Decision-making process analysis in selection of classification society of Turkish ship owners

Compared with the other modes of transportation, shipping has relatively more uncertainties which are likely to bring about a great variety of hazards and threats both during sailing and port operations. Minimizing the risks of loss of life and cargo could be possible when the ships, the basic unit and backbone of shipping, have physically sound structures and are periodically and decently exposed to well done repair and maintenance services. On the other hand, checking the physical structures/positions of ships can be effectively carried out by means of thorough inspection and analyses, which could be realized through certain classification and certification processes. The organizations who carry out such inspections and analyses resulting in classification and certifications are the classification societies. The existence of great number of classification societies provides a relatively wide scope of options for ship owing companies in choosing the best possible classification societies. In these connections, the criteria Turkish ship owners take into consideration and values they attribute to such criteria are of great importance. Through this study, the criteria Turkish ship owners take into account while choosing classification societies for their companies are revealed based on data collected from certain semi-structured interviews conducted through the representatives? particular industry. The criteria determined are hierarchically ordered, and by means of Analytic Hierarchy Process, a multi-criteria Decision making method, a questionnaire comprising the alternatives has been prepared. The questionnaire has been conducted through the workers of the eighteen Turkish ship owing companies. Consequently, the aim of such survey is to reveal the criteria Turkish Ship owners consider the most and the ship classification societies the most and the ship classification societies they most prefer. ?Being a member of IACS? criteria are considered most important criteria by participants. Keywords: Classification Societies, Ship Owing Companies, Decision Making Process, Analytic Hierarchy Process.