A novel integrated fuzzy-rough MCDM model for assessment of barriers related to smart logistics applications and demand forecasting method in the COVID-19 period

Abstract

During the pandemic period, smart logistics applications have rapidly changed the way organizations do business in order to provide competitive products and services while still remaining flexible. Smart logistics applications and demand forecasting, which have an important place in ensuring customer satisfaction and increasing competitive advantage, came to the fore even more in this period. However, smart logistics applications are often bogged down by several barriers, and then there is the need to choose the most ideal demand forecasting method despite these barriers. The main purpose of this study is to assess the barriers to the smart logistics applications in companies that receive and provide logistics services with corporate identity in Ordu Province, and to choose the most ideal demand forecasting method during the COVID-19 period. This study has the characteristic of a roadmap that helps the construction of smart logistics transformation applications by detecting barriers related to smart logistics applications and determining the most ideal demand forecasting alternative in logistics sector. Fuzzy FUCOM (FUll COnsistency Method)-based interval rough EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution) methodology was used to weight the barriers and to rank and choose the most ideal demand forecasting method during COVID-19 period, respectively.