Integration of SWOT analysis with hybrid modified TOPSIS for the lean strategy evaluation

This article deals with the lean strategy evaluation process using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis aimed at identifying lean strategies and providing an initial decision framework. It involves specifying the objective of the industry and identification of internal and external factors and its sub-factors and lean strategies, which are either favourable or unfavourable in the accomplishment of the stated objective. However, the SWOT analysis method does not provide an analytical method to evaluate the priorities of identified decisive strategic factors. To overcome this limitation, this article presents a case study in an Indian foundry industry using two multiple criteria decision-making methods, that is, analytic network process and modified TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution), to provide a computable basis in determining the rank of lean strategies. In this approach, the analytic network process is used to calculate the priorities of identified SWOT factors and sub-factors and the modified TOPSIS is applied to rank the lean strategies. A sensitivity analysis is also provided to illustrate how ‘sensitive’ the proposed model is to changes in the priorities of SWOT factors. The results show that the quantitative SWOT analysis–based approach is a feasible and exceedingly capable method that provides vital sensitivity in evaluating the priorities of lean strategies for an Indian foundry industry and can also be employed as an effective method for many other complex decision-making processes.