Application of interval type 2 fuzzy ahp method in bank selection process of an sme

The banking sector is vital for world economies. Although there are broader definitions, the banking sector can be expressed as a sub-sector of the larger financial services industry, which also includes sub-sectors focusing on insurance, venture capital and private equity. One of the most important functions of the said sector is to protect the assets of depositors and to provide loans to individuals and businesses. Individuals consider many criteria in order to receive this service and choose the most suitable bank for them and work with that bank. It is known that the biggest challenge in front of the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is the lack of access to finance. It is important that bank financings can be the main potential source of external financing for the growth of SMEs and on which criteria the bank should be selected based on which this financing can be provided. In this direction, the criteria and sub-criteria that SMEs consider during the bank selection stage were determined in the study and the most suitable alternative bank was selected by using the Interval Type 2 Fuzzy AHP method.