators to enhance the organisational supply chain’s (SC) effectiveness from an industrial perspective. It will help industries to develop strategies for managing the SC effectively and ensuring improvement in performance continuously. To achieve this, this work proposes to use a two-phase research methodology. First, 36 SC performance improvement indicators are recognised from a literature survey and from field and industrial expert’s inputs. Secondly, a structural model is proposed using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritise the indicators strategically to improve the SC performance. The fuzzy AHP method helps determine the priority of concerns of the identified indicators under fuzzy surroundings. Inputs in this research are taken from four ancillary Indian plastic manufacturing firms. Research findings indicate that collaborations and information exchange dimension indicators obtained the highest priority in improving SC performance. The model proposed is considered very useful for the SC managers/practitioners/decision-makers to understand better and distinguish the essential SC performance improvement indicators and to take systematic decisions specifically to improve the performance of business in a SC context. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the priority ranking of the indicators.     

Vertikale Integration und Unternehmenserfolg: eine empirische Untersuchung in der Formel 1

According to the (new) theory of the firm vertically integrated firms might under certain conditions outperform disintegrated firms. In particular, in a situation with high transaction specific investments and measurement problems concerning individual performance an underinvestment problem may arise. In this paper we show for Formula One motor racing that integrated firms solve arising underinvestment problems more efficiently than disintegrated firms and that the decision to integrate positively affect the firm’s performance.     

Stochastic Judgments in the AHP: The Measurement of Rank Reversal Probabilities

This paper presents a methodology for analyzing Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) rankings if the pairwise preference judgments are uncertain (stochastic). If the relative preference statements are represented by judgment intervals, rather than single values, then the rankings resulting from a traditional (deterministic) AHP analysis based on single judgment values may be reversed, and therefore incorrect. In the presence of stochastic judgments, the traditional AHP rankings may be stable or unstable, depending on the nature of the uncertainty. We develop multivariate statistical techniques to obtain both point estimates and confidence intervals of the rank reversal probabilities, and show how simulation experiments can be used as an effective and accurate tool for analyzing the stability of the preference rankings under uncertainty. If the rank reversal probability is low, then the rankings are stable and the decision maker can be confident that the AHP ranking is correct. However, if the likelihood of rank reversal is high, then the decision maker should interpret the AHP rankings cautiously, as there is a subtantial probability that these rankings are incorrect. High rank reversal probabilities indicate a need for exploring alternative problem formulations and methods of analysis. The information about the extent to which the ranking of the alternatives is sensitive to the stochastic nature of the pairwise judgments should be valuable information into the decision-making process, much like variability and confidence intervals are crucial tools for statistical inference. We provide simulation experiments and numerical examples to evaluate our method. Our analysis of rank reversal due to stochastic judgments is not related to previous research on rank reversal that focuses on mathematical properties inherent to the AHP methodology, for instance, the occurrence of rank reversal if a new alternative is added or an existing one is deleted.     

Green supply chain performance measurement using the analytic hierarchy process: a comparative analysis of manufacturing organisations

The main purpose of this research is to develop and deploy an analytical framework for measuring the environmental performance of manufacturing supply chains. This work's theoretical bases combine and reconcile three major areas: supply chain management, environmental management and performance measurement. Researchers have suggested many empirical criteria for green supply chain (GSC) performance measurement and proposed both qualitative and quantitative frameworks. However, these are mainly operational in nature and specific to the focal company. This research develops an innovative GSC performance measurement framework by integrating supply chain processes (supplier relationship management, internal supply chain management and customer relationship management) with organisational decision levels (both strategic and operational). Environmental planning, environmental auditing, management commitment, environmental performance, economic performance and operational performance are the key level constructs. The proposed framework is then applied to three selected manufacturing organisations in the UK. Their GSC performance is measured and benchmarked by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multiple-attribute decision-making technique. The AHP-based framework offers an effective way to measure and benchmark organisations’ GSC performance. This study has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically it contributes holistic constructs for designing a GSC and managing it for sustainability; and practically it helps industry practitioners to measure and improve the environmental performance of their supply chain.     

A conceptual model for measuring supply chain's performance

In this article, a conceptual model for measuring supply chain (SC) performance is proposed which can be used for most organisations with the same class at various industries. The model has been developed according to performance metrics interdependencies and some existing shortcomings in the available literature of performance models. Furthermore, it has tried to see the key features of a performance evaluation model. The methodology which is used for solving and integrating the model is a combination of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methods. The DEMATEL and AHP are used for understanding the relationship between comparison metrics and integration to provide a value for performance, respectively.     

Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method

In this paper, a new method, called best-worst method (BWM) is proposed to solve multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. In an MCDM problem, a number of alternatives are evaluated with respect to a number of criteria in order to select the best alternative(s). According to BWM, the best (e.g. most desirable, most important) and the worst (e.g. least desirable, least important) criteria are identified first by the decision-maker. Pairwise comparisons are then conducted between each of these two criteria (best and worst) and the other criteria. A maximin problem is then formulated and solved to determine the weights of different criteria. The weights of the alternatives with respect to different criteria are obtained using the same process. The final scores of the alternatives are derived by aggregating the weights from different sets of criteria and alternatives, based on which the best alternative is selected. A consistency ratio is proposed for the BWM to check the reliability of the comparisons. To illustrate the proposed method and evaluate its performance, we used some numerical examples and a real-word decision-making problem (mobile phone selection). For the purpose of comparison, we chose AHP (analytic hierarchy process), which is also a pairwise comparison-based method. Statistical results show that BWM performs significantly better than AHP with respect to the consistency ratio, and the other evaluation criteria: minimum violation, total deviation, and conformity. The salient features of the proposed method, compared to the existing MCDM methods, are: (1) it requires less comparison data; (2) it leads to more consistent comparisons, which means that it produces more reliable results.     

Responsive supply chain: A competitive strategy in a networked economy

Supply chain management (SCM) has been considered as the most popular operations strategy for improving organizational competitiveness in the twenty-first century. In the early 1990s, agile manufacturing (AM) gained momentum and received due attention from both researchers and practitioners. In the mid-1990s, SCM began to attract interest. Both AM and SCM appear to differ in philosophical emphasis, but each complements the other in objectives for improving organizational competitiveness. For example, AM relies more on strategic alliances/partnerships (virtual enterprise environment) to achieve speed and flexibility. But the issues of cost and the integration of suppliers and customers have not been given due consideration in AM. By contrast, cost is given a great deal of attention in SCM, which focuses on the integration of suppliers and customers to achieve an integrated value chain with the help of information technologies and systems. Considering the significance of both AM and SCM for firms to improve their performance, an attempt has been made in this paper to analyze both AM and SCM with the objective of developing a framework for responsive supply chain (RSC). We compare their characteristics and objectives, review the selected literature, and analyze some case experiences on AM and SCM, and develop an integrated framework for a RSC. The proposed framework can be employed as a competitive strategy in a networked economy in which customized products/services are produced with virtual organizations and exchanged using e-commerce.     

A low-cost approach to computer-integrated manufacturing in a small chemical unit

Many firms are considering CIM as a means of reducing costs and increasing quality. Sometimes, however, a major problem in this kind of project seems to be the high investments involved. In this paper a methodology for developing a low-cost CIM application is presented. The proposed methodology was successfully experimented in a small chemical unit of one of the leading producers of nylon in the world. The paper reports on the design and implementation of the computer-integrated manufacturing and the associated costs and benefits.     

供应链绩效评价指标体系与评价方法研究

供应链管理(SCM)与现行企业模式有较大区别,其绩效评价指标体系的建立与评价方法也就有其特殊性,目前这方面的研究还略显不足。本文在综合分析现有的SCM评价指标体系的基础上,初步建立了一套适合我国SCM绩效评价的指标体系。同时,给出了SCM绩效评价的多级动态模糊综合评价方法。     

An empirical assessment of the operational performance through internal benchmarking: a case of a global logistics firm

This article solves an operational performance measurement problem of a global logistics firm through an internal benchmarking tool. The intended impact is to enable logistics firms to form a deeper understanding of their own internal processes and metrics. The methodology of this in-depth action research involves a sequential approach with a series of interviews, questionnaire-based surveys, operations data collated through observations and process mapping yielding real-world data. A series of statistical tests are conducted to analyse the collated data. Strategic priorities of the firm are integrated with the firm’s operational performance to ascertain the effective performance by considering both the tangible and intangible measures. The outcomes inform both practitioners and academics how the firm could improve its freight forwarding business’s profitability by ensuring that its operations meet the prioritised criteria. The ‘best practice’ derived from internal benchmarking forms an intermediate step towards external benchmarking. The outcomes facilitate investigating the current business strategy, the standard operating procedures and the scope of improving those.     

MEASUREMENT OF MULTIPLE SITES IN SERVICE FIRMS WITH DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS

Data envelopment analysis (dea) has become an increasingly popular method to measure performance for service firms with multiple sites. DEA is superior to many traditional methods for firms that have multiple goals. The promise of DEA is that the complex, multi-objective problem of performance measurement can be reduced to a single number. Unfortunately, the practice of DEA often belies the promise. Misconceptions concerning the purpose and implementation of DEA can cause DEA applications to be less than successful. Here, the technique is explained, and a guide to the implementation of DEA is proposed, utilizing DEA studies of retail bank branches.     

Management performance: An empirical study of the manufacturing companies in Taiwan

This paper proposes a methodology to measure the management performance of the firms of an industry. The idea is to break down the very complicated concept of management into subjects such that the performance of each subject can be measured. The performances of all subjects are then aggregated to form an overall performance of management. The weights associated with the subjects which play a decisive role in aggregation are determined from a two-stage method. This method takes into account both the experience of the experts and the reality reflected by the data collected from the firms. Therefore, the weights generated are more acceptable to the firms. An example of the manufacturing firms in Taiwan illustrates how management is broken down into subjects and how their performances are aggregated. A regression analysis shows that management, in addition to capital and labor, makes a significant contribution to organizational performance. Although the discussion of this paper is confined to the manufacturing industry in Taiwan, the methodology can be applied to other industries and other countries.     

供应链管理对企业财务绩效的影响研究

文章选取我国2001-2006年间实施过供应链管理的上市公司前后共4年(从实施前一年到实施后两年)的数据作为样本,运用事件关联影响研究法并剔除行业均值的影响后进行实证研究以探究我国企业实施供应链管理的受益程度。实证结果显示:只有实施后第二年较实施前一年企业的现金周转期平均缩短了14.7天;管理和销售费用占比平均下降了1.01个百分点;营业利润率平均提高了2.49个百分点。其它业绩指标均没有显著的变化。从相关和回归分析的结果看,现金周转期的缩短导致管理、销售费用占比的下降,从而显著地驱动营业利润率的提高。本文的研究结果部分地回答了信息技术生产率悖论的问题,无论对学术界还是实务界均具有一定的现实意义。     

Strategic performance measurement in a healthcare organisation: A multiple criteria approach based on balanced scorecard

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) methodology focuses on major critical issues of modern business organisations: the effective measurement of corporate performance and the evaluation of the successful implementation of corporate strategy. Despite the increased adoption of the BSC methodology by numerous business organisations during the last decade, limited case studies concern non-profit organisations (e.g. public sector, educational institutions, healthcare organisations, etc.). The main aim of this study is to present the development of a performance measurement system for public health care organisations, in the context of BSC methodology. The proposed approach considers the distinguished characteristics of the aforementioned sector (e.g. lack of competition, social character of organisations, etc.). The proposed measurement system contains the most important financial performance indicators, as well as non-financial performance indicators that are able to examine the quality of the provided services, the satisfaction of internal and external customers, the self-improvement system of the organisation and the ability of the organisation to adapt and change. These indicators play the role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), in the context of BSC methodology. The presented analysis is based on a MCDA approach, where the UTASTAR method is used in order to aggregate the marginal performance of KPIs. This approach is able to take into account the preferences of the management of the organisation regarding the achievement of the defined strategic objectives. The main results of the proposed approach refer to the evaluation of the overall scores for each one of the main dimensions of the BSC methodology (i.e. financial, customer, internal business process, and innovation-learning). These results are able to help the organisation to evaluate and revise its strategy, and generally to adopt modern management approaches in every day practise.     

基于AHP的灰色关联法在企业战略决策中的应用研究

针对企业战略决策中的战略方案选择定量化问题,建立拟选方案的评价指标体系。在此基础之上,把层次分析法的思想融入到灰色关联法之中,运用层次分析法确定评价指标的权值,以待选方案的关联度作为评价标准,建立战略决策模型。最后,结合实际案例,对模型的建立过程和步骤进行验证,并与层次分析法所得的结果进行比较,证明了模型的可行性和有效性,而且对多方案多指标的决策更能体现其客观性。     

e-SCM系统的收益测算机制设计

作为供应链管理(Supply Chain Management,SCM)的支持手段,e-SCM系统(electronic Supply Chain Management System)的投资滞后成为制约SCM实现的重要障碍。本文借助Preinreich-Luecke定理、相对直接成本以及作业成本法所提供的理论框架,设计了简便易行的e-SCM系统收益测算机制,将其作为e-SCM系统投资决策的先导和收益实现的重要基础。本文的主要结论是:仅当业绩量的成本来源具有可变特质时,e-SCM系统所带来的业绩量才会产生经济收益,以库存为核心的资金占用成本因而成为业绩额的主要来源。仅需提取企业少量运营数据即可进行e化收益测算,客观上增加了测算的可行性。     

无统计信息假设下的多阶段报童决策

在不对需求做任何统计假设的情形下,该文用理论计算科学兴起的集成专家意见的弱集成算法研究多阶段报童决策。弱集成算法是一种指数加权平均集成方法,在一定的初始权重下,根据损失函数在线调整专家意见的权重。基于收益损失函数和固定订购量的专家意见,得到了与从累积收益角度研究相一致的决策方法;并扩展研究了带有回收价值的情形。理论上证明了决策方法的累积收益损失几乎不超过最优专家意见的累积收益损失。通过数值算例验证了决策方法的可行性和合理性,探讨了卖出价和成本价等因素对竞争性能的影响,说明了回收价值的引入大大提高了决策方法的竞争性能,具有重要的现实意义。