Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

MACBETHSort: a multiple criteria decision aid procedure for sorting strategic products

  • Published:
Journal of the Operational Research Society

Abstract

Efficient companies need to know which their strategic products are. For this purpose, the ABC classification based on the item’s value was developed and was used for a long time. Later, it was recognised that several other criteria need to be considered and multi-criteria ranking methods were applied. However, the classes have always been defined based only on a relative proportion. Therefore, the number of products in a class is independent of the actual importance of the products. In this paper, a new sorting procedure MACBETHSort is introduced, which is an evolution of the choice, ranking and rating technique MACBETH. The procedure has been validated in a real case study for assigning access and entrance solutions in ABC classes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Almeida-Dias J, Figueira J, and Roy B (2012). A multiple criteria sorting method where each category is characterized by several reference actions: The Electre Tri-nC method. European Journal of Operational Research 217(3): 567–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Araz C, and Ozkarahan I (2007). Supplier evaluation and management system for strategic sourcing based on a new multicriteria sorting procedure. International Journal of Production Economics 106(2): 585–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C (1996). Les problématiques de l’aide à la décision: Vers l’enrichissement de la trilogie choix–tri–rangement. RAIRO - Operations Research 30(2): 191–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C, Carnero M, and Oliveira M (2012). A multi-criteria model for auditing a Predictive Maintenance Programme. European Journal of Operational Research 217(2): 381–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C, and Chagas M (2004). A career choice problem: An example of how to use MACBETH to build a quantitative value model based on qualitative value judgments. European Journal of Operational Research 153(2): 323–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C, Corrêa É, De Corte J-M, and Vansnick J-C (2002). Facilitating bid evaluation in public call for tenders: a socio-technical approach. Omega 30(3): 227–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana E Costa C, De Corte J-M, and Vansnick J-C (2012). MACBETH. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making 11(2): 359–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C, and Oliveira C (2002). Assigning priorities for maintenance, repair and refurbishment in managing a municipal housing stock. European Journal of Operational Research 138(2): 380–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C, Oliveira C, and Vieira V (2008). Prioritization of bridges and tunnels in earthquake risk mitigation using multicriteria decision analysis: Application to Lisbon. Omega 36(3): 442–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa C, and Oliveira M (2012). A multicriteria decision analysis model for faculty evaluation. Omega 40(4): 424–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belacel N (2000). Multicriteria assignment method PROAFTN: Methodology and medical application. European Journal of Operational Research 125(1): 175–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berrah L, Mauris G, and Montmain J (2008). Monitoring the improvement of an overall industrial performance based on a Choquet integral aggregation. Omega 36(3): 340–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cakir O, and Canbolat M (2008). A web-based decision support system for multi-criteria inventory classification using fuzzy AHP methodology. Expert Systems with Applications 35(3): 1367–1378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J-X (2011). Peer-estimation for multiple criteria ABC inventory classification. Computers & Operations Research 38(12): 1784–1791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhouib D (2014). An extension of MACBETH method for a fuzzy environment to analyze alternatives in reverse logistics for automobile tire wastes. Omega 42(1): 25–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickie H (1951). ABC Inventory Analysis Shoots for Dollars, not Pennies. Factory Management and Maintenance 109(6): 92–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fasolo B, and Bana e Costa C (2014). Tailoring value elicitation to decision makers’ numeracy and fluency: Expressing value judgments in numbers or words. Omega 44: 83–90.

  • Fernandez E, and Navarro J (2011). A new approach to multi-criteria sorting based on fuzzy outranking relations: The THESEUS method. European Journal of Operational Research 213(2): 405–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez E, Navarro J, and Duarte A (2008). Multicriteria sorting using a valued preference closeness relation. European Journal of Operational Research 185(2): 673–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flores B, and Whybark C (1986). Multiple criteria ABC analysis. International Journal of Operations & Production Management 6(3): 38–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flores B, and Whybark C (1987). Implementing multiple criteria ABC analysis. Journal of Operations Management 7(1–2): 79–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greco S, Matarazzo B, and Slowinski R (2002). Rough sets methodology for sorting problems in presence of multiple attributes and criteria. European Journal of Operational Research 138(2): 247–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadi-Vencheh A (2010). An improvement to multiple criteria ABC inventory classification. European Journal of Operational Research 201(3): 962–965.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadi-Vencheh A, and Mohamadghasemi A (2011). A fuzzy AHP-DEA approach for multiple criteria ABC inventory classification. Expert Systems with Applications 38(4): 3346–3352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishizaka A, and Nemery P (2014). Assigning machines to incomparable maintenance strategies with ELECTRE-SORT. Omega 47: 45–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ishizaka A, Nemery P, and Pearman C (2012). AHPSort: an AHP based method for sorting problems. International Journal of Production Research 50(17): 4767–4784.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keeney R (1992). Value-Focused thinking: A Path to Creative Decision Making. Cambridge: Harward University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Léger J, and Martel J-M (2002). A multicriteria assignment procedure for a nominal sorting problematic. European Journal of Operational Research 138(2): 349–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lolli F, Ishizaka A, and Gamberini R (2014). New AHP-based approaches for multi-criteria inventory classification. International Journal of Production Economics 156: 62–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lolli F, Ishizaka A, Gamberini R, Rimini B, and Messori M (2015). FlowSort-GDSS – A novel group multi-criteria decision support system for sorting problems with application to FMEA. Expert Systems with Applications 42(17–18): 6342–6349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nemery P, and Lamboray C (2008). FlowSort: a flow-based sorting method with limiting or central profiles. TOP 16(1): 90–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ng W (2007). A simple classifier for multiple criteria ABC analysis. European Journal of Operational Research 177(1): 344–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partovi F, and Burton J (1993). Using the analytic hierarchy process for ABC analysis. International Journal of Operations & Production Management 13(9): 29–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partovi F, and Hopton W (1994). The analytic hierarchy as applied to two types of inventory problems. Production and Inventory Management Journal 35(1): 13–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perny P (1998). Multicriteria filtering methods based on concordance and non-discordance principles. Annals of Operations Research 80: 137–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan R (2006). ABC inventory classification with multiple-criteria using weighted linear optimization. Computers & Operations Research 33(3): 695–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roubens M, Rusinowska A, and de Swart H (2006). Using MACBETH to determine utilities of governments to parties in coalition formation. European Journal of Operational Research 172(2): 588–603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy B (1981). The optimisation problem formulation: criticism and overstepping. Journal of the Operational Research Society 32(6): 427–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu W (1992). ELECTRE TRI: Aspects methodologiques et manual d’utilisation Vol. 65, pp. 80. Universite Paris-Daupline.

  • Zhou P, and Fan L (2007). A note on multi-criteria ABC inventory classification using weighted linear optimization. European Journal of Operational Research 182(3): 1488–1491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I wish also to thank Ian Stevens and Salvatore Greco for their proofreading and comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, Richmond Building, PO1 3ED, Portsmouth, UK

    Alessio Ishizaka & Maynard Gordon

Authors
  1. Alessio Ishizaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maynard Gordon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessio Ishizaka.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ishizaka, A., Gordon, M. MACBETHSort: a multiple criteria decision aid procedure for sorting strategic products. J Oper Res Soc 68, 53–61 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41274-016-0002-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41274-016-0002-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation