{"title":"Continuous manufacturing technologies in upstream pharmaceutical supply chains: Combining engineering and managerial criteria","authors":"Parminder Kaur Aulakh, Ettore Settanni, Jagjit Singh Srai","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1775","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1775","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in upstream pharmaceutical supply chains (PSC). One is that the global supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is overly dependent on few locations and large-scale batch manufacturing. Regulators hope to enable more dependable location decisions and improved processing quality with the adoption of advanced technologies such as process intensification through continuous manufacturing (CM). Conceptual work suggests that the benefits of shifting from batch to CM accrue end-to-end across the PSC. Yet detailed quantitative information about CM is limited at an early stage of evaluation, and too specialised to inform managerial decisions about PSC reconfiguration. Supply chain and engineering criteria are rarely combined in the early-stage evaluation of alternative CM technologies. Extant CM research typically overlooks implications for supply chain managers. To address the current gap, this article evaluates, at an early stage of adoption, alternative CM reactor technologies for the synthesis of APIs in selected therapeutic areas. With evidence from secondary data, relevant technologies and criteria are identified, and their relative importance is evaluated in a semi-quantitative fashion following analytical hierarchy process (AHP) principles, ensuring that findings are intelligible to both engineers and managers. The proposed empirical work enriches previous conceptual frameworks predicated on volume-variety considerations. Specifically, findings suggest that, all things considered, microreactor technologies outperform alternatives. However, PSC managerial considerations introduce nuances in specific therapeutic areas, for example, antivirals where a tension between complex chemistry and the need for flexibility in unit operations may favour batch manufacturing. For analgesics the need to exploit the existing manufacturing base whilst addressing inventory reduction favours technologies that incorporate elements of batch and CM. The proposed analysis is in line with real-world decisions that global medicines manufacturers are increasingly facing, as governments seek to develop local health countermeasures to the COVID-19 pandemic in the absence of detailed information.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"298-312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/mcda.1775","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"51262468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Risk prioritisation using fuzzy analytic network process: A case of Addis–Djibouti railway construction project","authors":"Tesfaye Gashaw, Kassu Jilcha","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1776","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1776","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The purpose of this paper is to develop a risk assessment model to prioritise the risks of railway construction projects. A fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) is employed to rank project risks based on the likelihood of project risks and their impact on cost and time. Fuzzy set theory is used to represent the vagueness in each expert's judgment, while ANP is used to deal with interdependence and feedback effects of risks. The data for this study was collected through literature reviews, interviews, and questionnaires. According to the study results, the right-of-way corresponds to the top risk that has highest impact on time and cost. Construction errors and incomplete contract details were found to rank second and third in terms of risk severity. Similarly, design changes and lack of coordination among parties are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. The study results help practitioners and decision-makers understand the main risks of the Ethiopian railway construction projects and take proactive actions accordingly. Furthermore, this paper can help researchers' model project risks and analyse their impact on project objectives considering uncertainty, interdependence, and feedback.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"313-324"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46266475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ulla Ahonen-Jonnarth, Hanna Andersson, Fredrik Bökman
{"title":"How do people aggregate value? An experiment with relative importance of criteria and relative goodness of alternatives as inputs","authors":"Ulla Ahonen-Jonnarth, Hanna Andersson, Fredrik Bökman","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1773","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1773","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The concept of importance of criteria is used as a central element in several decision making contexts, specifically in value aggregation, e.g. as an input to decision support tools. For example, in the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) decision makers are asked to estimate how much more important one criterion is than another. However, it is not clear how people understand aggregation models based on importance of criteria in decision making situations. The purpose of this descriptive study is to investigate if people find an aggregation model in simple value aggregation tasks which remind of the way AHP elicits the input. Further, the purpose is to investigate if people's tendency to find a model depends on their cognitive abilities. In an exploratory laboratory experiment, participants assessed which of two alternatives is the best, based on information about the importance of two criteria and how good the two alternatives are compared to each other with respect to these criteria. The results confirm that people are willing to use importance of criteria and goodness of alternatives as input in value aggregations and show three main models for aggregation. More participants with higher numeracy applied a clear model compared to those with lower numeracy. None of the identified models was one of AHP's models but one of them reminded of one of the ways input can be aggregated in the AHP. The three models identified in the experiment are based on lexicographic order, multiplication and a combination of multiplication and addition. How the results could be used in a prescriptive context is discussed in the paper.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"259-273"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/mcda.1773","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43797325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kalyana C. Chejarla, Omkarprasad S. Vaidya, Sushil Kumar
{"title":"MCDM applications in logistics performance evaluation: A literature review","authors":"Kalyana C. Chejarla, Omkarprasad S. Vaidya, Sushil Kumar","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1774","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1774","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper presents a literature review of performance evaluation of logistics, and the use of multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDM) in this area. For this purpose, we covered more than 120 research articles published from 2010 to 2019. The study identifies popular research methodologies, commonly used MCDM methods and 13 research themes that are likely to continue into the coming decade. The study highlights future research opportunities in each of the identified trends. The review comprehensively covers the descriptive and analytical papers providing a 360-degree view of the developments in the area.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"274-297"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45666097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The multiple-criteria decision analysis of the financial and business models for the construction of new nuclear unit in the Czech Republic","authors":"Tereza Stašáková, Tomáš Vlček","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1770","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1770","url":null,"abstract":"<p>When discussing their future energy mix, many countries are reconsidering the position of the nuclear energy. One of the main arguments against new nuclear plants is the extremely high investment cost. Nevertheless, some countries still perceive nuclear energy as a strategic sector and are willing to invest in it, using different financial strategies. The Czech Republic has initiated the decision-making process for building and financing a new nuclear unit. This article introduces readers to the general issues of nuclear financing in a liberalised European market and, using multiple-criteria decision analysis, identifies the most suitable model for financing the construction of the new unit in the Czech Republic. The three models under consideration are introduced using the examples of three European nuclear power plant projects: Hinkley Point C, Hanhikivi and Paks II. The article compares the three new nuclear power plant projects, each representing a various financial model, with the 2015 National Action Plan for the Development of the Nuclear Energy Sector in the Czech Republic and evaluates them to choose the best model for the new nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic. Thus, it provides a comprehensive overview of the link between theoretical models, their application, and the transferability of the models.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"230-243"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44367852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dini Maghfirra, Jared L. Cohon, Paulina Jaramillo, M. Granger Morgan
{"title":"Optimizing an equitable micro-hydropower deployment: Application of a multi-objective method for rural Indonesia","authors":"Dini Maghfirra, Jared L. Cohon, Paulina Jaramillo, M. Granger Morgan","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1769","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1769","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Much of the developing world is still struggling to provide electricity to rural populations. Extending the grid is frequently not feasible or too expensive in rural and remote areas. In such situations, micro-hydropower (MHP) can be a cost-effective source of renewable off-grid electricity and can be easier to implement and more reliable than a number of other generation technologies. This study employs multi-objective mixed-integer-linear programming (MOMILP) to identify nondominated MHP portfolios to meet rural electricity needs across Indonesia. Besides maximizing the new MHP generation capacity within a fixed budget, this study also incorporates equity as an objective. The equity issue becomes crucial to ensure that government resources are deployed in a manner that considers impacts for the entire population. The MOMILP optimizes a weighted objective function that applies different relative weights to the objectives of generation capacity and equity, subject to several constraints on resource availability and capacity shortfall, as well as budget. In this way, we identify solutions on the Pareto frontier for investment in MHP generation in remote Indonesian rural communities. We illustrate the tradeoffs involved in meeting capacity shortfalls with and without considering equity across provinces and identify non-dominated MHP portfolios that the Indonesian government could implement to increase rural electrification efficiently.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"218-229"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49210571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cristina Collicott, Esther Bonacker, Ina Lammel, Katrin Teichert, Michal Walzcak, Philipp Süss
{"title":"Interactive navigation of multiple convex patches","authors":"Cristina Collicott, Esther Bonacker, Ina Lammel, Katrin Teichert, Michal Walzcak, Philipp Süss","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1768","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1768","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Among the approaches to multi-criteria decision making, Pareto navigation is a powerful, interactive tool that has been successfully applied to a variety of real-world problems with continuous decision variables, including chemical process design, drug manufacturing, logistical vehicle routing problems, and radiotherapy treatment planning. However, many real-life problems are formulated using both continuous and binary decision variables. In this work, we introduce <i>patch navigation</i> as an algorithmic concept that extends Pareto navigation to this type of problem where the number of binary variables is relatively small. The underlying idea is the navigation across a finite set of individual, convex fronts each associated with a specific configuration of the binary variables (<i>patches</i>). We show how the user interactions employed in current Pareto front navigation, namely selection and restriction, can be adopted to handle multiple patches. These routines enable the decision maker (DM) to change the solution in small increments while controlling the related trade-offs. We also describe additional, patch-specific routines that enable the DM to consider only an individually chosen subset of patches in the navigation. To illustrate patch navigation, and to demonstrate its usefulness for real-life problems, we present numerical examples of patch navigation along with an application motivated by radiotherapy planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"28 5-6","pages":"311-321"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1002/mcda.1768","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48731075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Satender Pal Singh, Tithishri Kundu, Arnab Adhikari, Sumanta Basu
{"title":"A joint weighting and modified weighted aggregated sum product assessment-based methodology for the measurement of patient satisfaction: Evidence from Indian healthcare","authors":"Satender Pal Singh, Tithishri Kundu, Arnab Adhikari, Sumanta Basu","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1767","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1767","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In recent times, the increasing healthcare spending due to the rising health awareness signifies the importance of identifying the appropriate factors that influence patient satisfaction, weight assignment to these factors, and measurement of patient satisfaction becomes important. However, devising a robust objective weighting method for weight assignment of the factors and an analytical method for determining patient satisfaction scores has not been paid enough attention. Motivated by these issues, this work focuses on devising a robust objective weighting method for weight assignment of the factors that influence patient satisfaction, an analytical method for determining patient satisfaction, and real-life implementation. We first propose a joint weighting methodology to allocate the weights to the factors by integrating the weights determined by different objective weighting methods, namely, mean weight, SD, entropy, criteria importance through intercriteria correlation, and preference selection index-based approaches. Next, using the weights of these factors, we design a modified weighted aggregated sum product assessment method to determine a single patient satisfaction score by integrating the scores obtained from the weighted sum model and the weighted product model. The proposed methodology is applied to a real-world dataset provided by a large healthcare provider and diagnostic clinic in Kolkata, India, to exhibit the real-life implementation. The theoretical insights obtained through non-parametric tests highlight the significant difference between joint weighting-based and single weighting-based methods. The context-specific insights signify that the patients suffering from arthritis and hyperlipidaemia exhibit lower satisfaction. Also, the patients suffering from dengue express lower satisfaction than the patients suffering from malaria. Additionally, the healthcare provider should focus on improving the service quality of the departments such as ophthalmology, ENT, and dietician.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 1-2","pages":"5-22"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1002/mcda.1767","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43298569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eduardo Bizzo, Rodrigo Furst, Jorge Junio Moreira Antunes, Peter Wanke, Franklin G. Mixon Jr.
{"title":"State-level educational performance in Brazil: A MCDM approach taking a governance perspective","authors":"Eduardo Bizzo, Rodrigo Furst, Jorge Junio Moreira Antunes, Peter Wanke, Franklin G. Mixon Jr.","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1765","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1765","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study presents an educational performance assessment of Brazilian state-level units using the technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS). Although this technique is a well-established multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) model that can be applied across diverse areas, it has yet to be applied to an analysis of primary and secondary education. We assess how state-level units in Brazil perform in terms of primary and secondary educational inputs and outputs during the period from 2013 to 2017. We handle epistemic uncertainty with regard to weight definition using maximal information entropy. Additionally, a Tobit regression approach on performance scores is developed. Results show that region of the country plays an important role in determining educational performance. Moreover, results indicate that gross domestic product (GDP) is positively related to education scores while infant mortality is negatively associated with educational performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 3-4","pages":"199-217"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1002/mcda.1765","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49313675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Organizational hindrances to Healthcare 4.0 adoption: An multi-criteria decision analysis framework","authors":"Bhaskar B. Gardas","doi":"10.1002/mcda.1766","DOIUrl":"10.1002/mcda.1766","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Due to the latest developments in the healthcare sector, the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare services are being improved. This investigation aims to shortlist the organizational hindrances that influence the adoption of Healthcare 4.0 technologies and model the mutual relationship between them using the DEMATEL methodology. In addition, this study offers a cause-effect relationship between the barriers and helps to identify the most important challenges to the adoption of Healthcare 4.0 technologies. By reviewing the literature and consulting experts in the case domain, 10 hindrances were identified. The findings of the study highlighted three causal factors namely ‘Lack of vision and commitment from the top management’, ‘Hierarchical structure’, and ‘Lack of skilled workforce’ as critical ones that have the significant causality intensity; whereas, ‘Lack of R&D facilities’ was found be the least significant barrier which belongs to the effect category. It may be noted that the causal factors need to be addressed by the top management of the healthcare organizations for the successful adoption of Health 4.0. Further, the elimination of the causal factors identified by this study would help in reducing the cost of the treatment and enhance the patients' experience. In addition, this research aims to guide managers/decision-makers of healthcare organizations to deduce policies for the adoption of the latest technologies in the case sector.</p>","PeriodicalId":45876,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis","volume":"29 1-2","pages":"186-195"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1002/mcda.1766","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48448323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}