Relative efficiencies of seaport container terminals: a DEA perspective

摘要

With the rapid growth of containerisation in world maritime trade, container terminals have undertaken heavier tasks and more important roles to achieve better service quality and agility in the supply chain. Container terminals operate in a fierce competitive environment of international character. Their rivals are their neighbouring ports/seaport terminals, and/or similar facilities within their hinterlands. To accomplish the competitive advantage in global shipping, port managers have undertaken more effort continuously to improve their terminal productivity. However, to sustain competition in their favour it is also essential for managers to undertake benchmarking with the competing terminals.The aim of this paper is to guide port managers to benchmark their organisational performances with their competitors; thereby making necessary arrangements to use their resources more effectively,. In this connection, 10 seaport terminals lyingon the coast of the Sea of Marmara and the Mediterranean rim are taken as decision-making units and data envelopment analysis (DEA) is applied to measure and evaluate their relative performances.