Goal directed programming for determining process efficiency using data envelopment analysis

There are numerous measurement methods for process performance control. One of which, widely used in quality control programs, is process capability (C_p) index. The advantage of this index is due to the high amount of information extracted from it. Since C_p is independent from a particular measurement unit it can be used to compare several quite different processes. While the relative efficiency of the process performance based on the C_p for a period is satisfying, the process may lose efficiency in the next period for variety of reasons and could not keep up with the standard limits. The objective of this paper is to develop a new approach for measuring the relative efficiency of peer decision making units (DMUs) based upon process capability indices. A case study demonstrates the applicability of the proposed approach.