Srimannarayana Grandhi

Implementation Strategies for ERP Adoption by SMEs

ERP systems are considered to be mission-critical information systems in the current business environment. The adoption of ERP should not be hindered solely by the size of an organisation. The key aims of this paper are to elucidate the various strategies Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) vendors have developed to encourage Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) to adopt their products. These strategies focus around solutions such as pre-configured solutions, implementation methodologies and hosting options. In order to meet this aim, this paper utilises two case studies as examples which demonstrate the experiences of companies who have utilised these strategic options. Based on the extant literature, the barriers to implementation of ERP systems in SMEs have also been discussed. Discussion about the implementation barriers is included to explain how organisations can prepare and plan for effective ERP system implementation.

Performance evaluation of cloud computing providers using fuzzy multiattribute group decision making model

Cloud computing is a prospering model which provides superior information technology services through the introduction of flexible and on-demand services, but the adoption rates are low because of the poor level of performance provided by the cloud computing service providers. This paper formulates the performance evaluation of cloud computing providers as a multiattribute group decision making problem and presents a fuzzy multiattribute group decision making model for effectively handling the performance evaluation problem of cloud computing providers. The vagueness of the decision making process is dealt effectively with the use of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. A fuzzy multiattribute group decision making algorithm is developed for generating a closeness coefficient for every cloud computing provider alternative across all attributes. An example is presented that shows the fuzzy multiattribute group decision making model is simple to use and effective for dealing with the performance evaluation problem.

Benchmarking knowledge management practices in small and medium enterprises: A fuzzy multicriteria group decision-making approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to formulate the process of measuring and benchmarking the performance of knowledge management (KM) practices as a multicriteria group decision-making problem and present a new multicriteria group decision-making approach for effectively evaluating the performance of KM practices to meet the interests of various stakeholders in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach A new multicriteria group decision-making approach is developed for evaluating the performance of KM practices of individual SMEs. Intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are used for representing the subjective assessments of decision makers in evaluating the relative importance of the evaluation criteria and the performance of individual KM practices with respect to specific evaluation criteria. A fuzzy multicriteria group decision-making algorithm is developed for measuring and benchmarking the performance of alternative KM practices. Findings The proposed multicriteria group decision-making approach is capable of effectively evaluating the performance of KM practices through adequately considering the presence of multiple decision makers, the multi-dimensional nature of the evaluation problem, and appropriately modeling the subjectiveness and imprecision of the evaluation process. The presentation of an example shows that the proposed fuzzy multicriteria group decision-making algorithm is simple to use and efficient in computation. Research limitations/implications The outcome of the multicriteria group decision-making approach is highly dependent on the inputs provided by the decision maker. Practical implications The novelty from this research lies in the utilization of a multicriteria group decision-making approach for evaluating the performance of KM practices in an organization. The outcome from the performance evaluation process allows the enterprise to adopt appropriate KM practices for achieving competitive advantages. Social implications The proposed multicriteria group decision-making approach has a significant social implication as it can be used as a decision-making tool for providing various decision makers in SMEs with useful and strategic information concerning the performance of KM practices in a given situation. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the development of the multicriteria group decision-making approach for effectively measuring and benchmarking the performance of KM practices of individual SMEs.

Evaluating the Performance of Recoverable End-of-life Products in the Reverse Supply Chain

Evaluating the performance of recoverable end-of-life products with respect to a set of specific criteria is challenging. This is due to multi-dimensional nature of the decision making process, multiple evaluation criteria, and subjective and imprecise assessments. To effectively deal with this issue, this paper presents a multicriteria decision making method for evaluating the performance of recoverable end-of-life products in the reverse supply chain. The multi-dimensional nature of the performance evaluation process is handled in the context of multicriteria analysis. Linguistic terms approximated by triangular fuzzy numbers are used to tackle the subjectiveness and imprecision of the performance evaluation process. A new algorithm is developed for producing an overall performance index for every recoverable end-of-life product alternative across all performance evaluation criteria. A recoverable end-of-life products’ performance evaluation problem is presented for demonstrating the applicability of the method.

A multicriteria group decision making procedure for selecting cloud based ERP system providers

This paper formulates the selection of Cloud based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system providers as a multicriteria group decision making problem, and presents a fuzzy multicriteria group decision making procedure for effectively solving the group decision making problem. The subjectiveness and imprecision of the decision making process is dealt effectively with the use of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. A fuzzy multicriteria group decision making algorithm is developed for generating a closeness coefficient for every Cloud based ERP system provider across all criteria. An example is presented that shows the fuzzy multicriteria group decision making procedure is effective for solving the Cloud based ERP system provider selection problem in real world settings.

Evaluating the sustainability performance of thermal power enterprises

This paper presents an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy multicriteria group decision making approach for effectively evaluating the sustainability performance of thermal power enterprises in a fuzzy environment. Interval-valued intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy sets are used to deal with the conditions where the decision makers hesitate among several values to assess the alternatives. An interval-valued intuitionistic hesitant fuzzy Choquet integral operator is applied for calculating a closeness coefficient value for every thermal power enterprise alternative across all performance evaluation criteria. As a result, effective decisions can be made. An example is presented that shows the proposed approach is effective for dealing with the thermal power enterprises sustainability performance evaluation problem in a real world setting.

A fuzzy multicriteria decision making model for restaurant menu ranking

Non Communicable Diseases (NCD), mainly caused by imbalanced diet, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are increasing. At the same time, Food Away From Home (FAFH) consumption is on the rise. Menu items include categories and sub-categories, and each menu item has five or more critical nutrients to be evaluated such as calorie, cholesterol, saturated fat, sodium, fiber and others. Comparing and choosing healthier menu choices becomes a difficult and time consuming task. Different consumers have varying preferences depending on their health conditions and other preferences. To assist consumers in this task, this paper presents a fuzzy multicriteria decision making model for ranking menu items based on the customers chosen prioritized criteria. An effective algorithm is developed to rank menu items. An example is presented for demonstrating the applicability of the model in ranking actual menu items listed with necessary nutritional information.

The selection of renewable energy alternative using the fuzzy multiattribute decision making method

This paper formulates the selection of renewable energy alternatives as a multiattribute decision making problem and formulates a fuzzy multiattribute decision making method for selecting the most suitable renewable energy alternative for meeting the interests of the stakeholders. The vagueness and imprecision of the decision making process is adequately handled by using intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. An effective multiattribute decision making algorithm is developed for the selection process. This paper presents a problem associated with identifying best renewable energy choice and substantiates that the chosen method is most appropriate.

Application of the fuzzy approach for the selection of wastewater treatment technologies

Wastewater poses major environmental and health issues to countries around the world. Therefore, ensuring proper wastewater treatment is essential for the protection of human health and environmental sustainability. To achieve the most effective wastewater treatment, there is a need to consider the appropriate technology for development and implementation. The process of evaluating and selecting the most suitable wastewater treatment technology is however challenging due to the presence of numerous decision makers, the multi-dimensional nature of the evaluation process, and the existence of subjectiveness and imprecision in the decision making process. This paper presents a fuzzy approach for evaluating and selecting the most suitable wastewater treatment technology in a given situation. Interval-valued based intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are used to model the subjectiveness and imprecision of the decision making process. An effective algorithm is developed for the evaluation and selection process. An example is presented for demonstrating the applicability of the approach.

A performance-based approach for assessing the quality of group buying websites

This research work demonstrates a performance-based approach to evaluate the quality performance of group buying websites under uncertainty. Linguistic variables are assigned with values using triangular fuzzy numbers approach for effectively modeling the vagueness and imprecision of the decision making process. An effective algorithm grounded on the deviation degree and absolute area of a fuzzy number is developed for generating a general performance index for each alternative. This would help companies understand the performance quality level of their group buying websites. A group buying website quality performance evaluation example demonstrates how performance based approach can be used to assess the quality.