Multi-criteria decision making in product-driven process synthesis

Current efforts in the development of a Product-driven Process Synthesis methodology have been focusing on broadening the design scope to consumer preferences, product attributes, process variables and supply chain considerations. The methodology embraces a decision making activity to be performed at different levels of detail and involving criteria with, sometimes, conflicting goals. In this contribution we focus on the development and implementation of a decision making process based on criteria accounting for the above mentioned issues. The developed multi-criteria decision making method is based on Quality Function Deployment and the Analytic Network Process, involving benefits, risks, opportunities and costs. The application of the method provides a more structured scenario for decision making processes in R&D and also forecasts the stability of the outcome with respect to changes in the decision making criteria and relevance of benefits, risks, opportunities and costs. To clarify and illustrate the steps of this method, it has been applied to decision making in a R&D environment.