Fuzzy network analysis approach in identification and ranking of impressive factors on agile supply chain in dairies industry(case study: sabah company)

The supply chain for survival in dynamic and changing markets needs a tool that can overcome environmental challenges by its help, agility is such tool. Therefore, the target of this study was identifying impressive factors of agile supply chain and rank the factors in the dairies industry.

In the present study, in order to achieve the goal, through library studies, the initial list of criteria and factors affecting the creation and empowerment of agility is identified and then this list is completed by exposing to the views and judgments of a suitable set of relevant experts. In the following, these factors have been evaluated using the fuzzy Delphi method in the dairies industry, and in particular in Sabah Company, have been corrected and precised. On the other hand, due to the affecting and being affected of these criteria on each other in the real world, DEMTEL technique was used to evaluate the relationships between them and in order to weigh the indicators, the fuzzy network analysis process model by completing a pairwise comparison questionnaire have been used by experts to find the appropriate solutions for achieving maximum agility in the supply chain in proportion to the impact of each criterion.

The study results showed that the combined approach of DEMATEL technique and fuzzy network analysis process has been selected as a suitable model in this study and based on the acquired results the most important factor in supply chain agility of Sabah company is the fourth criterion, in other words "customer/sensitivity to market"; Meanwhile, the factor of "customer-oriented products" with a weight of 0.347 has been selected as the most important sub-criterion. Although this approach has been used in order to investigate the supply chain agility in the dairies industry but can be easily generalized to any other industry or field.