TY  - JOUR
AU  - Sari, Irem Ucal
AU  - Cebi, Selcuk
AU  - Şengül, Ersin
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/30
TI  - A Spherical Fuzzy Set-Based Decision Support System for Evaluation of Logistics Subcontractors in 3PL Operations
JO  - ICCK Transactions on Advanced Fuzzy Systems
T2  - ICCK Transactions on Advanced Fuzzy Systems
JF  - ICCK Transactions on Advanced Fuzzy Systems
VL  - 1
IS  - 1
SP  - 18
EP  - 31
DO  - 10.62762/TAFS.2025.867168
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/TAFS.2025.867168
KW  - third-party logistics
KW  - spherical fuzzy sets
KW  - AHP
KW  - TOPSIS
AB  - The increasing complexity of global supply chains has made third-party logistics (3PL) service providers essential for companies seeking operational flexibility and cost efficiency. On-time delivery, a critical performance metric, directly impacts customer satisfaction, long-term business partnerships, and corporate reputation. However, challenges such as subcontractor management, subjective performance evaluation, and uncertainty in data significantly affect the reliability of performance assessments. This study proposes a novel decision support system utilizing Interval-Valued Spherical Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IVSF-AHP) and Interval-Valued Spherical Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (IVSF-TOPSIS) to evaluate the performance of logistics subcontractors. The IVSF-AHP method dynamically weights performance criteria, while the IVSF-TOPSIS model ranks subcontractor performance under uncertainty. The proposed model contributes to the literature by integrating fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches to reflect both objective and subjective evaluations, offering a flexible and adaptive performance monitoring mechanism for 3PL firms. The framework is validated through a practical example, demonstrating its ability to support strategic and operational decisions in logistics subcontractor management.
SN  - request pending
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 

@article{Sari2026A,
  author = {Irem Ucal Sari and Selcuk Cebi and Ersin Şengül},
  title = {A Spherical Fuzzy Set-Based Decision Support System for Evaluation of Logistics Subcontractors in 3PL Operations},
  journal = {ICCK Transactions on Advanced Fuzzy Systems},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {1},
  number = {1},
  pages = {18-31},
  doi = {10.62762/TAFS.2025.867168},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/TAFS.2025.867168},
  abstract = {The increasing complexity of global supply chains has made third-party logistics (3PL) service providers essential for companies seeking operational flexibility and cost efficiency. On-time delivery, a critical performance metric, directly impacts customer satisfaction, long-term business partnerships, and corporate reputation. However, challenges such as subcontractor management, subjective performance evaluation, and uncertainty in data significantly affect the reliability of performance assessments. This study proposes a novel decision support system utilizing Interval-Valued Spherical Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IVSF-AHP) and Interval-Valued Spherical Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (IVSF-TOPSIS) to evaluate the performance of logistics subcontractors. The IVSF-AHP method dynamically weights performance criteria, while the IVSF-TOPSIS model ranks subcontractor performance under uncertainty. The proposed model contributes to the literature by integrating fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches to reflect both objective and subjective evaluations, offering a flexible and adaptive performance monitoring mechanism for 3PL firms. The framework is validated through a practical example, demonstrating its ability to support strategic and operational decisions in logistics subcontractor management.},
  keywords = {third-party logistics, spherical fuzzy sets, AHP, TOPSIS},
  issn = {request pending},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}