Analysis of the Selection of Suppliers of Loading and Transportation Equipment in Mining SMEs

Small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) mining firms contribute to Chile’s economy. However, more support is needed to improve decision-making, mainly in a context where it is necessary for mining to operate sustainably. Loading and transportation are essential unit operations in mining. Solution-focused supplier companies are joining the market, making selection more difficult. This study suggests a hierarchical analytical process-based multi-criteria analysis. Among what stands out are its simplicity and clarity. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), used in several fields, is a flexible multi-criteria analysis system for complex decision-making. Its development used Expert Choice® software. The results show that the most crucial criterion for selecting loading and transportation equipment suppliers is related to occupational safety and health. The most relevant components are the mortality, accident frequency, and severity rates. Operational indicators are the second most relevant criterion, enabling companies to be more productive and efficient in achieving their objectives. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that, even with variations in the criterion preferences, the fatality rate remains at the top of the hierarchy, showing the robustness of the model used. Contrary to what might be expected, criteria such as the supplier profile do not stand out among the critical factors for the sector.