Sustailient supplier selection using neutrosophic best–worst approach: a case study of additively manufactured trinkets

Abstract

PurposeThis research work has developed an integrated fuzzy Delphi and neutrosophic best–worst framework for selecting the sustailient (sustainable and resilient) supplier for an additive manufacturing (AM)-enabled industry.Design/methodology/approachAn integrated fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and neutrosophic best–worst method (N-BWM) approach is developed. 34 supplier evaluation criteria falling under 4 groups, that is, traditional, sustainable, resilient, and AM specific, are identified and validated using the FDM. Afterward, the weights of each criterion are measured by N-BWM. Later on, the performance evaluation is carried out to determine the best-suited supplier. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed to know the stability and robustness of the proposed framework.FindingsThe outcome indicates the high performance of the suggested decision-making framework. The analysis reveals that supplier 4 (S4) is selected as the most appropriate for a given firm based on the FDM and N-BWM method.Research limitations/implicationsThe applicability of this framework is demonstrated through an industrial case of a 3D-printed trinket manufacturer. The proposed research helps AM decision-makers better understand resiliency, sustainability, and AM-related attributes. With this, the practitioners working in AM business can prioritize the supplier selection criteria.Originality/valueThis is the primitive study to undertake the most critical aspect of supplier selection for AM-enabled firms. Apart from this, an integrated FDM-N-BWM framework is a novel contribution to the literature on supplier selection.