Development of performance evaluation indicators for table grape packaging units

Abstract

In order to improve the process management of table grape packaging, its performance should be evaluated. However, the literature on performance evaluation indicators is scarce. To address this research gap, we propose a method for the development of performance evaluation indicators for table grape packaging units, which are characterized by labor-intensive and highly seasonal production processes in the agro-economic sector. The stages include the following: contextualizing table grape packaging units, selecting the performance objectives, selecting techniques to be used in the development of the indicators, and applying the method to the packaging units of table grapes. The techniques adopted in the development of the indicators aimed at the cost, quality, flexibility, reliability, and speed performance objectives were data envelopment analysis, principal component analysis, quantification of the batch, compliance with the program within the established deadline, and measurement of the execution time of the batch, respectively. The results obtained in the case study demonstrate that the correlations between the performance indicators do not indicate the need to disregard any of them. Furthermore, the standard deviation values for each indicator are similar. Thus, both results of correlations and standard deviation confirm the importance of the indicators chosen for the performance evaluation of table grape packaging.