Development of Decision Support Model for Selecting a Maintenance Plan Using a Fuzzy MCDM Approach: A Theoretical Framework

In complex decision making, using multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies is the most scientific way to ensure an informed and justified decision between several alternatives. MCDMs have been used in different ways and with several applications that proved their efficiency in achieving this goal. In this research, the advantages and disadvantages of the different MCDM methodologies are studied, along with the different techniques implemented to increase their accuracy and precision. The main aim of the study is to develop a hybrid MCDM process that combines the strengths of several MCDM methods and apply it to choose the best fit maintenance policy/strategy for industrial application. Moreover, fuzzy linguistic terms are utilized in all of the used MCDM techniques in order to eliminate the uncertainty and ambiguity of the results. Through an extensive literature review performed on studies that have used MCDM methods in a hybrid context and using fuzzy linguistic terms, a model is developed to use fuzzy DEMATEL-AHP-TOPSIS hybrid technique. The model with its application is the first of its kind, which combines the strengths of fuzzy DEMATEL in establishing interrelationships between several criteria, as well as performing a pairwise comparison between the criteria for prioritization using the fuzzy AHP method. Thereafter, the alternatives are compared using fuzzy TOPSIS method by establishing negative and positive solutions and calculating the relative closeness for each of the alternatives. Furthermore, six main criteria, twenty criteria, and five alternatives are selected from the literature for the model application.