-cut Fuzzy Analytic Network Process Based Approach to Evaluate Simulation Software Packages

In parallel to computer technology drastically developing, various simulation software packages focusing on solving different kinds of engineering problems have been introduced to the world market. As the result of this, the selection of proper simulation software has been of considerable importance to any simulation analyst in a simulation project. On the other hand, the best satisfying simulation software selection from a possible set of alternatives in the market is a typical multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem in the presence of evaluation criteria, and there are many MCDM methods in the literature, which have been used to successfully carry out this difficult and time-consuming process. In this study, the analytic network process (ANP) method is used because it can accommodate the variety of interactions, dependencies and feedback between higher and lower level elements, rather than analytic hierarchy process (AHP). In addition, an  -cut fuzzy logic is integrated with the ANP method to model uncertain human preferences as input information in the decision-making process. Instead of using the classical eigenvector prioritization method in AHP, only employed in the prioritization stage of ANP, An  -cut fuzzy logic method providing more accuracy on judgments is applied. The resulting  -cut fuzzy ANP enhances the potential of the conventional ANP for dealing with imprecise and uncertain human comparison judgments.