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Learning objective
To explain Data Envelopment Analysis for multiple inputs and
multiple outputs case in the form of linear programming
11.5 DEA: Multiple inputs, multiple outputs
Now, consider the case when there is more than one input affecting more than one
output. The efficiency in such case cannot be determined like in the previous case of
single input and single output. Let us see below an illustration.
The owner of a chain of coffee shops Coffees and more wants to evaluate the
efficiency of the shops in one city. The items sold as outputs in his store are in two
categories: Beverages Coffee, Tea and other drinks and Snacks Sandwiches,
Biscuits and so on. The inputs leading to the sale of these items are: Available floor
space in the store and the number of employees. The data regarding inputs and outputs
are given below in Table 11.6.
Table 11.6: Input and output data for Coffees and more
Store Location A B C D E F G
Number of
x1 40 38 50 54 44 110 66
employees
Floor space in
x2 302 262 320 336 316 510 470
100m2
Units of
y1 200 300 320 360 188 460 440
Snacks
Units of
y2 180 100 110 144 132 180 176
Beverages
To find the efficiency of each of the units and to determine the relative efficiency, we
need to give weights to each input and to each output. These weights are the
coefficients for each input and output variable. The coefficients pertaining to output
variables measure the relative decrease in efficiency with each unit reduction of output
variable. The coefficients pertaining to input variables measure the relative increase in
efficiency with each unit reduction of input variable. These weights can be either
provided by the user or can be determined optimally by using some optimization
technique like DEA.
11.5.1 User provided weights
Suppose we attach weights to inputs and outputs as given below:
Input - V1 (weight for employee strength): V2 (weight for floor space) = 5: 1
Output - U1 (weight for snack items): U2 (weight for beverages) = 1: 3
(1200)+(2180)
Thus, the efficiency of unit A = (140)+(2302)
Relative
1 0.9 0.77 0.89 0.74 0.64 0.82
efficiency
Now, the efficiency of each of the DMU j (Decision Making Unit the coffee store in
this case), with j = 1,2,.n is to be measured so that we can determine relative
efficiency and identify inefficient units. If there are n DMUs, we need n
optimizations, one for each DMU using following notations.
DMU o : DMU which will be evaluated in a particular trial, with o=1,2,,n. This
notation will be used for the DMU in the objective function. The same DMU in the
constraints will follow the notation DMU j as defined next.
DMU j : DMUs with j= 1,2,..n
v i : Coefficient for input i, with i = 1,2,..m
u r : Coefficient for output r, with r = 1,2,..s.
The DEA model can be presented to maximize the efficiency of DMU o , 0 ,by writing
the objective function of oth DMU as given below.
Objective function:
u y + u y + ....... + u s yso
o = 1 1o 2 2o
(for oth DMU)
Max
v1 x1o + v1 x1o + ........ + vm xmo
Subject to constraints:
u1 y1 j + u2 y2 j + ....... + u s ysj
1 ( j = 1, 2, ......., n)
v1 x1 j + v1 x1 j + ........ + vm xmj
v1 , v2 ,......., vm 0
u1 , u2 ,......., u s 0
The fractional programming model can be converted into a linear programming model.
This is done by scaling each of the inputs to 1 and rewriting the constraints as
mentioned below.
Objective function
(for oth DMU)
Max o = u1 y1o + u2 y2 o + ....... + u s yso
Subject to
v1 x1o + v1 x1o + ........ + vm xmo = 1
Super labs are in Research and Development of electronic goods. The founders, in the
year 2001 decided to set-up their own company to produce consumer electronic goods
that use the state-of-the art technologies that have been developed by them. The
company has set up business in North America and quickly moved to Asia, Europe,
Africa and South America. The main products of the company are its impressive range
of Smart phones, Tablet PCs and Laptops.
At the beginning of the year 2011, the CEO- global operations of the company
quickly pulled reports of Inputs and Outputs that are being used and produced at various
regions in which company operates.
He arrived at the following figures:
INPUTS ($ in millions) OUTPUTS (numbers in '000)
DMU
Product
Marketing Smart Phones Tablets Laptops
Development
N.America 5 14 9 4 16
Europe 10 18 8 2 9
Asia 9 16 9 4 10
Africa 7 12 6 1 8
S.America 9 15 10 4 14
The data tells him how much each of the regions consume for the two main activities,
namely Product development and Marketing, and how many units of its products are
being sold. However, he is unable to figure out, which are the best performing units and
how much of increase or decrease the Regional directors are to be advised to make on
investments.
One of his analysts recommends the use of Data Envelopment Analysis to analyze the
performance of the different units and then make a conclusion. The analyst also
mentioned that the tool can be best used as the inputs and outputs to the various
Decision Making Units are the same units ($ spent of product development, marketing
and number of units of each product sold).
The analyst quickly arrived at the following formulation:
For each of the inputs, assign weights u1 , u2 and assign weights v1 , v2 and v3 for the
outputs. Therefore the formulation for the five DMUs would be as follows:
u1 , u2 0
v1 , v2 and v3 0
u1 , u2 0
v1 , v2 and v3 0
The above presented models can be solved using any optimization software or using
excel. On solving the above linear programming models in Excel for all the units, the
following efficiencies for the DMUs were found.
DMU Efficiency
N.America 1
Europe 0.67
Asia 0.875
Africa 0.75
S.America 1
Now, CEO likes to compare the efficiency of the unit in Europe (inefficient unit) with
other efficient units. It is found that the shadow prices of the efficient units that are N.
America and S. America to be 0.157 and 0.657 respectively. So, N. America and S.
America forms the reference set for Europe. The linear combination of a particular
input for two efficient units using shadow prices as multiplier, will give the point on the
efficient frontier where the inefficient unit can be projected. That is Europe should
brought down the product development expenses from 10 to 6.698 (5 x 0.157 + 9 x
0.657).
Inputs and
North America South America
Outputs
Excess used
Sum of Total
Values Weights Total 1 Values Weights Total 2 Europe by the unit
1 and 2
Europe
Product
5 0.157 0.785 9 0.657 5.913 6.698 10 3.302
Development
Thus on comparing the inputs and outputs of Europe with that of N and S America,
Europe to reduce Product development and Marketing costs by 3.302 and 5.947 (000s
of dollar value) and increase sales of Tablets and Laptops by 1.256 and 2.71 units
respectively to reach the values of the efficient units. The sale of Smart phones is
however to the level of the efficient units N and S America. Thus the changes to be
made to the other inefficient DMUs can be analyzed.