The Supplier Selection of Prefabricated Component Production Line through a Lean- based AHP-Improved VIKOR framework

Abstract

Over the past decades, prefabrication has emerged as a sustainable construction practice, with its performance significantly affected by the efficiency of production lines for the prefabricated components (PCs). However, insights from the industry reveal that selecting suppliers for PCs production lines has become increasingly challenging due to evolving, uncertain demands and complexity. Such issue negatively impacts PCs production performance, which in turn, affects overall efficiency of prefabrication. Despite previous research focusing on various PCs supplier selection criteria, there is limited research concerning its improvement in aligning with current industrial demands. Hence, this study developed an integrated AHP-improved VIKOR decision making framework with the advanced Lean principles incorporated, to enhance the efficiency of selected PCs production line suppliers. To achieve this, a Lean-based AHP-Improved VIKOR evaluation framework, including general criteria and specific criteria, was designed via an extensive literature review and expert interviews. Lastly, the developed framework was validated via a real-world case with Yizhong Construction Co., Ltd. in China. It demonstrates that this developed evaluation framework can be a valuable tool for selecting PCs production line suppliers, enhancing its efficiency through the lens of lean, and advancing prefabrication in developing countries.