Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of industrial management Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba’I University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The wood industry, especially in the furniture and decoration sectors, is one of the small industries with high entrepreneurial potential that faces numerous challenges in the field of sustainability and resilience due to irresponsible exploitation. The aim of this study is to identify and prioritize criteria for selecting sustainable and resilient suppliers in the Iranian furniture and decoration industry to help reduce environmental impacts, increase productivity, and ensure the continuity of resource supply through improving supply chain performance. This study is designed to fill the scientific gaps in the comprehensive assessment of suppliers in this industry.
Methodology: This research was conducted to identify and prioritize criteria for selecting sustainable and resilient suppliers in the furniture and decoration industry. The research method was designed analytically and applied with a descriptive-survey approach. First, through a comprehensive review of the research literature, the primary criteria related to supplier selection were identified. These criteria were placed in four main categories: economic, environmental, social, and resilience, and included 17 criteria.
In order to verify the identified criteria, the fuzzy Delphi method was used. A questionnaire based on the identified criteria was prepared and distributed among 10 experts in the furniture and decoration industry, including supply chain managers and environmental specialists. The experts were selected based on at least 15 years of work experience and familiarity with the principles of sustainability and resilience. The questionnaires were analyzed in two stages, and the third stage was stopped due to the reduction of the difference in opinions between the responses to less than 0.2.
For weighing the criteria, the fuzzy Best-Worst Method (FBWM) was applied. This method calculates the weight of each criterion by selecting the most important and least important criteria and conducting pairwise comparisons. The model was solved using LINGO software, and the final ranking of the criteria was extracted. This method, aiming to reduce subjective errors and manage uncertainties in the data, provides an appropriate approach for prioritization in complex environments like the wood industry.
Results: The results showed that resilience-related and environmental criteria hold higher importance compared to economic and social criteria. This prioritization highlights the crucial role of these two categories in managing the wood supply chain, especially in dealing with disruptions and ensuring the sustainability of natural resources. The criteria examined included Risk Awareness, Sustainable Resource Use, Supply Chain Flexibility, Recovery Capability, Pollution Control, Cost Efficiency, Delivery Timeliness, Worker Safety, Responsiveness, Quality, Environmental Certifications, Community Impact, Financial Stability, Supplier Relationship, Geographical Location, Technology, and Reputation.
Risk Awareness (0.171) and Sustainable Resource Use (0.123) were identified as the most significant factors. Supply Chain Flexibility and Recovery Capability also ranked highly. In the economic category, Cost Efficiency and Delivery Timeliness were the most important criteria. Social criteria such as Worker Safety and Community Impact ranked lower, while Supplier Relationship and Reputation received the least importance. These findings emphasize the wood industry’s focus on resilience and environmental protection, with economic and social criteria considered as supporting factors in later priorities.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that in an industry like wood, resilience and environmental sustainability play a key role in supplier selection. This research provides a framework that can assist managers in conducting comprehensive supplier evaluations and making optimal decisions to ensure the continuity of the supply chain and reduce environmental impacts. Future research can further explore global and regional conditions to develop more dynamic models for evaluation.
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