Supplier selection for Mexican manufacturing MSMEs: A study-based on multi-criteria approach

Supplier selection represents one of the most vulnerable and risky areas within production processes because it affects the competitiveness of companies, particularly micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSMEs) of emerging economies manufacturing sectors. This study aims at identifying the multiple criteria for supplier selection evaluation used by Mexican manufacturing firms through traditional variables that evaluate their technical, but also by considering an environmental perspective, which has not been studied deeply. The research also adds commercial criteria, frequently ignored, but relevant in decision-making, such as International commercial terms (Incoterms) which depend on the negotiating capacity and the position occupied by customers compared to suppliers.