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Integrating Excel, Access, and Visual Basic to Deploy Performance Measurement and Evaluation at the American Red Cross

Author

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  • Kalyan S. Pasupathy

    (Department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211)

  • Alexandra Medina-Borja

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00681)

Abstract

The American Red Cross (ARC) is one of the world's largest nonprofit social service organizations. ARC has a network of approximately 1,000 chapters in the United States and its territories; each is responsible for a specific geographic jurisdiction in which ARC provides an array of social services. ARC is under pressure to demonstrate to the public how it is responsible and accountable for the resources it uses to deliver these services and the outcomes it achieves. Its decision makers are challenged to make accurate decisions to improve resource utilization and service-delivery processes. We designed and developed a system that uses data envelopment analysis to make resource-allocation recommendations that help ARC managers evaluate the performance of chapters at various levels. We used Microsoft Excel for the model formulation and reporting. This paper describes its use, in conjunction with Premium Solver, Visual Basic for Applications, and Microsoft Access, to formulate 4,000 linear-programming models. The system performs the analysis and uses Excel to display the results visually. We also discuss the benefits to ARC, lessons learned, and potential future improvements.

Suggested Citation

  • Kalyan S. Pasupathy & Alexandra Medina-Borja, 2008. "Integrating Excel, Access, and Visual Basic to Deploy Performance Measurement and Evaluation at the American Red Cross," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 38(4), pages 324-337, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:38:y:2008:i:4:p:324-337
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.1080.0366
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexandra Medina-Borja & Konstantinos Triantis, 2014. "Modeling social services performance: a four-stage DEA approach to evaluate fundraising efficiency, capacity building, service quality, and effectiveness in the nonprofit sector," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 221(1), pages 285-307, October.
    2. Bruno P. Bruck & Filippo Castegini & Jean-François Cordeau & Manuel Iori & Tommaso Poncemi & Dario Vezzali, 2020. "A Decision Support System for Attended Home Services," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 137-152, March.
    3. Michael F. Gorman, 2016. "From Magnum Opus to Mea Culpa: A Cautionary Tale of Lessons Learned from a Failed Decision Support System," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 46(2), pages 183-195, April.
    4. Mauro Falasca & Christopher Zobel & Cliff Ragsdale, 2011. "Helping a Small Development Organization Manage Volunteers More Efficiently," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 41(3), pages 254-262, June.
    5. Özdamar, Linet & Ertem, Mustafa Alp, 2015. "Models, solutions and enabling technologies in humanitarian logistics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 244(1), pages 55-65.

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