Accurate evaluation and improvement for operational efficiency of transportation systems

Summary form only as given. In general, mineral transport systems include mineral conveying and truck transport subsystems. The paper presents a combination of simulation, network and optimization models to develop a decision support system for mineral transportation decisions. It applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods and models to evaluate and improve the operational efficiency of such transportation systems. The simulation model has the advantage of random data processing that is very suitable for mineral conveying systems. The paper applies simulation and network models to describe the mineral transport process. DEA is an approach to measuring the efficiency of entities. The new DEA model can also optimize inefficient entities. DEA has several properties which make it attractive as a tool for evaluating and improving the operational efficiency of transportation systems effectively. The simulation model and optimization model, which are based on DEA, cooperate with each other, and provide a powerful function to help managers in decision making