This book presents the underlying theory, model development, and applications of network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in a systematic way. The field of network DEA extends and complements conventional DEA by considering not only inputs and outputs when measuring system efficiency, but also the internal structure of the system being analyzed. By analyzing the efficiency of individual internal components, and more particularly by studying the effects of relationships among components which are modeled and implemented by means of various network structures, the “network DEA” approach is able to help identify and manage the specific components that contribute inefficiencies into the overall systems. This relatively new approach comprises an important analytical tool based on mathematical programming techniques, with valuable implications to production and operations management. The existing models for measuring the efficiency of systems of specific network structures are also discussed, and the relationships between the system and component efficiencies are explored. This book should be able to inspire new research and new applications based on the current state of the art. Performance evaluation is an important task in management, and is needed to (i) better understand the past accomplishments of an organization and (ii) plan for its future development. However, this task becomes rather challenging when multiple performance metrics are involved. DEA is a powerful tool to cope with such issues. For systems or operations composed of interrelated processes, managers need to know how the performances of the various processes evaluated and how they are aggregated to form the overall performance of the system. This book provides an advanced exposition on performance evaluation of systems with network structures. It explores the network nature of most production and operation systems, and explains why network analyses are necessary.

This book presents the underlying theory, model development, and applications of network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in a systematic way. The field of network DEA extends and complements conventional DEA by considering not only inputs and outputs when measuring system efficiency, but also the internal structure of the system being analyzed. By analyzing the efficiency of individual internal components, and more particularly by studying the effects of relationships among components which are modeled and implemented by means of various network structures, the “network DEA” approach is able to help identify and manage the specific components that contribute inefficiencies into the overall systems. This relatively new approach comprises an important analytical tool based on mathematical programming techniques, with valuable implications to production and operations management. The existing models for measuring the efficiency of systems of specific network structures are also discussed, and the relationships between the system and component efficiencies are explored. This book should be able to inspire new research and new applications based on the current state of the art. Performance evaluation is an important task in management, and is needed to (i) better understand the past accomplishments of an organization and (ii) plan for its future development. However, this task becomes rather challenging when multiple performance metrics are involved. DEA is a powerful tool to cope with such issues. For systems or operations composed of interrelated processes, managers need to know how the performances of the various processes evaluated and how they are aggregated to form the overall performance of the system. This book provides an advanced exposition on performance evaluation of systems with network structures. It explores the network nature of most production and operation systems, and explains why network analyses are necessary.

In a relatively short period of time, data envelopment analysis (DEA) has grown into a powerful analytical tool for measuring and evaluating performance. DEA is computational at its core and this book is one of several Springer aim to publish on the subject. This work deals with the micro aspects of handling and modeling data issues in DEA problems. It is a handbook treatment dealing with specific data problems, including imprecise data and undesirable outputs.

This handbook covers DEA topics that are extensively used and solidly based. The purpose of the handbook is to (1) describe and elucidate the state of the field and (2), where appropriate, extend the frontier of DEA research. It defines the state-of-the-art of DEA methodology and its uses. This handbook is intended to represent a milestone in the progression of DEA. Written by experts, who are generally major contributors to the topics to be covered, it includes a comprehensive review and discussion of basic DEA models, which, in the present issue extensions to the basic DEA methods, and a collection of DEA applications in the areas of banking, engineering, health care, and services. The handbook's chapters are organized into two categories: (i) basic DEA models, concepts, and their extensions, and (ii) DEA applications. First edition contributors have returned to update their work. The second edition includes updated versions of selected first edition chapters. New chapters have been added on: different approaches with no need for a priori choices of weights (called “multipliers) that reflect meaningful trade-offs, construction of static and dynamic DEA technologies, slacks-based model and its extensions, DEA models for DMUs that have internal structures network DEA that can be used for measuring supply chain operations, Selection of DEA applications in the service sector with a focus on building a conceptual framework, research design and interpreting results.

This handbook serves as a complement to the Handbook on Data Envelopment Analysis (eds, W.W. Cooper, L.M. Seiford and J, Zhu, 2011, Springer) in an effort to extend the frontier of DEA research. It provides a comprehensive source for the state-of-the art DEA modeling on internal structures and network DEA. Chapter 1 provides a survey on two-stage network performance decomposition and modeling techniques. Chapter 2 discusses the pitfalls in network DEA modeling. Chapter 3 discusses efficiency decompositions in network DEA under three types of structures, namely series, parallel and dynamic. Chapter 4 studies the determination of the network DEA frontier. In chapter 5 additive efficiency decomposition in network DEA is discussed. An approach in scale efficiency measurement in two-stage networks is presented in chapter 6. Chapter 7 further discusses the scale efficiency decomposition in two stage networks. Chapter 8 offers a bargaining game approach to modeling two-stage networks. Chapter 9 studies shared resources and efficiency decomposition in two-stage networks. Chapter 10 introduces an approach to computing the technical efficiency scores for a dynamic production network and its sub-processes. Chapter 11 presents a slacks-based network DEA. Chapter 12 discusses a DEA modeling technique for a two-stage network process where the inputs of the second stage include both the outputs from the first stage and additional inputs to the second stage. Chapter 13 presents an efficiency measurement methodology for multi-stage production systems. Chapter 14 discusses network DEA models, both static and dynamic. The discussion also explores various useful objective functions that can be applied to the models to find the optimal allocation of resources for processes within the black box, that are normally invisible to DEA. Chapter 15 provides a comprehensive review of various type network DEA modeling techniques. Chapter 16 presents shared resources models for deriving aggregate measures of bank-branch performance, with accompanying component measures that make up that aggregate value. Chapter 17 examines a set of manufacturing plants operating under a single umbrella, with the objective being to use the component or function measures to decide what might be considered as each plant’s core business. Chapter 18 considers problem settings where there may be clusters or groups of DMUs that form a hierarchy. The specific case of a set off electric power plants is examined in this context. Chapter 19 models bad outputs in two-stage network DEA. Chapter 20 presents an application of network DEA to performance measurement of Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. Chapter 21 presents an application of a two-stage network DEA model for examining the performance of 30 U.S. airline companies. Chapter 22 then presents two distinct network efficiency models that are applied to engineering systems.

This book explores the novel uses and potentials of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) under big data. These areas are of widespread interest to researchers and practitioners alike. Considering the vast literature on DEA, one could say that DEA has been and continues to be, a widely used technique both in performance and productivity measurement, having covered a plethora of challenges and debates within the modelling framework.

The intensity of global competition and ever-increasing economic uncertainties has led organizations to search for more efficient and effective ways to manage their business operations. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been widely used as a conceptually simple yet powerful tool for evaluating organizational productivity and performance. Fuzzy DEA (FDEA) is a promising extension of the conventional DEA proposed for dealing with imprecise and ambiguous data in performance measurement problems. This book is the first volume in the literature to present the state-of-the-art developments and applications of FDEA. It is designed for students, educators, researchers, consultants and practicing managers in business, industry, and government with a basic understanding of the DEA and fuzzy logic concepts.

This book introduces readers to benchmarking techniques in the stochastic environment, primarily stochastic data envelopment analysis (DEA), and provides stochastic models in DEA for the possibility of variations in inputs and outputs. It focuses on the application of theories and interpretations of the mathematical programs, which are combined with economic and organizational thinking. The book’s main purpose is to shed light on the advantages of the different methods in deterministic and stochastic environments and thoroughly prepare readers to properly use these methods in various cases. Simple examples, along with graphical illustrations and real-world applications in industry, are provided for a better understanding. The models introduced here can be easily used in both theoretical and real-world evaluations. This book is intended for graduate and PhD students, advanced consultants, and practitioners with an interest in quantitative performance evaluation.

A key resource and framework for assessing the performance of competing entities, including forecasting models Advances in DEA Theory and Applications provides a much-needed framework for assessing the performance of competing entities with special emphasis on forecasting models. It helps readers to determine the most appropriate methodology in order to make the most accurate decisions for implementation. Written by a noted expert in the field, this text provides a review of the latest advances in DEA theory and applications to the field of forecasting. Designed for use by anyone involved in research in the field of forecasting or in another application area where forecasting drives decision making, this text can be applied to a wide range of contexts, including education, health care, banking, armed forces, auditing, market research, retail outlets, organizational effectiveness, transportation, public housing, and manufacturing. This vital resource: Explores the latest developments in DEA frameworks for the performance evaluation of entities such as public or private organizational branches or departments, economic sectors, technologies, and stocks Presents a novel area of application for DEA; namely, the performance evaluation of forecasting models Promotes the use of DEA to assess the performance of forecasting models in a wide area of applications Provides rich, detailed examples and case studies Advances in DEA Theory and Applications includes information on a balanced benchmarking tool that is designed to help organizations examine their assumptions about their productivity and performance.

This second edition systematically presents the underlying theory, model development, and applications of network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). It discusses the models used to measure the efficiency of systems in specific network structures and introduces readers to the latest applications. It demonstrates how the “network DEA” approach helps identify and manage the specific components that cause inefficiencies in the overall system. The existing models for measuring the efficiency of systems in specific network structures are also discussed, and the relationships between system efficiency and component efficiency are explored. Moreover, the book provides an advanced exposition on performance evaluation of systems with network structures. It explores the networked nature of most production and operation systems, and explains why network analyses are necessary. Accordingly, the book will inspire new research and applications based on the state of the art. In this new edition, the latest research advances and discoveries are discussed. Two new chapters on Linkage Efficiency and External and Internal Evaluations have been added. This book is mainly aimed at researchers and graduate students who are interested in performance evaluation, DEA, and multi-criteria decision analysis. Practitioners who want to measure the performance of production, operation, or any type of decision-making units will also find it useful.