Title: A group decision support system for selecting complex objects in a web environment

Authors: Alexey B. Petrovsky, Viktor M. Afanasjev

Addresses: Institute for Systems Analysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60 Let Octyabrya, 9, Moscow 117312, Russia. ' Institute for Systems Analysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60 Let Octyabrya, 9, Moscow 117312, Russia

Abstract: This paper considers the problem of selecting objects with a modular structure (e.g. equipment, CAD/CAM/CAE systems, training programmes, and so on) as a problem of group decision-making. Each object configuration is described by many quantitative and/or qualitative attributes and may exist in several copies, which could be estimated by several persons under multiple criteria. A new selection approach combines multiple-criteria decision support methods based on the verbal decision analysis and the theory of multiset metric spaces. We present the main steps of an algorithm and discuss a general framework for a Web-based Group Decision Support System (Web-GDSS) for the selection of complex objects with a modular structure. Examples of possible Web-GDSS applications are considered.

Keywords: group MCDM; multiple criteria decision making; multi-attribute objects; multiset metric spaces; web-based DSS; group DSS; decision support systems; Web-GDSS; group decision making; complex objects; object selection; internet; modular structures.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2009.022844

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2009 Vol.9 No.1, pp.74 - 83

Published online: 30 Jan 2009 *

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