Providing a model for evaluating and selecting suppliers of three-phase self-sustaining cables using the interactive approach of analytical hierarchical process and goal programming

Limited resources in the current competitive world have motivated the companies to use from technological tools in order to increase their productivity and efficiency. In this context, identification and selection of suppliers of raw materials and consumer and capital goods in production processes and services are a long step in achieving the goal of survival and excellence. On the other hand, organizations regard as a network of different companies in the supply chain that work together in order to create more added value for the final customer or consumer. Increasing added value by enhancing quality and reduces costs. Suppliers dramatically affect corporate performance in terms of price, quality, technology, and delivery. Therefore, in this study, practical criteria for the selection of suppliers in an Electricity Distribution Company are prioritized using an Analytical Hierarchical Process. An integration of the Analytical Hierarchy Process and Goal Programming use to goal restrictions in allocating an optimal order quantity to each supplier. In following, an integration of AHP and GP use in the case study to supply 500,000 m low-voltage three-phase self-sustaining cable (3 *50 + 25 + 25) to allocate an optimal order quantity to each supplier. The results indicated that a better solution could achieve using an interactive model. Overall, this study provided an appropriate model for using limited financial resources to provide better services to achieve a strategic and comparative advantage. Research results are also applicable in the following areas: 1. Provide appropriate solutions to increase the company's profitability by reducing supply costs. 2. Planning for investment and exploitation in the company's marketing department and supply of consumer goods. 3. Identify barriers in purchasing consumer goods and equipment and their impact on the proper marketing of the company. 4. Application of research in the supply of consumer goods in the electricity distribution company of Khorasan Razavi province and other large service and production companies and future researchers whose information is not accurate and whose criteria are diverse and vague. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12597-021-00570-0.