Decision-Making Tools to Support Innovation: Guidelines and Case Studies (Chemical Engineering: Innovation and Design in Chemical Engineering)

Hardcover, xxvii + 241 pages, NOT ex-library. Great interior, crisp, clean and bright throughout with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Boards show cosmetic handling wear, free of damage. Issued without a dust jacket. -- The book shows how multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools can be applied at various stages of the innovation process in industrial and organizational contexts. Grounded in the ISO 56002 standard for innovation management systems and the Potential Innovation Index (PII) framework developed at the University of Lorraine, it provides a pragmatic bridge between innovation theory and practical decision support. The volume is organized into six core chapters, each dedicated to a specific MCDM method and aligned with a different phase or domain of the innovation process. Each chapter combines theoretical exposition with applied analysis and implementation guidance, often including software-supported examples. The PROMETHEE method is explored first, in relation to the evaluation and selection of ideas in early-stage creativity workshops. It is used to assess alternatives in conditions of limited information and uncertainty, emphasizing contextual sensitivity in innovation ideation. The second chapter applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), coupled with DEMATEL, to upstream design decisions, with an emphasis on sustainable chemical processes. This coupling addresses both the relative importance of evaluation criteria and the interdependencies among them. The third chapter introduces the Rough Sets method in the context of strategic marketing decisions, particularly for managing market entry in the cosmetics sector. This method is used for rule-based classification, especially when preference data is implicit or incomplete. In the fourth chapter, Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) is applied to project portfolio selection within the oil industry. The method facilitates trade-off analysis among risk, return, and strategic alignment across competing projects. The fifth chapter applies ELECTRE to decision-making in human resource management, specifically for staff recruitment. This application demonstrates how to handle qualitative criteria and incomparability among options. Finally, the sixth chapter addresses knowledge management in supply chains using TOPSIS, a method that emphasizes proximity to ideal solutions and enables decision-makers to integrate uncertainty through extensions like fuzzy logic. Across all chapters, the book emphasizes the structured modeling of alternatives and evaluation criteria, the importance of appropriate method selection, and the trade-offs between ease of use, computational complexity, and the ability to reflect decision-makers' preferences. A central theme is the multidimensional nature of innovation decisions, which must reconcile conflicting technical, economic, environmental, and organizational criteria. By combining theoretical underpinnings with operational guidance and software tools, the book serves as a practical manual for students, academics, and professionals involved in innovation management, engineering design, strategic planning, and supply chain coordination. Readers gain exposure not only to established decision-making frameworks but also to their adaptation to evolving industry challenges. These include sustainability, digital transformation, and systemic uncertainty.…