Analytic hierarchy process : An overview of applications

The analytic hierarchy process in medical and health care decision making: A literature review

Energy policies require cheap and continuous energy which is needed in Turkey for further development. Implementation of a successful energy policy requires political and economical institutions to take responsibility and to adopt adapt to changes easily. Energy policy generally consists of institutional structure, in which decisions related to technology, economy and energy are made, and also consists of supply–demand management in short term and planning in long term. Energy demand is closely related to social and economic structure of a society. In the long term development of energy demand, developmental structure of society (economic growth, life style, socio-economic factors), technological development and energy prices play important roles as determining factors. In this study, evaluation of most suitable fuel which can be used for residential heating was made using ANP with group decision-making.

Evaluation of alternative fuels for residential heating in Turkey using analytic network process (ANP) with group decision-making

The patient care processes in hospitals are supported by a range of operational activities including inventory management and distribution of supplies to point-of-care locations. Hospitals carry large amounts and a great variety of items, and the issues of storing and distributing these items throughout the hospital supply chain are of great importance to providing high-quality patient service. Healthcare logistics encompasses the process of handling physical goods (e.g. pharmaceuticals, surgical medical products, medical equipment, sterile items, linen, food, etc.) and the associated information flows, from the reception of the goods within a hospital to their delivery at patient care locations. The medical supply costs constitute the second largest expenditure in hospitals, after personnel costs. A high-performing supply chain may realize improved outcomes (e.g. safe and quality patient service) and greater efficiency. Logistics managers need to identify opportunities to improve the logistics processes in order to lower costs and to improve patient care quality. However, in order to improve the logistics processes, you must understand how the healthcare supply chain is currently performing. Measuring the performance of the supply chain is fundamental to identify and address deficiencies in the logistics activities, and it serves as a good input for managerial decision-making. The purpose of this article is to present existing research on performance measurement at the internal hospital supply chain (e.g. inventory management, distribution activities), and more specifically in the operating theatre since it is among the most critical resources for a hospital. At the operating theatre, the requested items should be available at the right time at the right place, in the right condition, at the lowest cost possible. Furthermore, we will also discuss literature on multi-criteria decision-making techniques. It enables researchers to build a performance measurement framework and to prioritize between multiple performance indicators since a diverse group of stakeholders with conflicting interests is involved in the internal operating room supply chain.

Measuring the logistics performance of internal hospital supply chains – A literature study

A model for the selection of robots by considering both objective and subjective criteria is proposed.Justification on selection of criteria is carried out using Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM).Weights of the criteria are found using FAHP.Alternatives are ranked by Fuzzy TOPSIS/Fuzzy VIKOR method.Ranking identified using Fuzzy VIKOR is closest to ideal solution. Robots with vastly different capabilities and specifications are available for a wide range of applications. Selection of a robot for a specific application has become more complicated due to increase in the complexity, advanced features and facilities that are continuously being incorporated into the robots by different manufacturers. The aim of this paper is to present an integrated approach for the optimal selection of robots by considering both objective and subjective criteria. The approach utilizes Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM), Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP), Fuzzy modified TOPSIS or Fuzzy VIKOR and Brown-Gibson model for robot selection. FDM is used to select the list of important objective and subjective criteria based on the decision makers' opinion. Fuzzy AHP method is then used to find out the weight of each criterion (both objective and subjective). Fuzzy modified TOPSIS or Fuzzy VIKOR method is then used to rank the alternatives based on objective and subjective factors. The rankings obtained are used to calculate the robot selection index based on Brown-Gibson model. The proposed methodology is illustrated with a case study related to selection of robot for teaching purpose. It is found that the highest ranked alternative based on Fuzzy VIKOR is closest to the ideal solution.

Francesco Selandari

Papers

Multi-objective analysis of hospital delivery systems