Continuous models combining slacks-based measures of efficiency and super-efficiency

In the framework of data envelopment analysis (DEA), Tone (Eur J Oper Res 130(3):498–509, 2001) introduced the slacks-based measure (SBM) of efficiency, which is a nonradial model that incorporates all the slacks of the evaluated decision-making units (DMUs) into their efficiency scores, unlike classical radial efficiency models. Next, Tone (Eur J Oper Res 143(1):32–41, 2002) developed the SBM super-efficiency model in order to differentiate and rank efficient DMUs, whose SBM efficiency scores are always 1. However, as pointed out by Chen (Eur J Oper Res 226(2):258–267, 2013), some interpretation problems arise when the so-called super-efficiency projections are weakly efficient, leading to an overestimation of the SBM super-efficiency score. Moreover, this overestimation is closely related to discontinuity issues when implementing SBM super-efficiency in conjunction with SBM efficiency. Chen (Eur J Oper Res 226(2):258–267, 2013) and Chen et al. (Ann Oper Res 278(1):101–121, 2019) treated these problems, but they did not arrive to a fully satisfactory solution. In this paper, we review these papers and propose a new complementary score, called composite SBM, that actually fixes the discontinuity problems by counteracting the overestimation of the SBM super-efficiency score. Moreover, we extend the composite SBM model to different orientations and variable returns to scale, and propose additive versions. Finally, we give examples and state some open problems.