Supplier selection of complex equipment in a military-civilian collaborative two-tier supply network with uncertain preference: A matching perspective

Complex equipment refers to special equipment that differs from general equipment. The collaborative development work of complex equipment in the military-civilian integration context involves numerous suppliers. We consider a two-tier supply network composed of different suppliers that participate in the development work to assemble complex equipment that cooperate with a main-manufacturer regarding spare parts. However, in terms of spare parts, a substitution relationship exists in assembly work for complex equipment. Hence, selecting a suitable supplier from the matching process between suppliers and spare parts under a military-civilian integration background is essential. This study considers three main analyses to obtain a suitable supplier for development work of complex equipment. First, we construct a two-stage model to acquire the necessary evaluation dimension for subsequent processes. Second, we examine the evaluated attributes for the matching process based on entropy-group-DEMATEL analysis. Third, we perform information aggregation for the uncertain preference information between spare parts and suppliers using a Bonferroni mean operator. Finally, an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the whole efficiency. Through the aforementioned analysis, we can select a suitable supplier that could participate in complex equipment military-civilian collaborative development work.