Title
An AHP-based decision-making tool for the solution of multiproduct batch plant design problem under imprecise demand
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of the optimal design of batch plants with imprecise demands in product amounts. The design of such plants necessarily involves the way that equipment may be utilized, which means that plant scheduling and production must form an integral part of the design problem. This work relies on a previous study, which proposed an alternative treatment of the imprecision (demands) by introducing fuzzy concepts, embedded in a multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (GA) that takes into account simultaneously maximization of the net present value (NPV) and two other performance criteria, i.e. the production delay/advance and a flexibility criterion. The results showed that an additional interpretation step might be necessary to help the managers choosing among the non-dominated solutions provided by the GA. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a strategy commonly used in Operations Research for the solution of this kind of multicriteria decision problems, allowing the apprehension of manager subjective judgments. The major aim of this study is thus to propose a software integrating the AHP theory for the analysis of the GA Pareto-optimal solutions, as an alternative decision-support tool for the batch plant design problem solution.
Year
DOI
Venue
2009
10.1016/j.cor.2007.10.029
Computers & OR
Keywords
DocType
Volume
AHP theory,non-dominated solution,imprecise demand,multiproduct batch plant design,alternative treatment,GA Pareto-optimal solution,design problem,batch plant design problem,alternative decision-support tool,multicriteria decision problem,batch plant,AHP-based decision-making tool,optimal design
Journal
36
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
3
Computers and Operations Research
9
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.62
4
4