Heuristic approach for solving the multi-objective facility layout problem

A new heuristic approach for the generation of preferred objective weights to solve the multi-objective facility layout problem is presented. By applying a multi-pass halving and doubling procedure, a paired comparison method based on the strength of preference among objectives given by the decision-maker is developed. Furthermore, a ‘prior test’ is proposed to examine the consistency of the paired comparison matrix. An efficient method to transform the inconsistent matrix into a consistent one so the result can closely approximate the decision-maker's original assessments is also offered. The geometric mean method is then employed to obtain the objective weights and the final solution. There are five phases in the proposed heuristic approach. The first generates a basic solution; the second involves constructing a paired comparison matrix by using the multi-pass halving and doubling procedure; the third identifies the consistency of the paired comparison matrix; the fourth transforms the inconsistent matrix into a consistent one; and the fifth generates the preferred weights and obtains the facility layout solution. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate an application of the proposed approach for solving the multi-objective facility layout problem.