Evaluating the Efficiency of Sugarcane Harvesting Units Using a Combined Approach to Data Envelopment Analysis and Data Mining

Every organization needs an evaluation system in order to be aware of the level of performance and desirability of its units. It is more important for agricultural companies, including agro-industries. In this study, 20 sugarcane harvesting units were selected. After modeling based on input-oriented CCR and BCC models, efficiency values for sugarcane harvesting units were calculated and the CART decision tree was used to extract rules to predict the efficiency of these units. The results of a study of 20 sugarcane harvesting units in the CCR model showed that 6 units had an efficient score and 14 units had an inefficient score, and their technical efficiency score was in the range of 0.73-0.95. The results of the BCC model study also showed that out of a total of 20 sugarcane harvesting units, 8 units had efficient scores. As can be seen, in the BCC model, more units are introduced as efficient units and there is less dispersion between inefficient units. Also, the distribution of efficient units in the BCC model is less than the CCR model. The average technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 93%, 88%, and 93%, respectively. Also, the accuracy of the decision tree model for technical efficiency and pure technical efficiency was 86% and 93%, respectively.