Title: Efficiency improvement and resource estimation: a tradeoff analysis

Authors: Mojtaba Ghiyasi

Addresses: Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management Science, Shahrood University of Technology, University Boulevard, P.O. Box 3619995161, Shahrood, Iran

Abstract: This article uses DEA as an evaluation technique of efficiency and proposes a resource (input) estimation procedure that guarantees not only unchanged but also variant efficiency levels for a given expected output level. We also deal with controllable and non-controllable input in process of input estimation. Two trade off indices are proposed to track the relationship between required resources, producible outputs and efficiency improvement percentage. Proposed models and indices provide useful information and help decision maker in process of production planning. Our models and indices are explained by provided numerical example and an empirical illustration using a real world data which also demonstrates the practical relevance and advanced future of our methods.

Keywords: resource estimation; trade off index; inverse DEA; multi-objective programming.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2018.094758

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2018 Vol.25 No.2, pp.151 - 169

Received: 29 Nov 2016
Accepted: 29 May 2017

Published online: 15 Sep 2018 *

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