Multi-objective team formation optimization for new product development

The formation of effective new product development (NPD) teams has played a crucial role in successful NPD projects. We propose a multi-objective team formation optimization model for NPD projects that considers the comprehensive capabilities and interpersonal relationships of all members. To address the member capabilities, an improved fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process based on fuzzy linguistic preference relations is applied to ensure the precision and consistency of the evaluation and overcome the drawbacks of the use of crisp values. Moreover, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is employed to model interpersonal relationships based on the personality groupings in the MBTI and to facilitate a numerical description of these relationships in the proposed model. Finally, a real world example is provided to illustrate application of the model, and the Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm is implemented to search for Pareto solutions that represent the alternatives for optimal team composition. The results suggest that the proposed optimization model is both effective and practical.

► NPD team formation regards members’ capabilities and interpersonal relationships.
► An improved AHP method is applied to calculate the candidates’ fuzzy weights.
► The MBTI is employed to model the members’ interpersonal relationships.
► A case of NPD team formation is given to illustrate the application of the model.
► A discrete binary version of the MOPSO is applied to solve the model.