Applying fuzzy quality function deployment to evaluate solutions of the service quality for international port logistics centres in Taiwan

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to apply the fuzzy quality function deployment approach to evaluate solutions of the service quality for international port logistics centres in Taiwan. First, the paper examines house-of-quality matrices to facilitate handling of the ‘what’ aspects (i.e. requirements of the service quality) and the ‘how’ aspects (i.e. solutions of the service quality) of the quality function deployment problem. In conjunction with fuzzy sets theory, systematic procedures using the fuzzy quality function deployment approach were proposed in this paper. Subsequently, a case study concerning an international port logistics centre Z in Taiwan is utilized to demonstrate the systematic appraisal process for evaluating solutions of the service quality. Then, 34 attributes with 11 feasible solutions of the service quality of customer requirements are measured by employing the house-of-quality matrices. Finally, the empirical results show that the top five feasible solutions of the service quality of customer requirements for the port logistics centre Z are identified. They consist of ‘service personnel’s professionalism’, ‘a complete information system’, ‘the ability to track cargoes’, ‘service personnel’s response ability’ and ‘strengthening of warehousing security management’ respectively. Furthermore, some discussion is given on these five feasible solutions.