A Study on Evaluation of Modular Suppliers and Discussion of Stability

Abstract

Evaluation of modular suppliers is a crucial step towards building an effective modular production network. However, few studies focus on the salient features of modular production and discuss the selection and evaluation of modular suppliers. In this paper, the fuzzy evaluation method is used to make the evaluation. Regarding the method, this paper applies mathematical analysis to further discuss the stability of the method by introducing a dispersion degree and modifying the evaluation vector. Then, based on modularization theory, this paper adopts a factor analysis to identify the criteria for a modular supplier. This paper has two main findings: constructing an index system to evaluate modular suppliers and providing a way to test the stability of the method used. As such, the results of the paper contribute to helping enterprises involved in modular production to identify qualified modular suppliers and make reliable decision with regard to modular supplier evaluation.