Industrial Management Journal

Industrial Management Journal

Resilient Blood Supply Systems under Demand Surges: A Scenario-Based Robust Inverse Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
1 Associate Prof., Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Financial Science, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran
2 MSc., Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Financial Science, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/imj.2026.415751.1008323
Abstract
Objective: This study proposes an approach to maintain the efficiency of the blood transfusion system in response to increasing demand caused by disruptive events. The primary objective is to determine the necessary input adjustments for the blood transfusion system to accommodate the expected increase in its output.
Methodology: To achieve the study objectives, an inverse data envelopment analysis (IDEA) model is extended to a scenario-based robust counterpart. Considering different scenarios with increasing blood demands and specified probabilities of occurrence, the model is formulated to maintain the efficiency levels while preserving the optimality and feasibility of the model under the considered scenarios.
Results: The proposed model is applied to a real case in the provinces of Iran. After identifying the system inputs and outputs, a set of scenarios was defined to represent an increase in blood demand. Solving the model illustrates that the system requires an increase in the number of donation centers in a range of 0 to 46 across different provinces, while the percentage of donors to the province's population must increase by at most 18% in some provinces. These adjustments help preserve the current level of blood transfusion efficiency.
Conclusion: The present study proposes a novel scenario-based robust inverse data envelopment analysis (DEA) framework for evaluating the efficiency of blood transfusion centers under varying scenarios of increased demand. By analyzing multiple disruption levels, the proposed framework enables decision-makers to determine the necessary resource adjustments to maintain operational efficiency and develop effective plans for managing uncertainty.
Keywords
Subjects

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