Multi-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) or Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods have received much attention from researchers and practitioners in evaluating, assessing and ranking alternatives across diverse industries. Among numerous MCDA/MCDM methods developed to solve real-world decision problems, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) continues to work satisfactorily across different application areas. In this paper, we conduct a state-of-the-art literature survey to taxonomize the research on TOPSIS applications and methodologies. The classification scheme for this review contains 266 scholarly papers from 103 journals since the year 2000, separated into nine application areas: (1) Supply Chain Management and Logistics, (2) Design, Engineering and Manufacturing Systems, (3) Business and Marketing Management, (4) Health, Safety and Environment Management, (5) Human Resources Management, (6) Energy Management, (7) Chemical Engineering, (8) Water Resources Management and (9) Other topics. Scholarly papers in the TOPSIS discipline are further interpreted based on (1) publication year, (2) publication journal, (3) authors' nationality and (4) other methods combined or compared with TOPSIS. We end our review paper with recommendations for future research in TOPSIS decision-making that is both forward-looking and practically oriented. This paper provides useful insights into the TOPSIS method and suggests a framework for future attempts in this area for academic researchers and practitioners.

Review: A state-of the-art survey of TOPSIS applications

Two decades was systematically reviewed on fuzzy MCDM techniques from 1994 to 2014.The database for review was 403 papers from more than 150 high-ranking journals.403 scholarly papers were grouped in four different main fields.Papers were classified based on utilizing, developing and proposing research papers. MCDM is considered as a complex decision-making tool involving both quantitative and qualitative factors. In recent years, several fuzzy FMCDM tools have been suggested to choosing the optimal probably options. The purpose of this paper is to review systematically the applications and methodologies of the fuzzy multi decision-making (FMCDM) techniques. This study reviewed a total of 403 papers published from 1994 to 2014 in more than 150 peer reviewed journals (extracted from online databases such as ScienceDirect, Springer, Emerald, Wiley, ProQuest, and Taylor & Francis). According to experts' opinions, these papers were grouped into four main fields: engineering, management and business, science, and technology. Furthermore, these papers were categorized based on authors, publication date, country of origin, methods, tools, and type of research (FMCDM utilizing research, FMCDM developing research, and FMCDM proposing research). The results of this study indicated that, in 2013, scholars have published papers more than other years. In addition, hybrid fuzzy MCDM in the integrated method and fuzzy AHP in the individual section were ranked as the first and second methods in use. Additionally, Taiwan was ranked as the first country that contributed to this survey, and engineering was ranked as the first field that has applied fuzzy DM tools and techniques.

Fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making techniques and applications - Two decades review from 1994 to 2014

The aim of this study is to identify and prioritize the solutions of Knowledge Management (KM) adoption in Supply Chain (SC) to overcome its barriers. It helps organizations to concentrate on high rank solutions and develop strategies to implement them on priority. This paper proposes a framework based on fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to identify and rank the solutions of KM adoption in SC and overcome its barriers. The AHP is used to determine weights of the barriers as criteria, and fuzzy TOPSIS method is used to obtain final ranking of the solutions of KM adoption in SC. The empirical case study analysis of an Indian hydraulic valve manufacturing organization is conducted to illustrate the use of the proposed framework for ranking the solutions of KM adoption in SC to overcome its barriers. This proposed framework provides a more accurate, effective and systematic decision support tool for stepwise implementation of the solutions of KM adoption in SC to increase its success rate.

A fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS framework for ranking the solutions of Knowledge Management adoption in Supply Chain to overcome its barriers

In infrastructure management, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) has emerged as a decision support tool to integrate various technical information and stakeholder values. Different MCDM techniques and tools have been developed. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the application of MCDM literature in the field of infrastructure management. Approximately 300 published papers were identified that report MCDM applications in the field of infrastructure management during 1980–2012. The reviewed papers are classified into application to the type of infrastructure (e.g. bridges and pipes), and prevalent decision or intervention (e.g. repair and rehabilitate). In addition, the papers were also classified according to MCDM methods used in the analysis. The paper provides taxonomy of those articles and identifies trends and new developments in MCDM methods. The results suggest that there is a significant growth in MCDM applications in infrastructure management applications of MCDM over the last decade...

A review of multi-criteria decision-making methods for infrastructure management

In the present paper, a novel fuzzy Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) model is proposed for modeling and solving truck selection problem of a land transportation company As truck selection is a very crucial problem for the land transportation companies, a systematic and scientific approach is necessary for its solution A systematic methodology is proposed in the present study by integrating ''fuzzy DEMATEL'' and ''fuzzy hierarchical TOPSIS'' The proposed method makes use of fuzzy DEMATEL method for evaluating the weights of the criteria and hierarchical fuzzy TOPSIS method for assessing the alternatives according to criteria The steps of the method are described first then a case study is presented in the paper

Integrating fuzzy DEMATEL and fuzzy hierarchical TOPSIS methods for truck selection

Water resource systems, with an abundance of project purposes and resource values, are subject to conflicting policy, planning, and management decisions. Multi-criteria decision making methods (MCDM) provide a framework to help water managers identify critical issues, attach relative priorities to those issues, select best compromise alternatives, and facilitate communication to gain general acceptance. This paper addresses a method that incorporates several system factors/components within a general framework for providing a holistic analysis of the problems and comprehensive evaluation of the related mitigation/adaptation measures and policy responses. The method accounts for uncertainties in both the quantification and importance of objectives in the ranking process. The proposed fuzzy multi-criteria decision making process uses the well known Technique for Order Preference by Similarity of Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method in both deterministic and uncertain environments. The performance of the proposed approach to a real water resource management problem in Iran is illustrated. Results show that the model may be used in a large-scale multi-level assessment process. Ranks of the alternatives are presented using deterministic and fuzzy based models.

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Fuzzy TOPSIS Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Applied to Karun Reservoirs System

An automatic calibration of water quality model is developed in this research. Automatic calibration as the process to determine the parameters appearing in the equations of a 2-dimensional, hydrodynamic, and water quality models (CE-QUAL-W2) is carried out with Particle Swarm technique as an optimization tool. In the calibration of the CE-QUAl-W2 model, evaporation as a significant parameter influences the thermal profile and water surface elevation in reservoir, simultaneously. Therefore to consider the simultaneous effects of the water temperature variations on water surface elevation in the reservoir, a multi objective technique is used to minimize the weighted sum of total deviations of temperature from field data at check points on monitoring days and those of water surface elevation on daily monitoring period. The proposed approach overcomes the high computational efforts required if a conventional calibration search technique was used, while retaining the quality of the final calibration results. The automatic calibration approach is applied in temperature and water budget calibration of Karkheh reservoir in Iran. Applying the proposed automatic calibration approach, shows the produced results by the CE-QUAL-W2 model with the calibrated coefficients agree closely with a set of field data.

Particle Swarm Optimization for Automatic Calibration of Large Scale Water Quality Model (CE-QUAL-W2): Application to Karkheh Reservoir, Iran

Presence of various types of uncertainties in water quality management problems has been recognized as one of the major challenges in water quality modeling. Vagueness, lack of adequate data and nonlinearity of cost and/or benefit functions in most of water quality and waste load allocation management problems have reduced the capability of direct inclusion of uncertainty analysis in the management models. This study presents a fuzzy waste load allocation model in which cost function and the water quality standards or the goals of dischargers and pollution control agencies are expressed with appropriate linear and/or nonlinear and nondecreasing and/or nonincreasing membership functions. QUAL2E and Classified Population Genetic Algorithm (CPGA) were coupled to develop the optimum strategy resulting in maximum value of the minimum nonzero membership values, which represent the optimum satisfaction level of the conflicting goals. Number of constraint violations was used to penalize the fitness function in order to eliminate the infeasible solutions at the final results. The model was applied to a hypothetical case example. Results show a very suitable convergence of the proposed algorithm to good of possibility to the near global optima. Effects of linear and nonlinear membership functions are examined and the results are analyzed.

Waste load allocation modeling with fuzzy goals; simulation-optimization approach

This article presents the eutrophication modeling and management in a very long, as well as large volume, reservoir with highly fluctuating water level. The CE-QUAL-W2 model was calibrated...

Reservoir Eutrophication Modeling, Sensitivity Analysis, and Assessment: Application to Karkheh Reservoir, Iran

In this study, a Pollution Spill Response Management Model (PSRMM) is developed to provide an emergency response on reservoir operation during accidental injection of hazardous material to reservoirs. PSRMM consist of spatial system analyzing (SSA) model, 2D hydrodynamic and water quality simulation model (CE-QUAL-W2), and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm. CE-QUAL-W2 model is applied for spatial and temporal analysis of water body in simulation routine of PSRMM. Also, in an advanced modeling framework, CE-QUAL-W2 is coupled with MOPSO algorithm to obtain desirable near optimal reservoir operation strategy and/or emergency planning in selective withdrawal framework. The simulation-optimization (SO) routine of PSRMM provides pareto optimum reservoir operation strategy in selective scheme to minimize reservoir cleanup time and to reduce the magnitude and frequency of water quality standard violations. The proposed tool is applied in Ilam reservoir in Iran, as a multipurpose hydraulic project providing water for drinking, irrigation, and flood control during an accident spill of conservative hazardous material. Different scenarios are defined and tested employing the proposed PSRMM for managing accidental spill of conservative pollutant into the reservoir.

Motahareh Saadatpour

Papers

Fuzzy TOPSIS Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Applied to Karun Reservoirs System

Particle Swarm Optimization for Automatic Calibration of Large Scale Water Quality Model (CE-QUAL-W2): Application to Karkheh Reservoir, Iran

Waste load allocation modeling with fuzzy goals; simulation-optimization approach

Reservoir Eutrophication Modeling, Sensitivity Analysis, and Assessment: Application to Karkheh Reservoir, Iran

Multi Objective Simulation-Optimization Approach in Pollution Spill Response Management Model in Reservoirs