Selecting container port via a fuzzy ANP-based approach: A case study in the Marmara Region, Turkey

In this case study, a real world problem of a production firm in the Marmara Region, Turkey was considered. In the current situation, the firm works with different third-party logistics firms and uses different ports each time. However, they have some quality problems and decided to work with a logistics firm by using the most convenient port alternative. A number of conflicting qualitative and quantitative criteria exist for evaluating alternative ports. Qualitative criteria are often accompanied by ambiguities and vagueness. To cope with this problem, the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) method is used in this study. First, we defined the region specific criteria consisting of the twenty sub-criteria under the six main criteria clusters that influence the selection of container port. Then seven alternative container ports located in the Marmara Sea were determined. The results showed that the most convenient district for the container port is Istanbul District, which is one of the biggest economical centers in Eastern Europe.

Research highlights
► FANP is a very useful approach to solve the port selection problem.
► FANP is applied to the choice between seven container ports in the Sea of Marmara (Turkey).
► The most convenient district for the container port is Istanbul District.
► This study can be considered as a part of an inter-modal transportation.