A fuzzy AHP classification of container terminals

This article proposes a methodology for the classification of container terminals aiming to identify groups of terminals with similar management characteristics. Based on physical and terminal operations data and the subjective judgment of experts in port management, we show that it is possible to i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMaritime economics & logistics Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 218 - 238
Main Authors Adenso-Díaz, B., Álvarez, N. García, Alba, J. A. Lago
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Palgrave Macmillan UK 01.06.2020
Palgrave Macmillan
Subjects
Analytic hierarchy process
Business and Management
Classification
Cluster analysis
Competitors
Containers
Cranes
Logistics
Management
Mathematical analysis
Methods
Operations Management
Original Article
Transport buildings, stations and terminals
Port classification
Port management
Fuzzy AHP
Clustering
Container terminals
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Summary:This article proposes a methodology for the classification of container terminals aiming to identify groups of terminals with similar management characteristics. Based on physical and terminal operations data and the subjective judgment of experts in port management, we show that it is possible to identify the main factors affecting the management of container terminals and produce a classification of these facilities, allowing determination of their strengths, weaknesses, and place within their port system and in relation to their competitors. The methodology is based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP). As a case study to validate the procedure, the Spanish port system is selected, and the results are compared with other classification methods not including subjectivity criteria, namely cluster analysis. By assigning more weight to expert judgments, results differ and become more trustworthy, since expert knowledge can go beyond simple variables such as TEUs moved or number of available cranes.
ISSN:1479-2931
1479-294X
DOI:10.1057/s41278-019-00144-4