Selecting a shift system based on the analytical hierarchy process

In the age of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week business it happens more often, that companies hire experts on working time, whose task it is to develop a new company-specific shift system. As a new shift system usually entails not only advantages but also disadvantages, often several new alternative shift systems are elaborated. Subsequently a panel of representatives of employers and employees are faced with the challenge to choose the "right" alternative. On the basis of a case study this paper exemplarily describes, how a good decision-making basis for the selection of a suitable shift system can be generated by applying the Analytical Hierarchy Process.