Application of fuzzy MCDM in supplier selection of fertiliser manufacturing industry

Supplier selection is an important strategic consideration for the manufacturing industries. Right selection is a process of identifying the right suppliers, who are able to provide the buyer right products/raw materials/services, at the right price, right time, right place and right quantity. The selection decision is based on multiple criteria and this decision often is unstructured and complex. Multi criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem involves different conflicting criteria on which decision maker's knowledge is sometimes vague and imprecise. This decision is required to be taken in a fuzzy environment. In this paper, an attempt has been made to formulate and apply a fuzzy MCDM method to a supplier selection problem from the Indian fertiliser industry.