A decision model for evaluation of flexible manufacturing systems in the presence of both cardinal and ordinal factors

This paper presents a model for evaluating alternative Flexible Manufacturing Systems by considering both quantitative and qualitative factors. The evaluation process utilizes a recently proposed Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, which incorporates both ordinal and cardinal measures, in conjunction with new extensions in DEA. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge in two important ways. First, it provides a new model based on pair-wise comparisons of specific alternatives, which significantly improves the discriminatory power of DEA. The second major contribution is to detail the model's utility in its application for evaluating strategic manufacturing technologies, specifically Flexible Manufacturing Systems. The consideration of both tangible and intangible factors, which is a primary goal in strategic evaluation of systems, is achieved in this methodology. The model is illustrated through an application on a previously reported data set. The analysis of results provide useful insights that include both seller's and buyer's perspectives of system evaluation.