Title: A comparative benchmarking analysis of main Iberian container terminals: a DEA approach

Authors: Joao C. Quaresma Dias, Susana Garrido Azevedo, Joao Ferreira, Sergio F. Palma

Addresses: CENTEC do Instituto Superior Tecnico de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Portugal. ' Management and Economics Department, University of Beira Interior, Polo IV – Edifício Ernesto Cruz, 6200-209 Covilha, Portugal. ' Management and Economics Department, University of Beira Interior, Polo IV – Edifício Ernesto Cruz, 6200-209 Covilha, Portugal. ' Departamento de Engenharia Mecanica, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: Benchmarking is an important tool to organisations to improve their productivity, product quality, process efficiency or services. From Benchmarking the organisations could compare their performance with competitors and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This study intends to do a benchmarking analysis on the main Iberian Sea ports with a special focus on their container terminals efficiency. To attain this, the DEA (data envelopment analysis) is used since it is considered by several researchers as the most effective method to quantify a set of key performance indicators. In order to reach a more reliable diagnosis tool the DEA is used together with the data mining in comparing the sea ports operational data of container terminals during 2007. Taking into account that sea ports are global logistics networks the performance evaluation is essential to an effective decision making in order to improve their efficiency and, therefore, their competitiveness.

Keywords: benchmarking; Iberian seaports; data envelopment analysis; DEA; container terminals; efficiency; performance evaluation; shipping logistics; Iberia; ports.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2009.027534

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2009 Vol.1 No.3, pp.260 - 275

Published online: 31 Jul 2009 *

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