Using the analytic hierarchy process approach in the credit evaluation of the manufacturing firms in Turkey

In this study, a credit evaluation and decision-making model is developed for the banks to determine the credibility of the manufacturing firms. The main starting point for this study is to measure the long-term profitability of manufacturing firms. A manufacturing firm is expected to pay its debt and interest on its debt by using its profits over the debt term. The profit of a manufacturing firm is the difference between its revenues and expenditures, and the credibility of a manufacturing firm must be proportional to the expected profit during the credit term. Higher profit expectations for the firms should lead to higher credibility scores which are assigned by the banks in the credit evaluation process. Both qualititative and quantitative criteria and information should be considered in the credit evaluation processes of the banks to determine the credibility of a firm. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP), which combines qualitative and quantitative criteria to obtain a single score, is used in this study. In the application of the AHP to the credit evaluation process in the banks, the relevant criteria, sub-criteria and measures are classified and placed in a hierarchical decision structure to calculate overall credibility scores for applicant manufacturing firms. An example is provided for illustrative purposes.