ABSTRACT Vulnerable regions to drought require resource allocation to develop projects to combat low rainfall negative impacts. In this perspective, this study proposes a multicriteria sorting model to categorize municipalities affected by drought in order to allocate resources according to criticality. The proposed model is based on the FlowSort method for sorting municipalities into highly critical, moderately critical, and slightly critical levels to cope with drought. The model was applied in the Apodi-Mossoró river basin in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, for sorting 14 municipalities. The findings revealed that the public administration could effectively focus its resources on municipalities experiencing more severe drought conditions. Thus, the public administration can develop strategies, public policies, and actions in coping with extreme difficulty.

Abstract Paper aims The objective of this work is to develop a comprehensive group decision model to support public managers in choosing the best location for the construction of landfills based on a strategy known as “regionalization” (collaborative construction of landfills). Originality The proposed group decision model innovates when considering the regionalization strategy in a multi-DM environment based on a framework for choosing a voting procedure. Research method The model is divided into three stages: (i) individual assessment of preferences; (ii) choosing a voting procedure; and, (iii) group aggregation and recommendation. First, it uses MCDA/M to elicit DMs' preferences and obtain individual rankings; then, a framework for choosing a voting procedure (VP) to aggregate individual preferences and obtain a collective choice. Main findings The main findings indicate that the proposed model that uses PHOMETHEE-ROC and a VP proposes a recommendation that is of everyone’s interest in the presented multi-DM landfill site selection problem presenting its feasibility and applicability. Implications for theory and practice It encourages public managers to use a formal approach to make a comprehensive analysis of solid waste management practices. Furthermore, the proposition of an integrative framework to support group decision analysis by using MCDA/M and VP.

ABSTRACT Waste sorting is a core element for adding value to the recycling chain. Exploring and prioritizing alternatives regarding its expansion and improvement is very challenging. This study proposes a multi-methodological approach through the integration of a Problem Structuring Method (PSM) and a multicriteria method (MCDA/M) to support decision-making in the solid waste management context. The developed model uses Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) in the problem structuring stage to explore the problematic situation and identify alternatives. Preference modeling was conducted in a flexible and interactive manner, aided by FITradeoff method to rank the identified alternatives and obtain a recommendation. The proposed model was developed for a real case study in Brazil. In the elicitation process, the decision maker answered 9 questions to obtain the ordering of alternatives. This work seeks to enrich the literature proposing the successful application of an innovative model in the waste management context, especially regarding waste sorting.

Abstract Paper aims The objective of this research is to propose a multicriteria negotiation model for selecting a sustainable packaging supplier in the food industry. The model aims to minimize the environmental, social and economic impacts of the production process of plastic while ensuring the operational criteria of packaging. Originality Despite the high number of scientific research using multicriteria decision-making suggested to select a supplier, the proposed negotiation model is innovative as it includes green manufacturing as a criterion for negotiation, alongside price and delivery time, to promote sustainable supply chain management. Research method The research method involves three stages: pre-negotiation, negotiation (based on FITradeoff), and post-agreement. The proposed model is illustrated using a case study of a Colombian slaughterhouse that needs to select a sustainable packaging supplier for the next two years. Main findings The main findings indicate that the proposed model that uses the FITradeoff for negotiation solves the problem of selecting sustainable packaging suppliers while promoting sustainable supply chain management in the agribusiness sector. Implications for theory and practice The model has implications for both theory and practice. It encourages interdependent companies to collaborate and enhances efficiency in greener terms for supply chains, buyer and seller firms. The proposition of an original integrative negotiation protocol for selecting sustainable suppliers in agribusiness can provide enterprises with a set of negotiation parameters to achieve successful sustainable supply chain management. industry environmental decisionmaking decision making time stages prenegotiation, prenegotiation pre pre-negotiation based FITradeoff, , FITradeoff) postagreement. postagreement post agreement. agreement post-agreement years sector chains firms

ABSTRACT Mobility and urban planning are challenging tasks for public authorities, especially in densely populated cities. The city of Olinda, Pernambuco-Brazil, faces problems in traffic and access to places, making it necessary to identify new alternatives to improve urban mobility in Olinda. This study presents a decision support model to develop and evaluate new alternatives to do so. In the decision frontend, Value-Focused Thinking was applied to identify objectives and their respective attributes, and to create alternatives based on these objectives. As a result, 69 alternatives were generated, concatenated into 48, and categorized into four groups. Group 1 and Group 2 comprise 30 alternatives that serve the city’s north side; however, they attend to the neighborhoods separately. Group 3 comprises 11 alternatives routes that serve the two areas together, this being the focus of this study, and Group four consists of 7 short-term alternatives. In the decision backend, the FITradeoff for ranking problematic method was applied to evaluate the 11 alternatives of Group 3. The study showed that it would be possible to improve mobility more urgently by making a few improvements to the itinerary on the existing routes. Therefore, the study discusses the possibility of starting to make progress in the urban system of the city by using fewer complex alternatives compared to setting up new routes. authorities cities Olinda PernambucoBrazil, PernambucoBrazil Pernambuco Brazil, Brazil Pernambuco-Brazil places so frontend ValueFocused Value Focused attributes result 6 generated 48 groups citys s side however separately together shortterm short term backend Therefore 4

Abstract Paper aims The aim of this study was to propose a hybrid approach to develop and prioritize the indicators which should be used to monitor the development of plastering supply chains while using lean manufacturing practices. Originality This approach proposed the integration of a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) - a multi-perspective tool for performance evaluation and strategic planning, and FITradeoff for the ranking problematic – a multicriteria method that features a robust axiomatic structure and uses partial information. Research method The results showed that the approach provided a set of indicators to assist the company’s manager to monitor and improve the company's competitiveness and sustainability. Main findings The results showed that the approach was able to provide a set of KPIs to assist the company’s manager to monitor and improve the plastering company management in terms of competitiveness and sustainability. Implications for theory and practice The results allowed evaluation of important issues for the strategic, economic, and environmental stability in complex business environments.

Abstract A correct Network Segmentation (NS) is necessary to perform proper maintenance activities in water distribution networks (WDN). For this, usually, isolation valves are allocating near the ends of pipes, blocking the flow of water. However, the allocation of valves increases costs substantially for the water supply companies. Additionally, other criteria should be taking account to analyze the benefits of the valves allocation. Thus, the problem is to define an alternative of NS which shows a good compromise in these different criteria. Moreover, usually, in this type of decision, there is more than one decision-maker involved, who can have different viewpoints. Therefore, this paper presents a model to support group decision-making, based on a multi-criteria method, in order to support the decision making procedure in the NS problem. As result, the model is able to find a solution that shows the best compromise regarding the benefits, costs, and the decision makers' preferences.

Abstract The losses in the urban water supply networks have become a growing concern. There are several alternatives for the quantification, detection and monitoring of water losses. However, in general, water companies have budgetary and other constraints that hinder implementation. Therefore, this paper presents a model to aid the selection of a subset of preventive maintenance actions to control water losses while accounting for the water companies’ restrictions. The model combines an additive multi-attribute value analysis by applying the SMARTER method to evaluate alternatives with Integer Linear Programming (ILP). The model shows to be efficient in order to achieve a portfolio of preventive maintenance actions, particularly when the decision maker considers that, there is a compensation for attribute evaluations.

Além dos custos diretos, a ocorrência de rupturas na rede de distribuição de água tem sempre consequências sociais associadas, principalmente pela interrupção do abastecimento de água durante a reparação da infraestrutura. Nesses casos, a setorização da rede torna mais fácil qualquer atividade de manutenção. Porém, além do elevado custo da alocação de válvulas de fechamento, as normas brasileiras sobre setorização das redes dizem respeito apenas a questões técnicas que devem ser obedecidas. Portanto, propõe-se uma setorização que também incorpore a intensidade do impacto gerado pela falta de água em cada trecho da tubulação. Para medir esse impacto é proposto um índice de priorização que agrega as características das unidades consumidoras por meio do método multicritério SMARTER. Assim, desenvolve-se um modelo de setorização para manobra que leva em consideração esse índice, buscando a maximização dos benefícios gerados e a minimização do número de válvulas de fechamento.

In addition to incurring direct costs, the occurrence of breaks in a water distribution network always has associated social consequences, mainly related to the interruption of water supply during infrastructure repair. In these cases, network segmentation facilitates maintenance activities. However, the Brazilian norms, about network segmentation, relate only the technical guidelines that must be followed. We therefore propose network segmentation based on the impact intensity caused by a lack of water in each pipe segment. To measure this impact, we propose a priority index that aggregates the characteristics of consumer units by the SMARTER multicriteria method. Taking this index into account, we propose a segmentation model for water distribution networks that seeks to maximize the benefits generated and to minimize the number of isolation valves.

Este artigo propõe uma nova abordagem para agregação das opiniões de diferentes stakeholders baseado na utilização do Value-Focused Thinking associada ao mapeamento cognitivo. Esta abordagem proposta foi aplicada para a determinação do preço de venda, concentrando-se no caso particular de uma farmácia de manipulação da região Sul do Brasil, o que propiciou um melhor entendimento do problema pelos envolvidos. Este artigo também identifica as implicações de se trabalhar com um grupo de stakeholders isoladamente, gerando diferentes modelos e agregando os pontos de vista a fim de gerar um único resultado no processo de precificação dos insumos.

This study proposes a new approach for aggregating the opinions of different stakeholders based on value-focused thinking combined with cognitive mapping. This approach was applied to determine selling prices, focusing on the particular case of a compounding pharmacy in southern Brazil. This method provides a better understanding of the problem with respect to the members involved. This paper also identifies the implications of working with individual stakeholders, generating different models and combining the viewpoints to obtain a unique result in the process of product pricing.

Any interaction involving individuals, whose objectives are conflicting with each other, may establish a negotiation process. In a negotiation, each party should develop his/her own strategy and, normally, a win-lose vision is frequently adopted. The main consequence of this behavior is a result, in which both parties lose, especially when the negotiation involves more than one aspect, such as negotiations resulting from purchases of material for construction industry, where aspects like price, quality and lead-time should be considered. Most of the negotiation involving construction industry adopts a win-lose vision; and, commonly, only the issue price is considered. The goal of this paper is to propose a framework to support negotiations between two parties (buyer and seller) in the supply chain of construction industry. The combination of a win-win strategy with a multicriteria analysis produces a best compromise solution for both parties. A simulation of negotiation using realistic data is presented.

A structured evaluation of the construction industry's suppliers, considering aspects which make their quality and credibility evident, can be a strategic tool to manage this specific supply chain. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision model for suppliers' selection from the construction industry, as well as an efficient evaluation procedure for the selected suppliers. The model is based on SMARTER (Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique Exploiting Ranking) method and its main contribution is a new approach to structure the process of suppliers' selection, establishing explicit strategic policies on which the company management system relied to make the suppliers selection. This model was applied to a Civil Construction Company in Brazil and the main results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model. This study allowed the development of an approach to Construction Industry which was able to provide a better relationship among its managers, suppliers and partners.

Problems encountered in the context of the maintenance management of water supply are evidenced by the lack of decision support models which gives a manager overview of the system. This paper, therefore, develops a model that uses, in its framework, the multicriteria outranking method ELECTRE TRI. The objective is to sort the areas of water flow measurement of a water distribution network, by priority of maintenance, with data collected from an automated system of abnormalities detection. This sorting is designed to support maintenance decisions in terms of the measure more appropriate to be applied per region. To illustrate the proposed model, an application was performed in a city with 100 thousand water connections. With this model it becomes possible to improve the allocation of maintenance measures for regions and mainly to improve the operation of the distribution network.

Difficulties related to the group decision-making process in the water supply sector, such as physical and economic losses, irrational use of water and maintenance costs, highlight the need to develop procedures to support decisions, reducing unnecessary water use and wastage. This study focused on the rational use of water resources and reduction of water losses, based on the assumption that it is far more economical to develop and improve existing systems rather than build new systems in parallel to the existing one. This study aimed to support a group decision-making process in the maintenance section of a water supply company. A model is proposed consisting of 2 phases, which aggregates individual preferences to achieve a group decision. The first phase is based on the ELECTRE II method, analysing individual preferences, while the second is based on the COPELAND method to aggregate individual preferences. From this model, we developed a software program to prioritise alternatives, simultaneously taking into account subjective and objective criteria, and thereby giving decision makers a clear and comprehensive overview of alternatives, indicating the most suitable alternative based on the preferences of group members from different areas.

Grande parte das decisões tomadas em uma organização envolve um grupo de pessoas. Nesse sentido é necessária a existência de metodologias adequadas que dêem suporte à tomada de decisão em grupo, tratando de forma coerente as avaliações e preferências de todos os decisores envolvidos nesse processo. Há duas abordagens utilizadas para decisão em grupo: a agregação dos julgamentos individuais e a agregação das prioridades individuais. Este trabalho foca na segunda abordagem propondo um modelo para decisão em grupo nas situações em que não se tem informação a respeito da importância dos decisores. Nesse modelo o método ELECTRE II é utilizado no primeiro momento e o método ELECTRE IV é utilizado no segundo momento, quando se faz a avaliação coletiva dos decisores. Uma aplicação numérica é apresentada para ilustrar o modelo.

Often decisions taken in organizations are made by a group of people, and in order to build a collective decision, the preferences of individuals must be considered. The two most useful approaches to aggregating individual preferences are the aggregation of individual judgments and the aggregation of individual priorities. This paper focuses on the latter approach and proposes a multicriteria group decision model in situations where there is no information with regard to the relative importance of the decision-makers. This model includes three stages. In the first, the ELECTRE II method is applied so as to obtain the individual rankings. In the second stage, a global matrix of alternatives versus decision-makers is built up using the results from the previous stage. Finally, the third stage aggregates the individual preferences by applying the ELECTRE IV method and the final collective evaluation is undertaken. A numerical application is presented to illustrate the model.