A methodology for selecting computer maintenance vendors based on a hierarchical framework with eigenvector weighting

Summary form only given. The author has identified the major criteria for selecting third-party maintenance vendors for computer hardware. He has developed a hierarchy through which the decisionmaker can examine the relationships among these criteria. Some of the identified selection criteria are not tangible, such as the responsiveness to customer needs criterion. By applying the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), he develops a model integrating into the intangible criteria with the tangible ones (e.g. price). He uses the resulting model to select the best maintenance vendor among the three potential ones. Performing sensitivity analysis, he explores the conditions under which the other two vendors can become the most preferred choice. Also, he shows how the model can be used to improve communication between the customer (i.e. the data center manager responsible for selecting the best vendor) and third-party maintenance vendors