Fuzzy multi-criteria selection of object-oriented simulation software for production system analysis

Discrete event computer simulation is one of the most widely used modeling tools for production systems. Object-oriented programming is revolutionizing computer simulation software packages. A fuzzy set approach for multi-criteria selection of object-oriented simulation software for analysis of production system is developed in this paper. The approach uses fuzzy set theory and algebraic operations of fuzzy numbers to characterize simulation software so that the strength and weakness of each alternative can be compared. The linguistic input from experts and decision makers are fuzzified and the results of the fuzzy inference are translated back to linguistic explanation. Further, by aggregating decision maker's preference (weighting) to the expert's rating, a single number for each candidate software can be obtained. One can use this number as an index to choose the most suitable simulation software for the specific application. A comparison between evaluations using simple triangular fuzzy numbers and using the real fuzzy set are presented. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.