A hybrid approach for selecting sustainable suppliers and determining order allocation based on interval type-2 fuzzy sets

PurposeThis study aims to create a model for defining the best supplier for a company and allocating order that considers sustainability criteria beyond the traditional selection criteria.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, sustainable supplier Selection and order allocation (SSS and OA) problem is managed based on a multiobjective linear programming (MOLP) model that incorporates sustainability dimensions. First, an interval type-2 fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method is applied for the main criteria and subcriteria to determine the weight of the selected criteria. Then, these values are used to convert the proposed MOLP model into a single-objective model.FindingsThe economic criterion (0.438) was the most important criterion for SSS in the agricultural machinery sector, followed by the social criterion (0.333) and the environmental criterion (0.229).Practical implicationsThe results show that the proposed framework can be utilized by the agricultural machinery industry for SSS and OA.Originality/valueThe proposed framework provides to develop an integrated model by interval type-2 fuzzy sets for SSS and OA, taking into account the relationships between qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria with different priorities. The validity of the developed model is confirmed by a case study of the agricultural machinery industry in Turkey.