A Multi-Objective Model for Devices Procurement with Application in Health Care

Managers need to make informed choices about what to buy in order to meet priority needs and to avoid wasting limited resources. The procurement decision is a very difficult task since there exists a great variety of brands, vendors and equipment performances. In the present paper, we have developed a decision process for equipment procurement in which are used, in combination, a Multi-Criteria subjective weighting method SWARA (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) for equipment evaluation weights, an adaptation of SAW (Simple Additive Weighting) for equipment performance and a new Multi-Objective optimization model for equipment procurement. TheMulti-Objective model considers several types of equipment, their costs and their performances. The model aims to be an aiding in the decision process of equipment procurement.
Managers of health care systems need to find in their choices a compromise between the cost of procurement, brands' reputation, vendors' reputation and equipment performance. A numerical example for medical equipment procurement, based on sensors, is studied.