Shipbuilding performance benchmarking

The purpose of the paper is to present a methodology for shipbuilding performance assessment, taking into account the characteristics of the shipyard, the production pattern and the industrial environment of the country or region. A Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to assess shipyard performance is proposed. An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method for obtaining an indicator of the extent to which the industrial environment of a region is favourable to shipbuilding development is introduced. The model was applied in comparing the efficiency of 12 shipyards in Japan, South Korea, China and Europe. The analysis was supported by visits to each shipyard in the sample and interviews with key technical and managerial personnel. The results indicate that some shipyards that do not have the highest technological level in the world are highly efficient in attaining performance indicators, even in conditions less favourable than for the global leaders.