An assessment of service quality for international distribution centers in Taiwan – a QFD approach with fuzzy AHP

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to examine the service quality of international distribution centers (IDCs). In this article, a quality function deployment with fuzzy analytic hierarchy process model was proposed to translate the service requirement attributes (SRAs) of the IDC users into the service operations attributes (SOAs) of IDC operators. Further, the IDCs in Taiwan were empirically investigated to validate the proposed model. The results create 18 SRAs and 17 SOAs for IDCs, in which the top five SRAs the IDC users perceive as important are: handlings of damaged cargos, correctness of shipping orders, punctuality, storage spaces, and frequency and routes of transportation. Further, with respect to those SRAs, the top five SOAs in terms of priority for IDC operators are: consolidation & deconsolidation, cargo stowage & discharge, delivery scheduling, logistic processing, and business inquiry. Finally, the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• International distribution center
• service quality
• fuzzy
• AHP
• QFD

Acknowledgment

The authors greatly appreciate the anonymous reviewers for their very valuable comments on this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded by National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC 102-2410-H-022-003).