Supplier selection in the sports industry using a spherical fuzzy rough numbers-based MCDM methodology

Source abstract

The main goal of this paper is to propose a novel methodology that combines the spherical fuzzy rough CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Inter Criteria Correlation) method with the TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese of interactive and multi-criteria decision making) method for supplier selection. Spherical fuzzy rough numbers are used to preserve both the hesitancy of individual experts and the disagreement among them, while TODIM grounds the ranking stage in prospect theory and thus in the bounded rationality of the decision makers. To demonstrate its practical applicability, the proposed framework is applied to a real-world case study in which three experts evaluate five equipment suppliers of a table tennis club against six criteria. Delivery performance and service emerge as the most influential criteria, and A3 is identified as the most suitable supplier. The robustness of the solution is examined by varying the attenuation factor over two orders of magnitude, across which the best alternative remains unchanged, and by comparison with spherical fuzzy rough TOPSIS, WASPAS and MULTIMOORA formulations and with a crisp CRITIC–TODIM baseline. The findings offer valuable insights for managers and policymakers in the sports industry.