Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution
MARCOS (Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution) is a ranking multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method introduced by Stević, Ž., Pamučar, D., Puška, A., Chatterjee, P. in 2020. It turns a decision matrix of alternatives scored on multiple criteria into a structured, reproducible result.
Key highlights
- Follows a transparent, reproducible computational procedure that can be audited step by step.
- Handles multiple criteria of differing scales and units within a single decision matrix.
Intuition
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How it works
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When to use it
f(K) ∈ (0,1). Higher f(K) means closer to the Ideal and farther from the Anti-Ideal simultaneously. The utility function accounts for both distances and aggregates them through a compromise formula, making MARCOS robust against extreme values.
Strengths & limitations
- Follows a transparent, reproducible computational procedure that can be audited step by step.
- Handles multiple criteria of differing scales and units within a single decision matrix.
- May exhibit rank reversal when alternatives are added to or removed from the set.
- Assumes full compensation — a strong score on one criterion can offset a weak score on another.
Common pitfalls
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Sources
- 1.Stević, Ž., Pamučar, D., Puška, A., Chatterjee, P. (2020). Sustainable supplier selection in healthcare industries using a new MCDM method: Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution (MARCOS). Computers & Industrial Engineering
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Cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 2). MARCOS. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/decision-making/marcos