Analysis of the risks in the integration of virtual reality technology into enterprise resource planning systems: A spherical fuzzy-based decision support system

In today's rapidly evolving digital transformation landscape, businesses are integrating Industry 4.0 technologies into their corporate systems to gain sustainable competitive advantages. One of the key components of Industry 4.0, Virtual Reality (VR) technology, has become a strategic support element for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems due to the advantages it offers in areas such as training, simulation, maintenance, process visualization, and remote interaction. The integration of VR technology into ERP systems can provide businesses with significant benefits in terms of operational efficiency, user experience, decision support, and flexibility. However, this integration process also brings various risks at technical, managerial, and organizational levels. This thesis systematically analyzes the major risks that may be encountered during the integration of VR technology into ERP systems. The primary aim of the study is to identify these risks, rank them according to their levels of importance, and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies developed to mitigate these risks. To this end, a comprehensive literature review was conducted and expert opinions were gathered to identify ten core risk factors. Suitable solution strategies were also developed for these risks. To obtain more reliable results in this field—characterized by uncertainty and subjective evaluations—the analysis of identified risks and strategies was carried out using the Global Fuzzy Sets (GFS) approach. In the decision-making process, a hybrid approach integrating three Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods—SWARA, DEMATEL, and MULTIMOORA—was employed. The SWARA method was used to determine the importance level of each risk. The DEMATEL method was applied to reveal the causal relationships among the risks. Finally, the MULTIMOORA method ranked the developed strategies according to the identified risks. The analysis results highlight the necessity of prioritizing critical risk elements in VR-ERP integration projects and structuring mitigation strategies in a goal-oriented manner. The findings of this study provide valuable guidance for businesses and decision-makers planning to integrate VR technologies into ERP systems, particularly in terms of proactive risk management and strategic planning. Additionally, the GFS-based integrated MCDM model employed in this thesis stands out as one of the first systematic risk analyses specifically focused on VR-ERP integration in the academic literature and offers a unique methodological contribution.