The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) as a Multicriteria Decision Tool for Facility Location with a Sustainability Approach

The location of the facilities is part of the strategic decisions that a company or group of investors wishes to make, with the clear objective of minimizing total costs and maximizing the profitability of the project. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), being a multi-criteria decision technique, can be used to solve these types of decisions. This article proposes a decision-making model based on the hierarchical analysis process (AHP) for the location of manufacturing facilities. The model consists of six levels of hierarchy: 1. Objective. 2. Categories (three). 3. Criteria (ten). 4. Subcriteria (twenty-three). 5. Rating scale. (five), and 6. Alternatives \((n \ge 2)\) . The elements that are part of the model have been established through a bibliographic re-view based on the PRISMA methodology to include criteria focused on the three pillars of sustainability (social, environmental, and economic). In addition, it has carried out the final validation with professionals who work in manufacturing areas. The proposed model can be applied to improve group decision-making in selecting an alternative location for manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, it is considered that the decision process is systematic and that the use of the proposed AHP model can reduce the time necessary to select one among several alternatives.