1. Multidimensional evaluation of DEA software
DEA-software is keyfactor of acceptance in practice
Question of implementation in pratice
rising number of software tools requires a detailed and stakeholder-oriented overview
Point of stakeholders view, especially practitioner
Objective is not to show mistakes
Objective is to give some suggestion to support e.g. usability, avoiding pitfalls, …
Kersten Hentrich, Heinz Ahn
July 8, 2009

2. Overview 1. Motivation 2. Requirements engineering 2.1 Stakeholder
2.2 Requirements engineering process
2.3 Structure of criteria catalogue
3. Evaluation and developing
3.1 State-of-the-art of DEA software
3.2 Approach of webbased developing
4. Conclusion

3. Bandwith of stakeholder
Computer expert
Practitioner
User
Developer
Bandwith of stakeholder
Scientist

4. 2.2 Requirements engineering
Requirements Engineering (RE) means not to hit one´s mark but the mark.
feasible as process
part of RE management
systematic and iterative approach
assumption: DEA basic model
focus: application layer
begin of searching
detecting
analyzing and rating
attraction of requirements engineering
to match interests
to reach more stakeholder
documentation
document
validation
system specification

5. 2.3 Criteria catalogue I
Require-ments
using requirements engineering process for searching
requirements neither stakeholder-oriented nor structured
weighting requirements and transforming to criteria
minimum to must (binary)
basis to normal level (binary)
desireable to optional (different scales possible)
weigthing require-ments
criteria
building a structure to sort criteria
Strucuture of criteria
software and economical aspects (non-functional)
DEA theory (functional)

6. 2.3 Criteria catalogue II Model selection Cost-efficieny Software
Non-functional criteria
Functional criteria
Model selection
Cost-efficieny
Software
Concretizing data
Licence
Analyzing
Interaction
Results of model-
oriented outcome
Services
Report of references
Content of folders consists of more than 60 criteria.

7. Overview 1. Motivation 2. Requirements engineering 2.1 Stakeholder
2.2 Requirements engineering process
2.3 Structure of criteria catalogue
3. Evaluation and developing
3.1 State-of-the-art of DEA software
3.2 Approach of webbased developing
4. Conclusion

8. 3.1 State-of-the-art of DEA software
filtered by:
compatibility to testing platform,
application runs „Out of the box“
CCR-I configurable,
graphical User Interface,
ability to load 50 DMUs,
not webbased,
6 software-items, which include
different types of licence
for free or
inserted in book or
high pice.
Commercial Software
DEA-Solver-Pro Version 6.0
Frontier Analyst Version 4
KonSi DEA Analysis
xIDEA 2.0
PIM DEASoft-V2
GAMS/DEA
DEAFrontier
LINDO
Evaluated Software
Frontier Analyst Version 4
PIM DEASoft-V2
DEAFrontier
DEA-Solver-LV(V5)
EMS Version 1.3
Win4DEAP 1.1.2
Non-commercial Software
DEAP Version 2.1
Win4DEAP 1.1.2
MDeap 0.2.1
EMS Version 1.3
DEA-Solver-LV(V5)
myDEA
Qhull *
iDEAs **
Dea Solver Online Version 1.2 **
Some highlights and shortcomings subsequently

9. + - Win4DEAP 1.1.2 Practictioner Scientist Computer Expert For free
Unlimited number of DMUs +
Limited reporting
Limited visualizing
No guided interface
No variation -
No graphical interface for outcome, mixture of two languages
No development since more than 5 years

10. + - EMS 1.3 Practictioner Scientist Computer Expert For free
Unlimited number of DMUs +
Limited reporting
Limited visualizing
Limited declaration
No guided interface
No variation -
No graphical interface for outcome, mixture of two languages
No development since more than 5 years
Only for academic use

11. + - DEA-Solver-LV(V5) Practictioner Scientist Computer Expert
literature and tutorial
guided interface
API , VBA and makros +
Limited reporting
No write-protected reports
Limited variation -
50 DMUs
knowledge of
pre-constructed
models

12. + - DEAFrontier Practictioner Scientist Computer Expert
literature and tutorial
guided interface
API , VBA and makros
Technical support
Comment function
at outcome data +
Limited reporting
No write-protected reports
Limited variation -
Requirement: MS-Excel
Max 199 DMUs at fullversion

13. + - PIM DEASoft-V2 Practictioner Scientist Computer Expert
Income- & outcome data locked
Optionalexport of outcome-data
Detailed upgrade possibilities
Statistical features +
Limited guided interface
limited reporting
limited visualizing
No variation -
Version of manual and software not identical

14. Frontier Analyst Version 4
Practictioner
Scientist
Computer Expert
tutorial, support via phone,
guided Interface
Many import and
export formats
Enterprise Licence
Meaningful Visualiz-
ing, Reporting &
Visualizing + -
No write-protected reports
No variation

15. 3.2 Approach of webbased developing
structured criteria coded as webbased template for
evaluation, development and information system
Developer
classifies features in template
Customer
evaluates via template (or extended via wiki, forum, …)
searches via query for an adequate tool
looks up new requirements
Primary effect:
matching interests
Secondary effect:
feedback of usability and pitfall

16. 4. Conclusion
especially non-functional requirements represent a strategic potential
a large number of models does not mean better usability
Results of stakeholder-oriented evaluation
nearly all software tools are OR-oriented
limited features and usability for practitioners
only „myDEA“ available as Source-Code for computer experts
Outlook: DEA software in progress which fulfills all requirements, open source based for computer experts

17. Thank you
for your attention