A new multi objective linear programming model for lean and green supplier selection with fuzzy TOPSIS

Abstract

Supplier selection is a critical task for the success of an organization. The goal in supplier selection is to select the “right” suppliers based on some criteria such as cost, quality and environmental performance. Lean thinking has been increasingly adopted among the suppliers to stay ahead of the competition by achieving faster delivery, higher quality and lower cost. On the other hand, governmental legislations put pressure on the companies to lower their environmental impact. Therefore, environmental impact of a supplier is as important as other criteria; i.e. cost, quality and faster delivery when evaluating the suppliers. Therefore, companies also adopt environmental management practices in supply chain management (referred to as green supply chain) to lower their environmental impact. In this context, lean and green supplier selection has attracted ever-growing attention recently, which is a multi-criteria decision-making problem that requires consideration of many qualitative and quantitative factors. Hence, this study presents an integrated approach for the selection of the appropriate suppliers in a supply chain, aiming to maximize lean and green value in a supply chain network, using fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS and fuzzy multi-objective linear programming. The applicability of the developed approach is demonstrated using a case study in Turkey. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.