Evaluation of different drying methods on the quality of Cinnamomum cassia barks by analytic hierarchy process method.

Cinnamomum cassia Presl is a major food spice as well as traditional herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and stomachic properties, which must be dried to preserve its quality, but mostly by using traditional, ineffective drying method. In order to find a scientific drying method by evaluating different drying methods that could influence the quality of C. cassia, ten indices were employed to evaluate different drying methods in C. cassia using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method though calculating the total scores and ranking the priority. Four quality markers (Q-Markers) (coumarin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamaldehyde and o-methoxycinnamaldehyde) were isolated from the samples and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method under different drying methods. The results showed that various drying methods had multiple effects on the physicochemical qualities, essential oil content, and Q-Marker contents. Compared with other drying methods, oven-drying of 45 °C (45OD) maintained optimal levels of color and aroma, it also significantly shortened the drying time by 225 h than traditionally shade-drying (SHD) method with the drying rate (48.35 %), and obtained the highest essential oil content (3.05 %) and Q-Marker contents (30.23 mg g-1). Furthermore, the ash content (4.22 %) were satisfied with the stipulation of Chinese pharmacopoeia in 45OD samples. Applying AHP allowed us to identify 45OD as the optimal drying method with the highest total score (9.00), followed by the traditional shade-drying (SHD) method (7.88). The present study is the first report to apply the AHP method for quality evaluation of drying processing in C. cassia. It can provide the theoretical basis for evaluating an excellent method for C. cassia drying processing, as well as the rational use of different drying methods to furtherly develop the high quality C. cassia industry.

Application of geospatial technology on land suitability analysis for wheat and maize farming: In a case of Guder sub-watershed North West Oromia, Ethiopia.

Cereal crops like wheat and maize are crucial to providing food security in rural areas of Ethiopia. However, due to population growth, agricultural practices for these cereal crops have been expanded to vulnerable areas, and increasing land degradation. Geospatial technologies are essential for decision-making to reduce land degradation and ensure sustainable agriculture activities. In the Guder sub-watershed, Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, where land degradation has been a persistent issue, agricultural suitability study is crucial. This study is focused on the Guder sub-watershed, which aimed to analyze the land suitability based on ten controlling parameters, including elevation, slope, soil texture, soil depth, soil PH, soil drainage, proximity to the road, temperature, rainfall and land use/land cover, for the two most significant cereal crops (wheat and maize). All of these factors were weighted in accordance with the relative importance of each component for the appropriateness of wheat and maize land suitability using MCDA and AHP method, based on the recommendations of numerous writers and expert opinions. The findings of the study showed that 6 %, 50.58 %, 23.26 %, and 20.26 % of the total study area were highly, moderately, marginally and not suitable for wheat cultivation, respectively, whereas 5.1 %, 57.3 %, 17.3 %, and 20.3 % of the study area were highly, moderately, marginally and not suitable for cultivating maize crop respectively. This result support decision makers to develop land use planning thereby improve productivity and minimize land degradation.

An integrated design concept evaluation model based on interval valued picture fuzzy set and improved GRP method.

The objective of this research is to enhance the precision and efficiency of design concept assessments during the initial stages of new product creation. Design concept evaluation, which occurs at the end of the conceptual design phase, is a critical step in product development. The outcome of this evaluation significantly impacts the product's eventual success, as flawed design concepts are difficult to remedy in later stages. However, the evaluation of new product concepts is a procedure that encompasses elements of subjectivity and ambiguity. In order to deal with the problem, a novel decision-making method for choosing more logical new product concepts is introduced. Basically, the evaluation process is outlined in three main phases: the construction of evaluation index system for design concept alternatives, the calculation of weights for evaluation criteria and decision-makers, the selection of the best design concept alternatives. These stages are composed of a hybrid method based on kano model, multiplicative analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, the entropy of IVPFS and improved grey relational projection (GRP) under interval-valued picture fuzzy set (IVPFS). The novel approach integrates the strength of interval-valued picture fuzzy number in handling vagueness, the advantage of multiplicative AHP and the merit of improved GRP method in modelling multi-criteria decision-making. In final, the effectiveness of the proposed model is validated through comparisons with other models. The potential applications of this study include but are not limited to product development, industrial design, and innovation management, providing decision-makers with a more accurate and comprehensive design concept evaluation tool.

Multiple-criteria decision analysis techniques for anaerobic digester technology assessment.

Effective decision-making requires the evaluation of several criteria rather than a single, preferred criterion. The best decision options (alternatives) are recommended to decision-makers when a multi-criteria decision problem is addressed. This study develops a multi-criteria selection method for the assessment of small-scale anaerobic digester technology by combining two existing methods. The Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approaches of multiple-criteria decision analysis were used as a decision support tool, and the preferred anaerobic digester technology was selected from a list of eleven potential small-scale digester technologies used in low to middle-income countries. These techniques were applied under two scenarios for a case study in the South African smallholder farmers. Scenario 1 involves a subsistence smallholder farming context, while scenario 2 involves a commercially oriented smallholder farming context. The overall results revealed that the DIY Biobag and Puxin digester design models achieved 82.1 and 73.7 % preference in comparison to other digester technologies for scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. The Biobag digester technology achieved the highest ranking, which is consistent with the significant cost advantage and technical characteristics of the technology. However, for those households with sufficient access to funds for the initial expenditure, the method identifies the Puxin digester as the most appropriate alternative, excluding cases where underground construction is not possible. The AGAMA BiogasPro digester was ranked in the second position in both scenarios. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the effect of changes in the assessment criteria weights and found the selected alternatives stable and robust. Finally, it can be concluded that the developed technology selection model contributed a knowledge-based framework to be used in various situations by different decision-makers, thereby providing a method applicable to particular local conditions to identify the most suitable technology choices.

Groundwater potential mapping in Trans Yamuna Region, Prayagraj, using combination of geospatial technologies and AHP method.

In this study, the combination of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) was utilized to identify the Groundwater Potential Zones (GPZs) of the Trans-Yamuna region. The Groundwater Potential Zones (GPZ) were mapped by integrating drainage density, slope, geology, geomorphology, NDVI, lineament density, rainfall, soil types, land use & land cover, and topographic wetness index maps. For the prediction output to have a non-trivial degree of accuracy, multicollinearity tests were run before integrating the layers. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), groundwater recharge-affecting parameters and classes of each parameter were scored. All thematic layers were integrated using weighted linear combination on a GIS platform to create a groundwater potential zone map. The outcomes of the model indicate that the research region exhibits three distinct groundwater potential zones, namely low (11.928%; 354.884 km2), moderate (76.44%; 2274.4 km2), and high (11.267%; 345.943 km2), in sequential sequence. These categories define the model's output in descending order of how closely it matches the actual conditions. After that, a map removal sensitivity analysis was also executed and found that geology, geomorphology, lineament density and drainage density strongly influence the prediction model for groundwater potential zone identification. The reliability of the results is established by employing a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve for evaluation, which demonstrates a prediction accuracy of 81.3%. Authorities responsible for groundwater resource management can use this study's findings to better inform future regulatory initiatives.

Disaster-development interface and its impact on emerging vulnerability scenario in Ladakh region of northwestern Himalayas.

The Union Territory of Ladakh, located in the northwestern Himalayan region, is highly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic hazards like earthquakes, landslides, snow avalanches, flash floods, cloud bursts, and border conflicts. Occurrences of these disasters have significantly influenced the development and vulnerability scenario of Trans-Himalayan Ladakh. Findings reveal that despite suffering losses from natural and human-induced disasters, the region has benefited by grabbing the attention of policymakers at the national level. Consequently, long-term developments were positively impacted, reflecting infrastructural upgradation, improved transportation and communication, profoundly improving the socio-economic well-being of the people. Furthermore, post-disaster developments have managed to showcase the unique physiography and adventurous terrains of Ladakh, promoting tourism as the main economic driver in the region. The exponential growth of tourism and associated sectors have influenced the vulnerability scenario, which was quantified using the multi-criterion-based analytical hierarchical processes (AHP) method, indicating an increase in climate change-related vulnerability, followed by socio-cultural, environmental, and physical vulnerabilities. Specifically, the vulnerabilities with respect to flash floods, landslides, erratic rainfall, haphazard constructions, cultural dilution, water crisis, and changes in land use patterns have been exacerbated across the study area. The study highlights the need for effective management of these emerging vulnerabilities through proper planning to ensure long-term sustainable development goals in this environmentally fragile region.

Fuzzy AHP-based spatial distribution of fig tree cultivation in Zaprionus indianus infection risk for sustainable agriculture development.

The spatial distribution of fig trees infected by Zaprionus indianus (ZI) disease, an invasive pest, was analyzed as a control solution to determine the prone area of their growth and cultivation prevention in Southwest Iran. With this aim, the study presented the use of 9 suitability variables for fig tree cultivation mapping in 3 main steps: (i) pre-processing data of each input variable with fuzzy membership function, (ii) land suitability mapping (LSM) by using the pair-wise comparison matrix of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method and Geographical Information System (GIS) technique, (iii) exclusion layers of Zaprionus indianus from the temperature data and growing degree days (GDD) (from April to October) with the support of inverse distance weighting (IDW) method. The results show that the central regions and parts of the east and northwest of the region (16%) are more suitable for fig cultivation. Compared to 7 growth periods, the insect is more active in the southern parts of the region than in the northern parts. Therefore, it is possible to cultivate figs with high yield in parts of the region where the land is suitable for growing this crop with the lowest activity of ZI. The overlay results show that the suitability distribution of fig cultivation in high and very high levels is mainly in the central regions (13,300 km2, 10%), parts of the east (5320 km2, 4%), and northwest (2660 km2, 2%) of the region. The proposed approach can be useful for management, planners, and local people in the development of agricultural production areas.

Multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS to determine land suitability for cultivation and best harvest time of vine.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the quality of land suitability for vine cultivation in south-western Iran was evaluated and a land suitability map for vine cultivation was developed using the fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The best harvest time of vines was determined based on the relationship between total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) with fruit colour (red, green, and blue or RGB) in ten points and also the growing degree-days (GDD) maps from April to December. The relationship between GDD and effective parameters in vine cultivation was determined using principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation methods. RESULTS: The results illustrated that the maximum temperature and relative humidity (RH) have the greatest effect on vine cultivation and its yield (weight 0.24). The results of the land suitability map showed that central regions have better conditions for growing vines (32%). The measurements of TA and TSS depicted that vines of the northern parts have higher TA and lower TSS and there is a significant relationship between them and fruit colour. The results of GDD maps showed that the harvest time of ruby vine and Gezel-azm is July and August, respectively. Also, the temperature (Tmean , Tmax and Tmin ), wind speed, and GDD were the most important parameters to determine the best location for vine cultivation. CONCLUSION: Determining land suitability for cultivation, the best harvest time, the time of grape ripening, and following the exact time of export and import of vine has a vital role to increase its productivity and services. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quality evaluation of entrepreneurship education in higher education based on CIPP model and AHP-FCE methods.

Entrepreneurship education has become an important component of higher education development. The purpose of this study is to evaluate entrepreneurship education and determine the extent of satisfaction with the education program. Firstly, based on the CIPP model, this article theoretically analyzes the factors affecting the quality of entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities, and clarifies the keys to improve that education quality. On this basis, using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) method, the evaluation index system and fuzzy evaluation model of entrepreneurial education are established. The results show that student participation is the most important factor affecting the quality of entrepreneurship education. Empirical analysis indicates that students have the highest satisfaction with teachers and the lowest satisfaction with the entrepreneurial environment. Apart from convenient and effective measurement of entrepreneurship education, the proposed model provides an important reference for improving the quality of entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities.

Assessment of water availability for agricultural activities in the savannah Plateau of Adamawa-Cameroon.

The availability of water for agricultural use in the savannah plateau of Adamawa, Cameroon, is addressed in this paper. Specific field tests coupled with climatic data analysis have helped to characterize the hydrological and hydrogeological conditions of water resources in a small catchment. An agricultural suitability map, based on the water availability during the dry season, is produced. Measured saturated hydraulic conductivities indicated an acceptable disposition of the soils for agriculture. The transmissivity values indicated moderate groundwater potential with mean annual recharge of 96 mm. The agricultural suitability map shows that only 8.8% of the basin area is very favorable for agriculture and that 51% of the basin is not suitable for agriculture, due to water scarcity during the dry season. Due to the considerable depth to the water table, pumping for irrigation purposes is not affordable for the local low-income farmers. Therefore, there is a need to implement adapted solutions for irrigation to support farmers' endeavors, such as the development of water retention basins or the construction of boreholes equipped with electric pumps supplied by solar energy for irrigation.

A Multi-Analysis of Children and Adolescents' Video Gaming Addiction with the AHP and TOPSIS Methods.

The video game market has become increasingly popular among children and adolescents in recent decades. In this research, we investigated the Video Game Addiction Scale (VGAS) for Chinese children and adolescents. We aimed to examine children and adolescents' prioritization on the VGAS criteria and comparative analysis of the trend of video game addiction among them. A cross-sectional paper questionnaire study was conducted on 1400 Chinese students from grade 3 (9 years old) to grade 12 (18 years old). The respondents had to complete the socio-demographic information and the VGAS test. The VGAS characteristic was prepared in 18 criteria, which was the combination of the Video Game Addiction Test (VAT), Gaming Addiction Scale (GAS), and Revised Chinese Internet Addiction (CIAS-R). Eventually, the VGAS criteria prioritization was ranked methodologically through the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method for each grade separately. Additionally, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) weighting technique was utilized to analyze the video game addiction of each grade under the four alternatives, individually. The results indicate that 3rd-grade students with some levels of addiction were the youngest who felt their life would not be fun without video games. Students in 5th grade with some levels of addiction were the youngest students who disclosed that their willingness to play video games is for forgetting their problems or feeling down. Moreover, they played video games more than before, thus, they did not sleep enough. Pupils of grade 6 reported that they played video games more than last semester. In their opinion, it is fair to play video games this much and does not need to reduce playing hours. Not getting enough sleep because of playing video games was seen in 7th graders as their first preference. 10th-grade students were the first to neglect to do their important responsibilities for playing video games. None of the 7th and 12th graders were somehow safe from video game addiction. In conclusion, playing video games can negatively affect studying, sleeplessness, getting far from society, and skipping important responsibilities for school students. Furthermore, the symptoms of video game addiction had seen at younger ages. These data provided insights for decision-makers to target effective measures to prevent children and adolescents' video game addiction.

Investigation of land use changes in rural areas using MCDM and CA-Markov chain and their effects on water quality and soil fertility in south of Iran.

The purpose of the study is to predict drought changes in Dariun, Fars Province, and their impact on water and soil quality. To prepare drought, water, and soil quality zoning maps, Landsat satellite images and the kriging method were used. The fuzzy maps and weights for each parameter were then determined using fuzzy and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods. Additionally, cellular automata (CA)-Markov chains were used in order to predict the impact of drought changes on water and soil quality. Using the fuzzy-AHP method, water quality and soil fertility in 2020 were lower compared to previous years, mainly because of land use changes that increased pollution. Based on results of the Markov and CA-Markov chains, approximately 31% of the region will have very poor levels of soil fertility and water quality in 2050. Further, based on remote sensing indicators, it is determined that about 25% of the region will be at high risk of drought in 2050. Thus, if adequate management of the region is not done, the possibility of living in these areas may diminish in the coming years due to drought and deteriorated water and soil quality.

Cultural ecology cognition and heritage value of huizhou traditional villages.

Heritage value is a prerequisite for protecting and utilising traditional villages. In response to the unclear definition of heritage value, this study develops a conceptual model and an indicator system of traditional village heritage value based on cultural ecology. Additionally, the study analyses heritage value using a three-dimensional matrix model and cluster analysis. The results show significant differences in the heritage value of Huizhou traditional villages. High heritage values are mainly distributed in Yi County and She County, while low heritage values are mainly distributed at the edges of the region. Among the diversity, continuity and integrity differences, the integrity difference is the highest, and is reflected in the quality of heritage ontology and the relationship between heritage ontology and the surrounding environment. In addition, four types of Huizhou traditional villages are identified: resource single type, inheritance dilemma type, quality dilemma type, and heritage vitality type. Utilisation strategies are proposed for the four types to guide the classified management of traditional villages.

Evaluation of wetland ecosystem health using geospatial technology: evidence from the lower Gangetic flood plain in India.

The floodplain wetland habitat in the lower Gangetic plains of West Bengal played a significant role in protecting from environmental degradation like pollution, lowering groundwater table, natural hazards, and others as well as supports for human wellbeing. Thus, it is needed to investigate the health status of wetlands and suggest restoration strategies to protect the livelihood patterns dependent on wetlands. This paper presents the health of the wetland ecosystem by comprising the wetland ecosystem health index (WHI) in 2011 and 2018 at the block level of Malda district, as a part of the lower Gangetic flood plain using the pressure-state-response model (PSR model) and AHP method. A total number of six Landsat satellite images and statistical census data were used to determine the wetland health. Wetlands are classified as very healthy (2.81-3.33), healthy (2.41-2.80), sub-healthy (2.01-2.40), unhealthy (1.61-2.00), and sick (0-1.60) category on the basis of the wetland ecosystem health index score. The results of this study showed that the wetlands located surrounding English Bazar, Manikchak, Ratua-II, and Kaliachak-II blocks have a sub-healthy to very healthy condition in 2011 but changed to unhealthy to sick category in 2018 due to the increase of rapid urbanization, population density, and development activities. These areas have belonged to the sub-healthy to sick category in the year 2011 as well as 2018 due to high wetland pressure. Our observation reveals that the ecosystem service value provided by wetlands decreased by 62.51% and 20.46 in the observed period. Management of WEH should emphasize on large (>100 ha) and medium (51-100 ha) sizes of wetlands in the Diara region of West Bengal. Developing local-level institutions and setting restoration goals are useful strategies to manage wetland resources, and protecting biodiversity should be guided by the Government organization and NGOs.

Low-Carbon and Fundamental Properties of Eco-Efficient Mortar with Recycled Powders.

Using recycled powders from solid waste is accepted as an effective strategy to realize the sustainable development of the construction industry. In our study, the cement was substituted by two kinds of recycled powders, i.e., spontaneous combustion gangue powder (SCGP) and recycled concrete powder (RCP), with a certain replacement ratio of 30%. The experimental variables were mainly the type of replacement powder (e.g., SCGP, RCP, and SCGP + RCP) and the grinding time of RCP (e.g., 25 min, 50 min, and 75 min). The fundamental properties, including mechanical properties, long-term properties, and carbon emission, were analyzed for all the mortar mixtures. Experimental results indicate that incorporation of RCP contributes to enhancing the toughness and dry shrinkage resistance of eco-efficient mortar, while SCGP positively affects the compressive strength and chloride resistance. The grinding process improves the activity of RCP to a certain extent, while a long grinding time leads to fusion and aggregation between powders. Investigation on CO2 emission demonstrates that carbon emission from cement production accounts for the largest proportion, 80~95%, in the total emission from mortar production. Combined with the AHP model, eco-efficient mortar containing 15% RCP ground for 50 min and 15% SCGP displays optimal fundamental properties.

New Rehabilitation Assessment Method of the End-Effector Finger Rehabilitation Robot Based on Multi-Sensor Source.

In the process of rehabilitation, the objectivity and the accuracy of rehabilitation assessment have an obvious impact on the follow-up training. To improve this problem, using a multi-sensor source, this paper attempts to establish a comprehensive assessment method of the finger rehabilitation effect, including three indicators of finger muscle strength, muscle fatigue degree, and range of motion. Firstly, on the basis of the fingertip pressure sensor of the End-Effector Finger Rehabilitation Robot, a mathematical model of finger muscle strength estimation was established, and the estimated muscle strength was scored using the entropy weight method. Secondly, using an sEMG signal sensor, a fatigue monitoring system was designed in the training process, and the fatigue degree was determined on the basis of the change trend of the eigenvalues of MAV and RMS. Lastly, a human-machine motion coupling model was established, and the joint range of motion acquisition and scoring model were obtained on the basis of the motor encoder. According to the above three indicators, using the AHP assessment method to establish a comprehensive rehabilitation assessment method, the effectiveness of the method was verified by experiments. This paper provides a potential new idea and method for objective, accurate, and convenient assessment of finger function rehabilitation, which is of positive significance for alleviating the burden on rehabilitation doctors and improving rehabilitation efficiency.

Evaluation of flood risk analyses with AHP, Kriging, and weighted sum models: example of Çapakçur, Yesilköy, and Yamaç microcatchments.

The present study aims to use the Bingol city center and agricultural plain as a base in future flood management plans and scenarios through flood modeling. In accordance with this purpose, the precipitation map of the catchment was prepared using the Kriging method by assigning values, with the Schreiber formula. Then, the slope, aspect, distance to the stream, land use, geology, soil, and precipitation maps were classified according to the analytical hierarchy process, and consistency indices and consistency ratios were calculated; thus, the factors affecting the flood were ranked as precipitation (CI 0.324), distance to the stream (CI 0.207), slope (CI 0.168), geology (CI 0.101), soil (CI 0.091), land use (CI 0.087), and aspect (CI 0.022). In the last step, consistency indices calculated by the AHP method were superposed on the weighted sum method, and then flood risk analysis was performed.

Prioritizing sponge city sites in rapidly urbanizing watersheds using multi-criteria decision model.

Spatial planning is crucial for sponge city (SC) construction; however, prioritizing SC sites at the watershed scale has not been fully explored. In this study, a multi-criteria decision model, considering demand and suitability of SC construction, was established by monitoring, model simulation, and index calculation. This new model was then tested in a rapidly urbanizing watershed, Beijing, China, and the priority of SC construction at both grid scale (1km×1km) and subwatershed scale was ranked. The results showed that the highest priority was found in emerging regions where urbanization is ongoing and followed by urban core areas. In addition, six indexes were identified by clustering heatmaps as key factors affecting the priority of SC planning, including topographic index, water pollution index, pollution rate based on the state standard of surface water environment quality, urbanization planning, urban levels, and vegetation index, which could guide SC planning in data-lacking regions. The approach and findings in this study cannot only provide helpful references for watershed managers and urban planners but also can be easily used in other regions.

Determining and forecasting drought susceptibility in southwestern Iran using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) coupled with CA-Markov model.

Forecasting drought and determining relevant data to predict drought are an important topic for decision-makers and planners. It is critical to predicting drought in the south of Fars province, an important agricultural center in Iran located in arid and semi-arid climates. The purpose of this study was to generate a drought map in 2019 using 12 parameters: altitude, aridity index, erosion, groundwater depth, land use, PET (Potential evapotranspiration), precipitation days, precipitation, slope, soil texture, soil salinity, and distance to river, and predict drought maps in 2030 and 2040 using the cellular automata (CA)-Markov model spatially. The fuzzy method was first used to homogenize the data. Next, by evaluating each parameter, the weight of each parameter was calculated using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and a map of drought-prone areas was generated. The results of the fuzzy-AHP method showed that the eastern and southeastern regions of the study area were prone to drought. The four most predictive parameters in causing drought, i.e., aridity index, PET, precipitation, and soil texture, were selected using the Best search method and were then chosen as the input to determine drought mapping using the fuzzy and AHP methods. Finally, the CA-Markov model was used to predict future drought maps, and the results showed that in 2030 and 2040 the drought situation in the east and south of the study area would intensify.

Designing a Transportation-Strategy Decision-Making Process for a Supply Chain: Case of a Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.

Including an active participation of stakeholders along the transportation decision-making process is increasingly recognized as a necessary condition for reaching successful and high-quality decisions. This paper presents a framework for deciding on the appropriate transportation strategy for a supply chain from a multistakeholder perspective. It consists of three steps: (1) defining the transportation-strategy decision-making context and the objectives that must be achieved; (2) analyzing the actual transportation strategy regarding its three components: transportation network; transportation mode; and transportation insource/outsource, as well as identifying the stakeholders interested in the study; and (3) conducting a group decision making regarding each transportation strategy's component, while involving the key stakeholders and taking into account the specificities of transported products. The proposed framework is then applied to a real case of the Moroccan public pharmaceutical supply chain, which has different features that distinguish it from other supply chains including its importance, urgency, and regulation. We employed the DELPHI method to determine the key stakeholders that should be involved in the decisional process. After that, we applied the group AHP method for selecting the appropriate transport-network design option while involving the identified key stakeholders.