Selecting Suppliers in a Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Using an Integrated SWARA and COPRAS Approach

Authors

  • Mohsen Soleimani * Department of Industrial Engineering, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
  • Maryam Mozaffari Department of Industrial Engineering, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.48314/ijorai.v2i2.92

Abstract

This study aims to select suppliers within a sustainable and resilient supply chain using a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making approach composed of the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and the Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) methods. To this end, key indicators were first identified through a literature review and library-based studies. They were then screened using the Delphi method and subsequently classified through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Based on the results of this analysis, the indicators were grouped into two main categories: sustainable supply chain and resilient supply chain. They were weighted and prioritized using the SWARA technique. In the exploratory analysis phase, 300 employees from the production and operations departments of Ilam Cement Company participated in the questionnaire survey using a census sampling approach. In addition, 10 experts and managers from Ilam Cement Company were involved in the Delphi process. The results indicated that among the sub-criteria, Environmental Management Systems (e.g., ISO 14001 certification) ranked first, on-time delivery ranked second, and environmental pollutant emissions ranked third. Finally, the shortlisted suppliers of Ilam Cement Company were evaluated and ranked using the COPRAS multi-criteria decision-making method. The results of applying the integrated SWARA–COPRAS approach demonstrate that the simultaneous integration of sustainability and resilience dimensions can provide a more accurate assessment of supplier capability in manufacturing industries.    

Keywords:

Supplier selection, Sustainable supply chain, Resilient supply chain, Multi-criteria decision-making

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Published

2026-06-16

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Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026): International Journal of Operations Research and Artificial Intelligence (IJORAI)

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How to Cite

Soleimani, M. ., & Mozaffari, M. . (2026). Selecting Suppliers in a Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Using an Integrated SWARA and COPRAS Approach. International Journal of Operations Research and Artificial Intelligence , 2(2), 91-107. https://doi.org/10.48314/ijorai.v2i2.92

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