A dynamic multi-criteria decision-making framework for selecting sustainable agricultural distribution center locations

Abstract

In recent years, distribution center (DC) location selection has become a strategic decision that significantly affects logistics efficiency and sustainability performance, especially in agricultural supply chains characterized by seasonality, infrastructure disparities, and environmental uncertainty. Traditional distribution center location models often rely on static evaluation structures and fail to simultaneously capture temporal variability and indeterminate expert judgments. To address these limitations, this study develops a dynamic multi-criteria decision making framework integrated with interval-valued neutrosophic sets and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The proposed model allows truth, indeterminacy, and falsity membership degrees to evolve across multiple time periods, thereby incorporating both temporal dynamics and uncertainty into the evaluation process. A comprehensive criteria system consisting of six dimensions and eighteen sub-criteria is constructed to assess sustainable agricultural distribution center locations. An empirical application at Dong Duong Food Company in Vietnam evaluates five candidate locations using assessments from three decision makers over three time periods. The proposed framework provides a systematic and dynamic decision-support tool for sustainable logistics planning under complex and evolving conditions.