A framework based on fuzzy Delphi and DEMATEL for sustainable product development: A case of Indian automotive industry

Abstract Constantly increasing environmental problems has led the governments worldwide to impose strict regulations and policies on industries for producing sustainable products. Industries adopt various ecodesign practices (EPs) to achieve the goal of sustainable product development. However, the significance of these EPs in the production of environmentally friendly products is not clearly understood by the industries, especially in developing economies such as India. In this study, a hybrid framework based on fuzzy Delphi and Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach is proposed to identify various EPs and analyze the causal (i.e. cause and effect) relationships among these EPs to obtain most significant practices for sustainable product development. The proposed framework is illustrated by taking a case of Indian automotive industry. A panel of fifteen experts from Indian automotive companies and academy is involved in this study. This study helps the designers not only to find EPs relevant to automotive products but also to understand the complex relationship among these EPs. Results show that ‘Using alternative manufacturing techniques’, ‘Enhancing durability and reliability’ and ‘Ensuring easier maintenance and repair’ are the three most significant EPs for sustainable development of automotive products.