Application of ELECTRE III and Shannon Entropy for Strategy Selection

One of the potential problems in ports, which are expected to be compounded with the growth of the volumes of trade, is the dwelling of goods and its consequent costs. Container dwell time equals the duration containers are discharged and transported from ships to depots in order to be stored until the time the goods owner has released containers and dismissed it from terminals. The dwelling of goods results in taking up storage yards and port lots through congestion as well as decreasing Executive efficiency in loading and discharging which may cause an increase in lay time and demurrage costs. The purpose of the current study is an Application of ELECTRE III and Shannon Entropy for Strategy Selection for decreasing the Containers Dwell Time in Iranian Seaports. Firstly, factors involving in the Containers dwell time were dealt with in a review of the literature. Secondly, Executive strategies to decrease the Containers dwell time were formalized employing Delphi method. Thirdly, the strategies, formalized at the second stage, were prioritized by use of Shannon Entropy and ELECTRE III. According to The final results of the ELECTRE III method following strategies gained highest priority, using electronic systems, reducing the paperwork and parallel processes in cargo clearance, employing road and rail intermodal transport, round-the-clock customs operation, enhancing coordination and collaboration among organizations involved in the issuance of cargo clearance, respectively.