A RANCOM-QFD decision-support framework for Shipyard 4.0 software requirement prioritization

Abstract

The transition toward the Shipyard 4.0 paradigm requires integrated digital solutions that improve process efficiency and strengthen decision-making across enterprise information systems and shop-floor operations. This study proposes a digital technology-based process improvement and decision-support methodology for serial-production shipyards. Using the RANCOM (RANking COMparison) multi-criteria decision-making approach, thirty-four criteria grouped under seven dimensions were evaluated and prioritized based on expert assessments from serial-production shipyards. The results show that Enterprise information management (21.47%) and Production planning & execution (21.14%) together account for more than 42% of the total weight. Real-time ERP data availability (5.80%), Cycle time & efficiency measurement (5.66%), and Bottleneck detection capability (5.42%) emerged as influential sub-criteria. Subsequently, Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is used to define Shipyard 4.0 software objectives. The QFD analysis identified Optimizing workforce and resource utilization (20.32%) as the highest-priority objective, followed by Rapid integration with existing shipyard processes and legacy systems (16.38%). Kendall's W, leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, and subgroup comparisons confirmed the robustness of the results. Beyond ranking transformation criteria, the proposed framework establishes an implementation bridge by translating empirically weighted Shipyard 4.0 drivers into ERP-MES-oriented software objectives, providing managers with a practical basis for software scope definition, integration planning, and digital transformation sequencing.