Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915

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    An analytical framework for decision criteria validation in complex supply chains
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2025-12-01) Theunissen FM; Alam S; Sajjad A
    Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) in supply chain management often applies rigorous methods for weighting and aggregation yet devotes little attention to the structural validity of the decision criteria that precede them. Even when organisations do not proceed to full MCDM model application, criteria are still elicited during problem structuring and used to justify initiative selection. This paper introduces a topological validation framework that addresses this asymmetry by representing criteria as a high-dimensional Decision Criteria Configuration (DCC). Using tools from Topological Data Analysis (TDA), we translate foundational MCDM axioms into measurable invariants: completeness through connectivity, non-redundancy through structural impact analysis, and logical consistency through cycle detection. Two industrial experiments demonstrate the framework’s utility. In a supply chain strategy-setting workshop, TDA diagnosed the criteria set underpinning initiative selection as a “conceptual monolith,” revealing significant redundancies and systemic feedback loops overlooked by conventional facilitation. In a subsequent inventory classification exercise, the audit resolved expert deadlock by reducing 32 proposed criteria to a minimal, non-redundant core of six operationally essential levers, providing an objective and defensible basis for moving forward. By transforming criteria sets into auditable decision architectures, this approach ensures that MCDM models and the initiatives they justify rest on a validated foundation before weighting or ranking alternatives. For managers, it functions as a pre-hoc “structural audit,” reducing redundancy, exposing hidden interdependencies, and directing resources toward criteria that genuinely drive strategic and operational outcomes.
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    Exploring the shortcomings in formal criteria selection for multicriteria decision making based inventory classification models: a systematic review and future directions
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-03-06) Theunissen FM; Bezuidenhout CN; Alam S
    Criteria selection significantly impacts the reliability and utility of multicriteria decision making (MCDM) models. While criteria may vary across industries, a formalised criteria selection process is influential in determining MCDM model outcomes. This article analyses and compares the criteria selection approaches used in 62 articles that apply MCDM-based inventory classification models, contrasting them with methodologies outside the field. Our findings reveal a conspicuous absence of formal criteria selection methods within MCDM-based inventory classification research. The limited application of quantitative and qualitative approaches indicates that this field has not kept pace with methodological advances in criteria selection. To bridge this gap, we advocate for further research aimed at developing a conceptual framework for criteria selection tailored to inventory classification. We also suggest evaluating the impact of formal criteria selection processes on inventory management decisions and exploring the benefits of integrating artificial intelligence into criteria selection for inventory classification studies. Additionally, this article identifies several limitations related to criteria selection for practitioners employing MCDM-based inventory classification models.