# Optimization of PFMEA Team Composition in the Automotive Industry Using the IPF-RADAR Approach
## 5 Conclusions  
In this study, a mathematical model for the precise selection of core PFMEA team members was presented and tested. The objective of the research was to select six core PFMEA team members through an objective decision-making approach, respecting relevant criteria defined in collaboration with decision-makers and based on the recommendations from the current AIAG&VDA Handbook regarding the knowledge and competencies of team members. The primary reason for conducting this research stems from the fact that the automotive industry does not have strictly defined criteria for determining who can or cannot be a member of the PFMEA team. Although the current AIAG&VDA Handbook provides certain recommendations, the final decision on team composition is left to company management. Since the PFMEA team plays a crucial role in identifying and analyzing potential failure modes, which can significantly impact production process reliability and, consequently, the overall business performance of a manufacturing company, this research problem requires special attention. In the relevant literature, numerous studies have addressed the problem of personnel/candidate selection for specific job positions within a company. However, no research has been conducted on the selection of PFMEA team members. This fact represents one of the practical contributions of this study. To objectively determine the composition of the core PFMEA team, this study employed the RADAR method, extended through the use of Interval-Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy Numbers (IVPFNs), which have not been previously applied to describe uncertainty and imprecision in the domain of personnel/candidate selection. Candidates were evaluated based on criteria defined in collaboration with decision-makers from a Tier-1 company in the automotive supply chain. Additionally, the same decision-makers assessed a total of thirteen candidates, from which six were selected as core PFMEA team members. The proposed model offers several contributions, both in general and in comparison to existing models in the relevant literature: (1) The problem of PFMEA team member selection has not been previously explored in the relevant literature. (2) The applied RADAR method is relatively new and has not been extensively utilized in the literature, yet it has been proven to be reliable and stable. (3) The RADAR method does not require complex comparisons of fuzzy numbers, as the weighting process is performed in one of the final steps of the method, and fuzzy numbers can be easily compared based on linguistic term gradation. (4) IVPFNs have been used, which have not previously been applied in the domain of personnel/candidate selection. (5) The model can be applied in other companies and across different industries. (6) Sensitivity analysis has confirmed the stability of the proposed model. In addition, the RADAR method was selected for solving this problem because it is based on identifying the most stable solution across all considered criteria. In this way, candidates are selected who satisfy a larger number of criteria, with particular emphasis on those with higher importance. Most other MADM methods tend to favour objectivity in a way that allows candidates with extremely low ratings on certain criteria to still be part of the final selection. The key advantage of the RADAR method compared to other existing approaches lies in the fact that an alternative--here, a candidate--is significantly penalized if they do not perform above average on the more important criteria. This approach enables the formation of a balanced, reliable, and versatile PFMEA team, which is highly desirable in practice. In practical terms, the proposed model provides company management with an objective insight into which employees are the most competent to become members of the PFMEA team, regardless of their formal position within the organizational structure.