Title: Dairy market selection approach using MCDM methods: a case of Iranian dairy market

Authors: Shervin Zakeri; Mohammad Reza Rostamian Delavar; Naoufel Cheikhrouhou

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Islamic Azad University of Arak, Arak, Iran ' School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden ' Geneva School of Business Administration, HES-SO, University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract: This paper addresses the development of a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) procedure including a pattern extraction from success and failure of current market introduction to generate a logical framework for target market selection. In addition of covering the gap of comprehensive research in Iran's domestic dairy market, using combined MCDM methods and grey systems, the main problem this paper tries to solve is the selection of a target market which covers not only the limitations of the company's current markets but also possesses their advantages. A real-world implementation of the approach is done within a dairy company located in Iran. Considering Tehran, the North, Khuzestan, and West Azerbaijan as the current market, and also Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tabriz as the potential market, Shiraz selected as the best target market through analysis of various criteria. Results show that considering current markets has a big influence on the market ranking procedure.

Keywords: market selection; dairy market; multi-criteria decision making; MCDM; Iranian dairy markets.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMDM.2020.108642

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 2020 Vol.19 No.3, pp.267 - 311

Received: 15 Dec 2018
Accepted: 14 Jun 2019
Published online: 23 Jul 2020 *

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