A combined analytic hierarchy process and goal programming model for quality control systems

Using the results of previous studies of service quality attributes, five sets of quality measures are identified. These indicators or measures, through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), are then accurately and consistently weighted. The priority weights are, in turn, incorporated in a goal-programming model to help select the ‘best’ set of quality control instruments for customer data collection purposes. The paper proposes a decision aid that will allow weighting (prioritizing) of a firm's unique service quality measures, consider the real world resource limitations (i.e., budget, hour, labor, etc.), and select the optimal set of service quality control instruments. The paper addresses two important issues: how to incorporate and decide upon quality control measures in a service industry, and how to incorporate the AHP into the model. A real world case study illustrates the application of this combined analytic hierarchy process and goal-programming model.