Mobility industry call center location selection under sustainability: a two-phase decision-making approach

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to solve the facility location problem of mobility industry call centers comprehensively, considering both investment efficiency and long-term development efficiency. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a two-phase decision-making approach within a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework has been proposed to help select optimal locations among various alternate locations. Both quantitative and qualitative information is collected and processed based on fuzzy set theory and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Then the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution method is incorporated in the framework to assess the overall feasibility of all alternates. Findings A real case of a mobility giant in China is applied to verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Sensitivity analysis also proves the robustness of the framework. Originality/value This two-phase MCDM framework allows the mobility industry call center location to be selected considering economic, human resource and sustainability elements comprehensively. The framework proposed in this paper might be applicable to other companies in the mobility industry when deciding optimal locations of call centers.