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A Nash bargaining game data envelopment analysis (NBG-DEA) model is proposed to measure the efficiency of dynamic multi-period network structures. This paper aims to propose NBG-DEA model to measure the performance of decision-making units with complicated network structures.

As the proposed NBG-DEA model is a non-linear mathematical programming, finding its global optimum solution is hard. Therefore, meta-heuristic algorithms are used to solve non-linear optimization problems. Fortunately, the NBG-DEA model optimizes the well-formed problem, so that it can be solved by different non-linear methods including meta-heuristic algorithms. Hence, a meta-heuristic algorithm, called particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed to solve the NBG-DEA model in this paper. The case study is Industrial Management Institute (IMI), which is a leading organization in providing consulting management, publication and educational services in Iran. The sub-processes of IMI are considered as players where their pay-off is defined as the efficiency of sub-processes. The network structure of IMI is studied during multiple periods.

The proposed NBG-DEA model is applied to measure the efficiency scores in the IMI case study. The solution found by the PSO algorithm, which is implemented in MATLAB software, is compared with that generated by a classic non-linear method called gradient descent implemented in LINGO software.

The experiments proved that suitable and feasible solutions could be found by solving the NBG-DEA model and shows that PSO algorithm solves this model in reasonable central process unit time.

It is always of great importance for managers in organizations to evaluate their staff members and create incentive systems, using instruments such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and DEA-R (DEA models based on ratio analysis). The purpose of this paper is to propose a two-stage network incentives system for commercial banks.

Centralized Resource Allocation (CRA) models make it possible to project all decision-making units (DMUs) onto the efficient frontier by solving a single linear programming model. In this paper, we use our proposed DEA-R-based CRA models to evaluate commercial banks in a two-stage case when the only ratios available are the assets-to-costs and income-to-assets vectors.

Thirteen commercial banks modeled as two-stage networks were evaluated by the models proposed in two different cases of ratio data. Results suggest that the proposed methodology yields more accurate efficiency scores, thus allowing better discrimination among DMUs. Furthermore, evaluating the DMUs when they are structured as two-stage (or even three-stage) networks makes it possible to examine the incentives system in more detail. Therefore, the use of incentive systems by managers would allow a better focus on the priority activities of commercial banks and a faster movement toward the frontier of best practices.

The super-efficiency scores of a number of commercial banks are evaluated based on the CRA model, as a cornerstone criterion for the two-stage evaluation in DEA-R, thus allowing the rank of each commercial bank in terms of the incentives system rather on the performance of the productive process.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to benchmark store performance for the purpose of rationalising retail distribution network.

As an illustration of the approach, DEA is applied to a sample of front stores of a major retailer in Australia to compare their relative efficiency in distribution. Together with other techniques such as customer segmentation and spatial distribution of demand, this paper shows that DEA can provide an objective basis for distribution network rationalisation and be a suitable analytical tool to facilitate continuous improvement.

Based on the DEA results, it is concluded that overall distribution efficiency of the part of the retail network under study can be improved by either closing the less efficient stores or merging them with the others in the same service areas to streamline the network. Such rationalisation will help aggregate demand and improve vehicle utilisation for distribution with minor impact on current level of customer service.

This study lends insight into the use of DEA, together with other analyses, for distribution network rationalisation. This approach is less data hungry and relatively easy to implement than full‐fledged optimisation through integer programming. To serve mainly as a proof of concept and an illustration of the approach, the scope of the study is limited to six stores in the retail network with relative performance in distribution evaluated on a single input and a single output variables.

Managers can use DEA to benchmark the distribution performance of their stores against the best performers in the retail network so as to identify areas for improvement. The approach can also assist in the adoption of best practice and facilitate more effective allocation of resources across the entire retail network.

Retail network rationalisation through benchmarking with DEA can facilitate continuous improvement in distribution efficiency. This will help reduce fuel consumption, carbon emission, as well as other pollutions such as noise and traffic congestion.

Research in retail network performance using DEA to date is mainly on comparative performance of supermarkets within or between chains. The focus is mainly placed on the relationship between floor area, workforce, and sales. This paper fills the gap in the literature by applying DEA in distribution network rationalisation instead of mere performance comparison of individual stores. It focuses on distribution costs rather than store attributes and supplements DEA with other techniques to obtain a fuller picture of the overall network efficiency in terms of distribution. It also contributes to a better understanding of how demand management can affect distribution efficiency of the retail network.

The recent COVID-19 outbreak and severe natural disasters make the design of the humanitarian supply chain network (HSCN) a crucial strategic issue in a pre-disaster scenario. The HSCN design problem deals with the location/allocation of emergency response facilities (ERFs). This paper aims to propose and demonstrate how to design an efficient HSCN configuration under the risk of ERF disruptions.

This paper considers four performance measures simultaneously for the HSCN design by formulating a weighted goal programming (WGP) model. Solving the WGP model with different weight values assigned to each performance measure generates various HSCN configurations. This paper transforms a single-stage network into a general two-stage network, treating each HSCN configuration as a decision-making unit with two inputs and two outputs. Then a two-stage network data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach is applied to evaluate the HSCN schemes for consistently identifying the most efficient network configurations.

Among various network configurations generated by the WGP, the single-stage DEA model does not consistently identify the top-ranked HSCN schemes. In contrast, the proposed transformation approach identifies efficient HSCN configurations more consistently than the single-stage DEA model. A case study demonstrates that the proposed transformation method could provide a more robust and consistent evaluation for designing efficient HSCN systems. The proposed approach can be an essential tool for federal and local disaster response officials to plan a strategic design of HSCN.

This study presents how to transform a single-stage process into a two-stage network process to apply the general two-stage network DEA model for evaluating various HSCN configurations. The proposed transformation procedure could be extended for designing some supply chain systems with conflicting performance metrics more effectively and efficiently.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel network and dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model for evaluating sustainability of supply chains. In the proposed model, all links can be considered in calculation of efficiency score.

A dynamic DEA model to evaluate sustainable supply chains in which networks have series structure is proposed. Nature of free links is defined and subsequently applied in calculating relative efficiency of supply chains. An additive network DEA model is developed to evaluate sustainability of supply chains in several periods. A case study demonstrates applicability of proposed approach.

This paper assists managers to identify inefficient supply chains and take proper remedial actions for performance optimization. Besides, overall efficiency scores of supply chains have less fluctuation. By utilizing the proposed model and determining dual-role factors, managers can plan their supply chains properly and more accurately.

In real world, managers face with big data. Therefore, we need to develop an approach to deal with big data.

The proposed model offers useful managerial implications along with means for managers to monitor and measure efficiency of their production processes. The proposed model can be applied in real world problems in which decision makers are faced with multi-stage processes such as supply chains, production systems, etc.

For the first time, the authors present additive model of network-dynamic DEA. For the first time, the authors outline the links in a way that carry-overs of networks are connected in different periods and not in different stages.

This paper aims to present two-stage network models in the presence of stochastic ratio data.

Black-box, free-link and fix-link techniques are used to apply the internal relations of the two-stage network. A deterministic linear programming model is derived from a stochastic two-stage network data envelopment analysis (DEA) model by assuming that some basic stochastic elements are related to the inputs, outputs and intermediate products. The linkages between the overall process and the two subprocesses are proposed. The authors obtain the relation between the efficiency scores obtained from the stochastic two stage network DEA-ratio considering three different strategies involving black box, free-link and fix-link. The authors applied their proposed approach to 11 airlines in Iran.

In most of the scenarios, when alpha in particular takes any value between 0.1 and 0.4, three models from Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (1978), free-link and fix-link generate similar efficiency scores for the decision-making units (DMUs), While a relatively higher degree of variations in efficiency scores among the DMUs is generated when the alpha takes the value of 0.5. Comparing the results when the alpha takes the value of 0.1–0.4, the DMUs have the same ranking in terms of their efficiency scores.

The authors innovatively propose a deterministic linear programming model, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, the internal relationships of a two-stage network are analyzed by different techniques. The comparison of the results would be able to provide insights from both the policy perspective as well as the methodological perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of Algerian banks and examine the effects of explanatory factors on their performance.

In this paper, a methodology of two-stage network data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to explore the efficiency of a sample of 13 Algerian banks during the 2013–2017 period. In the first stage, the network DEA is used to assess the overall and stages efficiencies. In the second stage, the partial least squares (PLS) regression is conducted to determine the potential effects of explanatory factors on stages efficiency.

The main empirical results indicate that Algerian banks need an efficiency improvement in both stages. The overall efficiency of the Algerian banking system improves over the study period. The deposit producing efficiency is positively affected by bank size and bank age. The revenue earning efficiency is negatively associated with bank size and bank age. The domestic banks are more efficient than foreign banks in the deposit producing stage and the foreign banks are more efficient than domestic banks in the revenue earning stage.

The results might be used as guidelines for both managers and policymakers in order to improve banks and banking system performance.

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first that uses the DEA in investigating the efficiency of Algerian banks by dividing the overall efficiency into deposit producing and revenue earning efficiencies. Unlike most studies that have usually used OLS regression, Tobit regression and bootstrapped truncated regression, this study is the first in the bank efficiency literature that uses PLS regression to investigate the potential effect of explanatory variables on deposit producing and revenue earning efficiencies.

This chapter analyses the efficiency of African airlines using a two-stage network DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model. Network DEA models usually take into account the production process with intermediate inputs derived from the first stage and a second stage that departs from it. This fundamental feature enables one to view the airline production process as a carry-over activity. The analysis covers the 2010–2013 period. The relative efficiency ranks are presented and policy implications are derived.

This study aims to develop and test a framework for integration between data envelopment analysis (DEA) and artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict the best financial performance concerning return on assets and return on equity for banks listed on the Egyptian Exchange, to help managers generate what-if scenarios? For performance improvement and benchmarking.

The study empirically tested the three-stage DEA-ANN framework. First, DEA was used as a preprocessor of the banks’ efficiency scores. Second, a back-propagation neural network as a multi-layer perceptron-ANN’s model was designed using expected data sets from DEA to learn optimal performance patterns. Third, the superior performance of banks was forecasted.

The results indicated that banks are not operating under their most productive operations, and there is room for potential improvements to reach outperformance. Moreover, the neural networks’ empirical test results showed high correlations between the actual and expected values, with low prediction errors in both the test and prediction phases.

Based on best performance prediction, banks can generate alternative scenarios for future performance improvement and enabling managers to develop effective strategies for performance control under uncertainty and limited data. Besides, supporting the decision-making process and proactive management of performance.

Despite the growing research stream supporting DEA-ANN integration applications, these are still limited and scarce, especially in the Middle East and North Africa region. Therefore, the study trying to fill this gap to help bank managers predict the best financial performance.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the level of efficiency in the Mexico electricity industry during the 2008-2015 period.

A data envelopment analysis (DEA) network model is proposed, where technical efficiency is calculated. A factorial analysis using the principal components method was carried out first. Later, latent dimensions were calculated through the variance criterion and sedimentation graph, where four components were presented. After performing factor rotation, the nodes were grouped: generation, transmission, distribution and sales. It proceeded later to structure a DEA network model.

From the calculations made, the most efficient node was the transmission, while the North Gulf and East Center divisions were the only efficient.

The limitations presented in this study were data collection.

The implications that were observed were that through the results obtained, proposals can be made to the Mexican electricity sector to improve each of the nodes, and have a better operation and reduce energy losses.

The social impact of this type of study is that based on the results obtained, they present the basis for improving energy policy and users can have a better service that has better quality and coverage.

The originality of this study consists in the use of two methodologies, factor analysis methodology and DEA network model.