Comparative analysis of fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods for quality of service-based web service selection

Abstract

This research aims to compare and analyze the effectiveness of four popular fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods (FMCDMMs) for quality of service (QoS)-based web service selection. These methods are fuzzy DEMATEL (FD), fuzzy TOPSIS (FT), fuzzy VIKOR (FV), and fuzzy PROMETHEE (FP), including three ranking versions of FV. We assess the ranking similarities among these methods using Spearman's relationship figure. We describe the algorithms of these six FMCDMs in the methods section. In a case study, we collected primary data from five experts who rated nine QoS factors of nine web services. We used modified online software for analysis. The results showed that S6 ranked first in all FMCDMs, except for FD and FP, where it was ranked 2nd and 8th, respectively. The highest association coefficient (Rs) was found between FT and FV ranking in S techniques (0.983), FV ranking in S and FV ranking in Q (0.883), and FT and FV ranking Q (0.833) when comparing the similarity measure of the FMCDMMs. This analysis helps decision-makers and researchers choose the most suitable methods for integrated FMCDMs studies and real-world problem-solving.