Radial DEA models without inputs or without outputs

In this paper we consider radial DEA models without inputs (or without outputs), and radial DEA models with a single constant input (or with a single constant output). We demonstrate that (i) a CCR model without inputs (or without outputs) is meaningless; (ii) a CCR model with a single constant input (or with a single constant output) coincides with the corresponding BCC model; (iii) a BCC model with a single constant input (or a single constant output) collapses to a BCC model without inputs (or without outputs); and (iv) all BCC models, including those without inputs (or without outputs), can be condensed to models having one less variable (the radial efficiency score) and one less constraint (the convexity constraint).     

Reformulations of input–output oriented DEA tests with diversification

We deal with diversification-consistent data envelopment analysis (DEA) tests suitable for accessing financial efficiency of investment opportunities. We will show that under nonnegative inputs and outputs, input–output oriented tests with variable return to scale introduced by M. Branda (2013) [7] are equivalent to input oriented tests with nonincreasing return to scale proposed by J.D. Lamb and K.-H. Tee (2012) [14]. Moreover, we will derive a linear programming formulation of the tests with CVaR deviations.     

A multiplier bound approach to assess relative efficiency in DEA without slacks

In this paper, we propose a new approach to deal with the non-zero slacks in data envelopment analysis (DEA) assessments that is based on restricting the multipliers in the dual multiplier formulation of the used DEA model. It guarantees strictly positive weights, which ensures reference points on the Pareto-efficient frontier, and consequently, zero slacks. We follow a two-step procedure which, after specifying some weight bounds, results in an “Assurance Region”-type model that will be used in the assessment of the efficiency. The specification of these bounds is based on a selection criterion among the optimal solutions for the multipliers of the unbounded DEA models that tries to avoid the extreme dissimilarity between the weights that is often found in DEA applications. The models developed do not have infeasibility problems and we do not have problems with the alternate optima in the choice of weights that is made. To use our multiplier bound approach we do not need a priori information about substitutions between inputs and outputs, and it is not required the existence of full dimensional efficient facets on the frontier either, as is the case of other existing approaches that address this problem.     

On some generalization of the DEA models

Inadequate results may arise in some instances of DEA model applications. For example, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model may show ‘a notoriously inefficient unit’ as an efficient one. In addition, too many efficient units may appear in some DEA models. An elegant and subtle approach was proposed to deal with these problems, which is based on incorporating domination cones in DEA models. Yu, Wei and Brockett suggested the generalized DEA (GDEA) model that unifies and extends most of the well-known DEA models based on using domination cones. In this paper, we propose a model that is more general than the GDEA model, on the one hand, as it covers situations that the GDEA model cannot describe. On the other hand, our model enables one to construct step-by-step any model from the family of the GDEA models by incorporating artificial units and rays in the space of inputs and outputs in the Banker, Charnes, Cooper (BCC) model, which makes the process of model construction visible and more understandable. Moreover, we show that any GDEA model can be approximated by some BCC model.     

Cone dominance and efficiency in DEA

This paper incorporates cones on virtual multipliers of inputs and outputs into DEA analysis. Cone DEA models are developed to generalize the dual of the BCC models as well as congestion models. Input-output data and/or numbers of DMUs for BCC models are inadequate to capture many aspects where judgments, expert opinions, and other external information should be taken into analysis. Cone DEA models, on the other hand, offer improved definitions of efficiency over general cone and polyhedral cone structures. The relationships between cone models and BCC models as well as those between cone models and congestion models are discussed in the development. Two numerical examples are provided to illustrate our findings.     

Measuring the performances of decision-making units using interval efficiencies

Efficiency is a relative measure because it can be measured within different ranges. The traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) measures the efficiencies of decision-making units (DMUs) within the range of less than or equal to one. The corresponding efficiencies are referred to as the best relative efficiencies, which measure the best performances of DMUs and determine an efficiency frontier. If the efficiencies are measured within the range of greater than or equal to one, then the worst relative efficiencies can be used to measure the worst performances of DMUs and determine an inefficiency frontier. In this paper, the efficiencies of DMUs are measured within the range of an interval, whose upper bound is set to one and the lower bound is determined through introducing a virtual anti-ideal DMU, whose performance is definitely inferior to any DMUs. The efficiencies turn out to be all intervals and are thus referred to as interval efficiencies, which combine the best and the worst relative efficiencies in a reasonable manner to give an overall measurement and assessment of the performances of DMUs. The new DEA model with the upper and lower bounds on efficiencies is referred to as bounded DEA model, which can incorporate decision maker (DM) or assessor's preference information on input and output weights. A Hurwicz criterion approach is introduced and utilized to compare and rank the interval efficiencies of DMUs and a numerical example is examined using the proposed bounded DEA model to show its potential application and validity.     

Data Envelopment Analysis with Preference Structure

It is important to consider the decision making unit (DMU)'s or decision maker's preference over the potential adjustments of various inputs and outputs when data envelopment analysis (DEA) is employed. On the basis of the so-called Russell measure, this paper develops some weighted non-radial CCR models by specifying a proper set of ‘preference weights’ that reflect the relative degree of desirability of the potential adjustments of current input or output levels. These input or output adjustments can be either less or greater than one; that is, the approach enables certain inputs actually to be increased, or certain outputs actually to be decreased. It is shown that the preference structure prescribes fixed weights (virtual multiplier bounds) or regions that invalidate some virtual multipliers and hence it generates preferred (efficient) input and output targets for each DMU. In addition to providing the preferred target, the approach gives a scalar efficiency score for each DMU to secure comparability. It is also shown how specific cases of our approach handle non-controllable factors in DEA and measure allocative and technical efficiency. Finally, the methodology is applied with the industrial performance of 14 open coastal cities and four special economic zones in 1991 in China. As applied here, the DEA/preference structure model refines the original DEA model's result and eliminates apparently efficient DMUs.     

Measuring dynamic efficiency: Theories and an integrated methodology

Almost all dynamic production systems are subject to lagged productive effects, which are an often-ignored latent source of interference in the efficiency measuring process. Existing data envelopment analysis (DEA) approaches rely on a static production environment. They can easily lead to biased evaluation results due to the erroneous assumption. To tackle this issue, this paper develops a dynamic DEA model that allows intertemporal effects in efficiency measuring. Specifically, the dynamic DEA model incorporates dynamic factors via a linear parametric formulation. Our model can be applied in place of static DEA models to a wide range of applications, such as analyzing longitudinal firm performance and productivity changes. As for the empirical efficiencies, we demonstrate how the lag parameters in the dynamic model can be estimated by the panel vector autoregressive model (PVAR). We use our methodology to evaluate advertising efficiencies of several major automobile and pharmaceutical firms in North America. The result shows that using static DEA in dynamic production can lead to both rank reversals and changes in efficiency scores.     

An ellipsoidal frontier model: Allocating input via parametric DEA

This paper presents the ellipsoidal frontier model (EFM), a parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) model for input allocation. EFM addresses the problem of distributing a single total fixed input by assuming the existence of a predefined locus of points that characterizes the DEA frontier. Numeric examples included in the paper show EFM’s capacity to allocate shares of the total fixed input to each DMU so that they will all become efficient. By varying the eccentricities, input distribution can be performed in infinite ways, gaining control over DEA weights assigned to the variables in the model. We also show that EFM assures strong efficiency and behaves coherently within the context of sensitivity analysis, two properties that are not observed in other models found in the technical literature.     

Interval DEA模型中决策单元的投影问题

在传统的DEA模型中,最优相对效率模型是在不大于1的范围内研究决策单元的效率的,最差相对效率模型是在不小于1的范围内研究决策单元的效率,这两种模型在研究投影问题时,是在不同的范围内进行的,有一定的片面性.将在interval DEA模型中,研究决策单元的投影问题,该模型是在相同的约束域内研究最优和最差相对效率模型,得出的结论将更加全面,通过两个定理给出了非DEA有效的决策单元在DEA有效面上的投影表达式和非DEA无效的决策单元在DEA无效面上的投影表达式.同时,通过一个实例对决策单元在interval DEA模型中的投影结果与在传统的DEA模型的投影结果进行了比较,发现投影结果比传统模型得到的投影结果对实际的生产有更强的指导意义.     

Bootstrapped efficiency estimates for a model for groups and hierarchies in DEA

We apply some recently introduced bootstrap techniques to derive bias corrected efficiency scores for a model for groups and hierarchies in DEA. The use of the bootstrap makes it possible to overcome some deficiencies of the original formulation of this model, which rests on rescaling individual efficiency scores using average efficiencies calculated from different subsets of the data. These average or structural efficiencies are differently biased and bias varies with sample size when standard DEA techniques are used. Bias correction makes it possible to identify the true differences in efficiency and thus to compare DMUs belonging to different groups via their rescaled individual efficiency scores on one common basis. Moreover, this type of bias problem is present in other DEA applications. Therefore, the method proposed to deal with it has many potential applications beyond the groups and hierarchies model.     

Productivity change and innovation in Norwegian electricity distribution companies

Regulators of electricity distribution networks have typically applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to cross-section data for benchmarking purposes. However, the use of panel data to analyse the impact of regulatory policies on productivity change over time is less frequent. The main purpose of this paper is to construct a Malmquist productivity index to examine the recent productivity change experienced by Norwegian distribution companies between 2004 and 2007. The Malmquist index is decomposed in order to explore the sources of productivity change, and to identify the innovator companies that pushed the frontier forward each year. The input and output variables considered are those used by the Norwegian regulator. In order to reflect appropriately the exogenous conditions where the companies operate, the efficiency model used in this paper incorporates geography variables as outputs of the DEA model. Unlike the model used by the regulator, we included virtual weight restrictions in the DEA formulation to correct the biases in the DEA results that may be associated to a judicious choice of weights by some of the companies.     

A slacks-based measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis

In this paper, we will propose a slacks-based measure (SBM) of efficiency in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This scalar measure deals directly with the input excesses and the output shortfalls of the decision making unit (DMU) concerned. It is units invariant and monotone decreasing with respect to input excess and output shortfall. Furthermore, this measure is determined only by consulting the reference-set of the DMU and is not affected by statistics over the whole data set. The new measure has a close connection with other measures proposed so far, e.g., Charnes–Cooper–Rhodes (CCR), Banker–Charnes–Cooper (BCC) and the Russell measure of efficiency. The dual side of this model can be interpreted as profit maximization, in contrast to the ratio maximization of the CCR model. Numerical experiments show its validity as an efficiency measurement tool and its compatibility with other measures of efficiency.     

A new non-oriented model for classifying flexible measures in DEA

In conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA), measures are classified as either input or output. However, in some real cases there are variables which act as both input and output and are known as flexible measures. Most of the previous suggested models for determining the status of flexible measures are oriented. One important issue of these models is that unlike standard DEA, even under constant returns to scale the input- and output-oriented model may produce different efficiency scores. Also, can be expected a flexible measure is selected as an input variable in one model but an output variable in the other model. In addition, in all of the previous studies did not point to variable returns to scale (VRS), but the VRS assumption is prevailed on many real applications. To deal with these issues, this study proposes a new non-oriented model that not only selects the status of each flexible measure as an input or output but also determines returns to scale status. Then, the aggregate model and an extension with the negative data related to the proposed approach are presented.     

Stepwise selection of variables in data envelopment analysis: Procedures and managerial perspectives

One of the most important steps in the application of modeling using data envelopment analysis (DEA) is the choice of input and output variables. In this paper, we develop a formal procedure for a “stepwise” approach to variable selection that involves sequentially maximizing (or minimizing) the average change in the efficiencies as variables are added or dropped from the analysis. After developing the stepwise procedure, applications from classic DEA studies are presented and the new managerial insights gained from the stepwise procedure are discussed. We discuss how this easy to understand and intuitively sound method yields useful managerial results and assists in identifying DEA models that include variables with the largest impact on the DEA results.     

Decomposition of technical and scale efficiencies in two-stage production systems

Conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) models are used to measure the technical and scale efficiencies of a system when it is considered as a whole unit. This paper extends the efficiency measurement to two-stage systems where each stage has one process and all the outputs from the first process become the inputs of the second. An input-oriented DEA model for the first process is developed to separate the process efficiency into the input technical and scale efficiencies, and an output-oriented model is developed for the second process to separate the process efficiency into the output technical and scale efficiencies. Combining the two models, the system efficiency is expressed as the product of the overall technical and scale efficiencies, where the overall technical and scale efficiencies are the products of the corresponding efficiencies of the two processes, respectively. The detailed decomposition allows the sources of inefficiency to be identified.     

Data envelopment analysis with imprecise data

In original data envelopment analysis (DEA) models, inputs and outputs are measured by exact values on a ratio scale. Cooper et al. [Management Science, 45 (1999) 597–607] recently addressed the problem of imprecise data in DEA, in its general form. We develop in this paper an alternative approach for dealing with imprecise data in DEA. Our approach is to transform a non-linear DEA model to a linear programming equivalent, on the basis of the original data set, by applying transformations only on the variables. Upper and lower bounds for the efficiency scores of the units are then defined as natural outcomes of our formulations. It is our specific formulation that enables us to proceed further in discriminating among the efficient units by means of a post-DEA model and the endurance indices. We then proceed still further in formulating another post-DEA model for determining input thresholds that turn an inefficient unit to an efficient one.     

A modified slacks-based measure model for data envelopment analysis with ‘natural’ negative outputs and inputs

This paper is primarily concerned with data envelopment analysis (DEA) of systems where negative outputs and negative inputs arise naturally. Examples of situations in which both negative inputs and negative outputs occur are given. More attention has been paid, in the literature, to the former type of problem. Most available DEA software does not solve this type of problem or copes with negative outputs and possibly negative inputs by assigning zero weights to them. A modified slacks-based measure (MSBM) model is presented, in which both negative outputs and negative inputs occur. The MSBM model overcomes the lack of translation invariance in the slacks-based measure model by drawing on the ideas from the range directional model (RDM). The MSBM model takes into account individual input and output slacks, which provides more precise evaluation of inefficient decision-making units (DMUs). It therefore, generally leads to lower efficiencies for inefficient DMUs than the RDM.     

Obnoxious-facility location and data-envelopment analysis: A combined distance-based formulation

We have broadened the classic anti-center models to include generalized-distance measures. It includes in the inherent proximity measures other cost/benefit metrics. Unlike classic data envelopment analysis (DEA), the combined location/DEA model proposed here assumes disposability of input/output's only. It represents a more flexible formulation. The locations of multiple sites are analyzed using a binary integer program, while evaluation is performed by the full strength of a DEA model. Through a case study, we show how location and DEA models can be used together to more realistically characterize a siting decision.