Decision theoretic fuzzy modelling for product quality and design evaluation of basketballs using deck of cards strategy

Quality and design assessment of basketball is a complex decision-making (DM) problem, particularly when more than one consideration of the relationships between performance and consumer satisfaction has to be met. The conventional evaluation models are also not sufficient in many ways as they require accurate numerical input and cannot cope with the subjective nature of human considerations. In this paper, a hybrid fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, incorporating intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS) and the deck of cards method (DoCM), is described. This new technique complements the traditional MCDM techniques in that it enables specialists express their uncertainty with membership, non-membership as well as hedging, and to represent their preferences graphically with card-based gaps. The alternatives ranking is created in two phases: by obtaining normalized weights through preference gaps by using DoCM; by combining the normalized weights with intuitionistic fuzzy values of the alternatives on multiple criteria. The outcome is an interpretable prioritization of alternatives. The IF-DoCM aggregates fuzzy linguistic appraisals with ordinal preferences and degrees of hesitation to determine normalized utility scores and to rank alternatives in decreasing order of suitability. A case study is used to compare five models of basketball based on six primary criteria. A case study is presented that compares five basketball models to each other using six primary criteria: the quality of the material, grip and control, consistency of bounce, durability, design appearance, and selling price. Experts are consulted, and ratings are assigned to each alternative. A fuzzy DoCM approach is then used to provide the final ranking. The findings demonstrate how this mixed decision-making (DM) model illuminates' uncertainty and facilitates more informed product development and selection decisions within the sports equipment industry. The same methodology can be applied to other durable consumer goods, in which the assessment of quality and design is based on subjective judgments.