4.2 MCDM approach
MCDM refers to an approach of problem-solving that is employed to solve problems involving selection from a
finite number of alternatives. The MCDM method is a procedure that specifies how criteria information is to be
processed in order to arrive at a choice. Often the terms MCDM, multiple attribute decision-making (MADM), and
multiple objective decision-making (MODM) are confused or used with the same meaning (Crispim and Pinho de
Sousa 2009). Generally, the basic steps of MCDM methods are as follows: establishing the system evaluation criteria
for achieving the goals; generating alternatives; assessing alternatives in terms of criteria; applying a MCDM
method; determining and ordering the alternatives from the best (optimal) to the worst; and finally, if this solution is
unacceptable, collecting the new data and repeating all the steps (Zeydan and C¸ olpan 2009). Many MCDM methods
have been defined in the literature (Hwang and Yoon 1981).