A resilience approach for supplier selection: Using Fuzzy Analytic Network Process and grey VIKOR techniques

The aim of supplier selection is to select appropriate suppliers corresponding with resilient capabilities of the company's supply chain. Since suppliers are essential sources of vulnerability, better supplier selection results in building resilience thereby reducing the risks in supply chain in general. Therefore, in this study, with the aim of supplier selection by resilience approach and with an extensive review of the literature, an initial conceptual model is proposed. Then, the model was localized using the opinions of experts in a large industrial unit in Wood and Paper Industry. Subsequently, the importance level of the elements effective in resilient supplier selection using Fuzzy Analytic Network Process was determined. Using these elements, the resiliency level of the suppliers of the company was specified through the grey VIKOR method. Based on the obtained results, variation in price, vulnerability, supplier's capacity limit, supplier's capability limit, visibility, supplier's raw material acquisition difficulties and on time delivery were respectively the most important sub-criteria in resilient supplier selection in this unit. Finally, the most resilient suppliers of the industrial unit of the study were identified.