Fuzzy interpretation of performance scorecards for decision-making in the industrial context

International audienceThis article deals with the use, for industrial decision-making, of performance expressions that are provided by performance indicators and performance measurement systems. Two kinds of expression are distinguished in this sense: the performance measure on the one hand, and the performance evaluation on the other hand. While the performance measure identifies the achievement degree of the assigned objective, the performance evaluation handles the judgement of the decision-maker with regards to the obtained result. We focus in this study on the definition of a particular performance evaluation mechanism, which consists on a fuzzy symbolic handling of performance measures. Structural objective break-down that allows decision-makers to define the links between strategic, tactical and operational levels is the considered framework. We assume that performance measures are expressed at the operational level, for local control purposes, and look for translating them into performance evaluations, making them useful for the tactical decision-making. Performance measures are defined under numerical values. Fuzzification and defuzzification approaches are used in order to describe these values in linguistic terms, such as bad, medium or good. Symbolic items are also proposed. Some illustrations are presented, extracted from a case study which has been carried out in the Bosch Rexroth S.A. Company