Abstract
The generalized interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy best-worst method (GITrF-BWM) provides more reliable and more consistent criteria weights for multiple criteria group decision making (MCGDM) problems. In this study, GITrF-BWM is integrated with the extended TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution) and extended VIKOR (visekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje) methods for the selection of the optimal industrial robot using fuzzy information. For a criteria-based selection process, assigning weights play a vital role and significantly affect the decision. Assigning weights based on direct opinions of decision makers can be biased, so weight deriving models, such as GITrF-BWM, overcome this discrepancy. In previous studies, generalized interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy weights were not derived by using any MCGDM method for the robot selection process. For this study, both subjective and objective criteria are considered. The preferences of decision makers are provided with the help of linguistic terms that are then converted into fuzzy information. The stability and reliability of the methods were tested by performing sensitivity analysis, which showed that the ranking results of both the methodologies are not symmetrical, and the integration of GITrF-BWM with the extended TOPSIS method provides stable and reliable results as compared to the integration of GITrF-BWM with the extended VIKOR method. Hence, the proposed methodology provides robust optimal industrial robot selection.