Measurement of Service Quality for Systems with Dependency Loops and Mixed Cohorts

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop an instrument to measure the quality, quality changes and the efficiency of a service system with dependency loops on an ongoing basis in order to provide timely feedback for decision-makers and to set the basis for a continuous improvement cycle. This instrument is developed using an engineering educational system as the prime example.The first outcome has been a data driven Strengths and Weakness (SW) analysis. It consists of four steps - data collection, data summarization, display of proportions (data aggregated into positive, neutral and negative perceptions), and the construction of a SW table by using a set of heuristic rules that reflects the decision-maker's desired level of sensitivity for the methodology. The core of the method resides in selecting the category with the largest proportion for a finite population where each element is classified into exactly one of k mutually exclusive categories. The heuristic rules used for classification are justified using the concepts of statistical ranking and selection procedures. Applications of the SW table in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses are given. Special graphs, e.g. the one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrows that help the analysis have been constructed so as to provide aid to the decision makers in the engineering educational system.The second outcome provides a scheme for the evaluation of the relative efficiency of processes within this type of service system. Data Envelopment Analysis has been used iteratively to evaluate the efficiency of levels and programs within an engineering educational service system. This is used to chart the changes in students' perceptions as they progress during their career from the freshmen to the senior level.