Identifying and prioritizing supply chain management challenges in the UPVC window industry using a combined SWARA and fuzzy WASPAS approach

Abstract

Supply chain management in manufacturing industries, especially the construction industry and its components such as UPVC windows, faces numerous challenges that are always associated with ambiguity and uncertainty due to market dynamics and the qualitative nature of variables. The aim of this research is to identify, screen, and rank key challenges and problems in UPVC window supply chain management. To this end, after a comprehensive review of the research literature and consultation with industry experts, the existing challenges were categorized into 6 macro-evaluation criteria. In the first step, the weighting of the main criteria was carried out using the Fuzzy Swara method. Then, the 20 extracted challenges were ranked using the Fuzzy WASPAS method. The research findings show that among the evaluation criteria, the criterion of "resistance to change" is the most important. Also, based on the output of the Fuzzy WASPAS model, the challenge of "lack of market demand in the supply chain" was identified as the most important and key challenge facing the UPVC window supply chain. The results of this research can greatly assist managers and decision-makers in this industry in optimally allocating resources and reducing operational risks.