Supplier selection through an integrated multi-criteria decision-making model : a study on barge service providers in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

The logistics industry become one of the most rapidly growing sectors, primarily attributed to Vietnam's economic development. Most domestic transportation relies on road mode instead of inland waterways transport (IWT). With a long coast and large river country, Vietnam's transportation should advocate for waterborne systems. This study investigates the barge service providers in the Mekong Delta region (MDR) in southern Vietnam ̶ the focal economic development zone of Vietnam. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, we employ an integrated multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) method to estimate the best-fitting barge service providers. Accordingly, we recommend some policy implications for the MDR sustainable economic growth.