DANP (DEMATEL-based analytic network process) method

Fuzzy DANP (DEMATEL-based ANP) Method or Fuzzy DEMATEL-based ANP, is essentially the same as the Fuzzy ANP method, where internal relationships are determined based on the Fuzzy DEMATEL method. In the classical Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (ANP) method, internal relationships were determined based on expert opinions. However, later methods were developed to specify these internal relationships. One of these techniques is the Fuzzy DEMATEL method, which combines Fuzzy ANP and Fuzzy DEMATEL, resulting in Fuzzy DANP.

The Fuzzy DEMATEL method is also based on expert opinions, where scores of dependency on each criterion are determined based on expert opinions. However, what it does is identify the existence of relationships among factors. This involves complex mathematical calculations that human minds may not quickly compute, especially when dealing with various criteria. Always remember that in your article or thesis, it’s better to depict internal relationships separately. This means that in addition to defining internal relationships within a network structure, it’s advisable to illustrate each of these internal relationships separately in a distinct diagram or figure. Multi-criteria decision-making techniques are flexible in such a way that if combined with other techniques, they can yield another new technique, such as the Fuzzy DANP method.

You may wonder what advantage the internal relationships determined in Fuzzy DEMATEL, based on expert opinions, have over the internal relationships specified in the classical Fuzzy ANP method. To answer this question, you need to consider the advantage of binary comparison of factors in multi-criteria decision-making. The Fuzzy DEMATEL technique examines the internal relationships between factors in a binary manner. In this regard, the accuracy of detecting dependencies between factors using this technique is higher.

The steps of the Fuzzy DANP method are as follows:

1. Formation of the problem’s network structure.
2. Examination of internal relationships based on the Fuzzy DEMATEL method.
3. Preparation of the Fuzzy DANP questionnaire.
4. Evaluation of inconsistency between pairwise comparison tables and obtaining compatible pairwise comparison tables.
5. Integration of questionnaires if more than one expert is involved.
6. Calculation of the weights of integrated pairwise comparison tables.
7. Formation of the initial supermatrix.
8. Calculation of the upper supermatrix.
9. Extraction of weights.