Using multi-attribute decision-making approaches in the selection of a hospital management system

Technol Health Care. 2018;26(2):279-295. doi: 10.3233/THC-170947.

Abstract

The most appropriate organizational software is always a real challenge for managers, especially, the IT directors. The illustration of the term "enterprise software selection", is to purchase, create, or order a software that; first, is best adapted to require of the organization; and second, has suitable price and technical support. Specifying selection criteria and ranking them, is the primary prerequisite for this action. This article provides a method to evaluate, rank, and compare the available enterprise software for choosing the apt one. The prior mentioned method is constituted of three-stage processes. First, the method identifies the organizational requires and assesses them. Second, it selects the best method throughout three possibilities; indoor-production, buying software, and ordering special software for the native use. Third, the method evaluates, compares and ranks the alternative software. The third process uses different methods of multi attribute decision making (MADM), and compares the consequent results. Based on different characteristics of the problem; several methods had been tested, namely, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Elimination and Choice Expressing Reality (ELECTURE), and easy weight method. After all, we propose the most practical method for same problems.

Keywords: Software selection criteria; buy vs. make; buying model; hospital management system; multi-attribute decision-making (MADM); organizational buying behavior (OBB).

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Decision Making*
  • Hospital Administration*
  • Hospital Information Systems / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Needs Assessment
  • Software*