Using DSS methods in selecting operations management software

The multitude of software packages available today for production and operations management creates a selection problem. This paper proposes a methodology and a tool to aid decision makers in evaluating and selecting the most appropriate package for their firm. The methodology deals with manufacturing resource planning (MRP) software and outlines two phases: the enumeration of an extensive list of criteria for MRP and the identification of a decision-making method to be used on the basis of these criteria. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), also selected by the methodology, is applied to an actual case where a software package is selected for an industrial enterprise. Organizational and human implications resulting from the introduction of an MRP package are discussed.