Supplier Evaluation and Selection in Supply Chain using Fuzzy TOPSIS Method with the Risk Management Strategy in Medical Equipment Industry

In global competitions, customer demand for high quality and fastservice has made the companies not to be able to cope with all the tasksalone. The variability in the outcomes and probable results of supplychain, its likelihood and effects are called the supply chain riskmanagement. Supply chain risks include the risks which have beenraised from changes in materials, products and information that startfrom the initial supplier and end with the final consumer. Medicalindustry and medical supplies are defined as a set of processes,operations and organizations involved in the discovery, developmentand production of medical equipment. Considering the extent of thesupply chain of medical equipment, this research has been focused onthe selection of suppliers and also what factors must be considered forsupplier selection in a supply chain to reduce the risks of this chain. Inthis study, according to the strategies to reduce the risks of the supplychain and consultation with professors and experts in supply chain andmedical supplies, a checklist has been obtained for supplier selectionwhich has included 8 main indexes and 30 sub-indexes for the selectionof superior supplier, and 4 main indexes and 9 sub-indexes for effectiveenvironmental risks. After studying the statistical analysis of thequestionnaires and using Fuzzy TOPSIS method, eventually 7 mainindicators of quality, flexibility, delivery, technology,communications and information technology systems, costs andexperience with 24 sub-indexes in the selection of superior supplierwith four main economic, political, natural disasters and socialcultural indexes with 8 sub-indexes have been obtained in the field ofenvironment risks.

Keywords:

Supply Chain Management , Supply Chain Risk Management , Superior Supplier Selection Criteria , Fuzzy TOPSIS Method