Application of TODIM (Tomada de Decisión Inerativa Multicritero) for industrial robot selection

Abstract

Purpose Robot selection is a critical decision-making task frequently experienced in almost every industries. It has become increasingly complex due to availability of large variety of robotic system in the present market with varying configuration, specification and flexibility. Improper selection may yield loss for the company in terms of potential profit as well as productivity. Hence, selection of an appropriate robot to suit a particular industrial application is definitely a challenging task. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach During robot selection, different criteria-attributes need to be taken under consideration. Criteria may be subjective or objective or a combination of both, depending on the situation. Criteria many be conflicting, in the sense that some criteria may require to be of higher value (higher-is-better), i.e. beneficial; while, others should correspond to lower values (lower-is-better), i.e. adverse or non-beneficial. Hence, the situation can be articulated as a multi-criteria decision-making problem. The specialty of Tomada de Decisión Inerativa Multicritero (TODIM) method is that it explores a global measurement of value calculable by the application of the paradigm of non-linear cumulative prospect theory. The method is based on a description, proved by empirical evidence, of how decision makers’ effectively make decisions in the face of risk. Findings Hence, the present work has aimed to explore the TODIM approach for industrial robot selection. Assuming all criteria have been quantitative in nature; the paper utilizes two different numeric data sets from available literature resource in perspectives of robot selection. Procedural hierarchy and application potential of the TODIM approach has been illustrated in detail in this reporting. Originality/value Variety of tools and techniques have already been documented in literature to solve different kinds of industrial decision-making problems; however, it seems that application of TODIM has got limited usage. Hence, application potential of TODIM has been demonstrated here in light of a robot selection problem.