Collaborative Negotiation Platform using a Dynamic Multi-Criteria Decision Model

Abstract

Due to globalization, companies are frequently pushed to grow outside their political and geographical boundaries, forcing them to increase product diversification. As a side effect they can also optimize their resource's management by looking at potential businesses for improving their relations with customers and/or open new markets through partnerships. In this context, implementing agile collaboration networks between businesses is a requirement. This paper proposes an approach to support the selection of businesses in the context of collaborative-networked organizations, through a negotiation process controlled by agents, which is based on a dynamic multi-criteria decision model (DMCDM). The approach combines a dynamic decision making approach - using past, current and future information - with a software agents approach, which autonomously captures business opportunities, select business partners, as well as award and process associated orders. An illustrative example of evaluation and selection of business partners clarifies the dynamic method.