Formulating partner selection criteria for agile supply chains: A Dempster-Shafer belief acceptability optimisation approach

Today's more dynamic business environment increases the need for greater agility in supply chains, which increases both the importance and frequency of partner selection decision-making. Previous research has suggested that the application of the Dempster-Shafer and optimisation theories offers a way of solving this problem under conditions of resource constraints. This paper advances this approach by offering a simplified yet thorough, rigorous yet still practical method for formulating criteria to use in partner selection decision-making in agile supply chains. An empirical illustrative example is used to demonstrate the approach, obtain insights into its application and identify issues for future research.