Title: Sustainable supplier selection and order allocation using hybrid fuzzy weighting methods, scenario-based programming, and flexible robust optimisation

Authors: Marzieh Saneei; Mehdi Seifbarghy; Mohsen Hamidi

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Strategic Management and Operations, Woodbury School of Business, Utah Valley University, 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058, USA

Abstract: In this research, a sustainable supplier selection and order allocation problem under uncertainty is modelled and solved. To weigh supplier selection criteria, four fuzzy methods have been applied. To determine suppliers' scores, two approaches of fuzzy Taguchi loss function (F-TLF) and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (F-TOPSIS) are used. Suppliers' scores are then incorporated into an objective function of a multi-objective optimisation model to allocate orders to suppliers. Three models of scenario-based programming, flexible robust programming, and a new scenario-based and flexible robust hybrid programming are presented. The optimisation objectives are minimising purchasing cost, maximising supplier desirability, and maximising value of purchasing from best suppliers. To solve the models, a hybrid method of Lai and Hwang and Torabi-Hassini is proposed. The three models have been solved using real data from the electronics industry.

Keywords: supplier selection and order allocation; SSOA; fuzzy Taguchi loss function; F-TLF; flexible robust optimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMOR.2026.152311

International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research, 2026 Vol.33 No.2, pp.238 - 285

Received: 11 Mar 2024
Accepted: 21 Apr 2024
Published online: 16 Mar 2026 *

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