A hybrid method using experiment design and grey relational analysis for multiple criteria decision making problems

To improve the market competitiveness of enterprises in the manufacturing industry, some of them involve picking the most appropriate strategies among multiple available alternatives. However, no single alternative works is suitable for all evaluation criteria which must be considered during the selection processes. This paper proposes a new hybrid MCDM method using design of experiment (DoE) and grey relational analysis (GRA), called DoE-GRA method, to solve this kind of problem. Three illustrative MCDM examples consisting of selection of (a) a rapid prototyping process, (b) a flexible manufacturing system, and (c) an automated inspection system, are analyzed to demonstrate the application capability of the DoE-GRA method. The results of comparisons show that the DoE-GRA method is featured by less sensitive to weight changing, simple and fast calculation, robust and practical. It is suitable for solving MCDM problems. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.