Application of Fuzzy DEMATEL approach in analyzing mobile application issues

In the current scenario, the popularity of smartphones has led to the emergence of an ample collection of mobile applications (apps). Mobile apps are dynamic in nature; therefore, classical software development approaches are not suitable. Individual needs of the customer, new technology, battery consumption, and many more issues force app developers regularly introduce new apps to the market. But due to the unavailability of any formal and customized practices of app development, various issues occur in mobile apps. These issues may adversely affect the application and user acceptance of the end product. In this paper, fifteen issues in mobile apps have been identified. Then we applied Fuzzy-DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method to analyze the critical mobile issues (CMIs) and divide these issues into cause and effect groups. Firstly, multiple experts evaluate the direct relations of influential issues in mobile apps. The evaluation results are presented in triangular fuzzy numbers (TFN). Secondly, convert the linguistic terms into TFN. Thirdly, based on DEMATEL, the cause-effect classifications of issues are obtained. Finally, the issues in the cause category are identified as CMIs in mobile apps. The outcome of the research is compared with the other variants of DEMATEL like G-DEMATEL and E-DEMATEL and the comparative results suggest that fuzzy-DEMATEL is the most fitting method to analyze the interrelationship of different issues in mobile apps development. The outcome of this work definitely assists the mobile apps development industry to successful identification of the serious issues where professionals and project managers could really focus on.