Lawrence M. Seiford – författare

In a relatively short period of time Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has grown into a powerful quantitative, analytical tool for measuring and evaluating performance. It has been successfully applied to a host of different entities engaged in a wide variety of activities in many contexts worldwide. In many cases evaluations of these entities have been resistant to other approaches because complex, multiple levels of (often) poorly understood relations must be considered. A few examples of these multifaceted problems are (1) maintenance activities of US Air Force bases in geographically dispersed locations, (2) police force efficiencies in the United Kingdom, (3) branch bank performances in Canada, Cyprus, and other countries and (4) the efficiency of universities in performing their education and research functions in the U.S., England, and France. In addition to localized problems, DEA applications have been extended to performance evaluations of `larger entities'' such as cities, regions, and countries. These extensions have a wider scope than traditional analyses because they include `social'' and `safety-net'' expenditures as inputs and various `quality-of-life'' dimensions as outputs. In other applications, DEA has been used to supply new insights into business activities and into the methods that have been used to evaluate these activities. These include `benchmarking'' studies of professional organizations including legal and accounting societies, as well as organizational forms--such as evaluating the relative efficiencies of the `mutual'' vs. `corporate'' forms of organization that are used in the U.S. insurance industry. Finally, DEA can also be used to evaluate objects as well as governmental, business and societal activities. For example, a test study found that DEA compared favorably with traditional engineering approaches for use in evaluating the relative efficiencies of jet aircraft engines. These advantages accrued to DEA because of its ability to simultaneously handle multiple outputs and inputs without having to first specify a system of weights for use in effecting these evaluations. Data Envelopment Analysis: A Comprehensive Text with Models, Applications, References, and DEA-Solver Software is designed to provide a systematic introduction to DEA and its uses as a multifaceted tool for evaluating problems in a variety of contexts. Each chapter accompanies its developments with simple numerical examples and discussions of actual applications. Emphasis is placed on the use as well as an understanding of DEA and the topics in this book have been selected and treated accordingly. The objective is to introduce students, researchers, and practitioners in business, economics, engineering, and the sciences to Data Envelopment Analysis. The authors have been involved in DEA''s development from the beginning. William Cooper (with Abraham Charnes and Edwardo Rhodes) is a founder of DEA. Lawrence Seiford and Kaoru Tone have been actively involved as researchers and practitioners from its earliest beginnings. All have been deeply involved in uses of DEA in practical applications as well as in the development of its basic theory and methodologies. The result is a textbook grounded in authority, experience and substance. Please see the book''s preface for chapter-by-chapter information on specific features and information on the supporting DEA-Solver software. The preface can be found and downloaded at the internet.

Introduction to Data Envelopment Analysis and Its Uses: With DEA-Solver Software and References has been carefully designed by the authors to provide a systematic introduction to DEA and its uses as a multifaceted tool for evaluating problems in a variety of contexts. The authors have been involved in DEA's development from the beginning. William Cooper (with Abraham Charnes and Edwardo Rhodes) is a founder of DEA. Lawrence Seiford and Kaoru Tone have been actively involved as researchers and practitioners from its earliest beginnings. All have been deeply involved in uses of DEA in practical applications as well as in the development of its basic theory and methodologies. The result is a textbook grounded in authority, experience and substance.

Data Envelopment Analysis: A Comprehensive Text with Models, Applications, References, And DEA-Solver Software, 2nd Edition is designed to provide a systematic introduction to DEA and its uses as a multifaceted tool for evaluating problems in a variety of contexts. Each chapter accompanies its developments with simple numerical examples and discussions of actual applications. Emphasis is placed on the use as well as an understanding of DEA and the topics in this book have been selected and treated accordingly. The first nine chapters cover the basic principles of DEA and the final seven chapters are more advanced treatment of DEA. These final chapters were completely revised into new chapters, reflecting recent developments that greatly extend the power and scope of DEA and lead to new directions for research and DEA uses. Together with the first ten chapters of the basic principles, they will provide students and researchers with a solid understanding of the methodology, its uses and its potential.

This book represents a milestone in the progression of Data Envelop­ ment Analysis (DEA). It is the first reference text which includes a comprehensive review and comparative discussion of the basic DEA models. The development is anchored in a unified mathematical and graphical treatment and includes the most important modeling ex­ tensions. In addition, this is the first book that addresses the actual process of conducting DEA analyses including combining DEA and 1 parametric techniques. The book has three other distinctive features. It traces the applications­ driven evolution and diffusion of DEA models and extensions across disciplinary boundaries. It includes a comprehensive bibliography to serve as a source of references as well as a platform for further develop­ ments. And, finally, the power of DEA analysis is demonstrated through fifteen novel applications which should serve as an inspiration for future applications and extensions of the methodology. The origin of this book was a Conference on New Uses of DEA in 2 Management and Public Policy which was held at the IC Institute of the University of Texas at Austin on September 27-29, 1989. The conference was made possible through NSF Grant #SES-8722504 (A. Charnes and 2 W. W. Cooper, co-PIs) and the support of the IC Institute.

This book represents a milestone in the progression of Data Envelop­ ment Analysis (DEA). It is the first reference text which includes a comprehensive review and comparative discussion of the basic DEA models. The development is anchored in a unified mathematical and graphical treatment and includes the most important modeling ex­ tensions. In addition, this is the first book that addresses the actual process of conducting DEA analyses including combining DEA and 1 parametric techniques. The book has three other distinctive features. It traces the applications­ driven evolution and diffusion of DEA models and extensions across disciplinary boundaries. It includes a comprehensive bibliography to serve as a source of references as well as a platform for further develop­ ments. And, finally, the power of DEA analysis is demonstrated through fifteen novel applications which should serve as an inspiration for future applications and extensions of the methodology. The origin of this book was a Conference on New Uses of DEA in 2 Management and Public Policy which was held at the IC Institute of the University of Texas at Austin on September 27-29, 1989. The conference was made possible through NSF Grant #SES-8722504 (A. Charnes and 2 W. W. Cooper, co-PIs) and the support of the IC Institute.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a relatively new “data-oriented” approach for evaluating the performances of a set of entities called Decision- Making Units (DMUs) which convert multiple inputs into multiple outputs. DEA has been used in evaluating the performances of many different kinds of entities engaged in many different kinds of activities in many different contexts. It has opened up possibilities for use in cases which have been resistant to other approaches because of the complex and often unknown nature of the relations between the multiple inputs and outputs involved in many of these activities, which are often reported in non-commeasurable units. DEA has also been used to supply new insights into activities and entities that have previously been evaluated by othermethods. This handbook is intended to represent a milestone in the progression of DEA. Written by experts, who are often major contributors to the topics to be covered, it includes a comprehensive review and discussion of basic DEA models, extensions to the basic DEA methods, and a collection of DEA applications in the areas of banking, education, sports, retail, health care, and a review of current DEA software technology. This handbook’s chapters are organized into three categories: (i) basic DEA models, concepts, and their extensions; (ii) DEA applications; and (iii) xii Preface DEA software packages. The first category consists of eleven chapters.

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 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.

Data Envelopment Analysis: A Comprehensive Text with Models, Applications, References, And DEA-Solver Software, 2nd Edition is designed to provide a systematic introduction to DEA and its uses as a multifaceted tool for evaluating problems in a variety of contexts. Each chapter accompanies its developments with simple numerical examples and discussions of actual applications. Emphasis is placed on the use as well as an understanding of DEA and the topics in this book have been selected and treated accordingly. The first nine chapters cover the basic principles of DEA and the final seven chapters are more advanced treatment of DEA. These final chapters were completely revised into new chapters, reflecting recent developments that greatly extend the power and scope of DEA and lead to new directions for research and DEA uses. Together with the first ten chapters of the basic principles, they will provide students and researchers with a solid understanding of the methodology, its uses and its potential.