An application of Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment to bunkering services

Bunkering is very important for the maritime industry because of the need for continuity of trade, its relation to the energy industry and its great economic value. Today, the volume of the world’s bunkering market is around 350 million tons annually. Although there are about 400 major bunkering ports in the world, most of the demand is concentrated in a few strategic ports: when comparing strategic regions of the world, Istanbul has a very small share. With this in mind, this paper aims to demonstrate the current situation of Istanbul and to improve service quality using Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment. Our results show that the criteria which customers look for, in order of importance, are: supply waiting time; bunker quality; usage and availability of barges; duration of bunkering operation; and bunker price and price competitiveness. The steps to be taken to improve service quality are determined as: increase storage facilities and capacities; create a structure that can provide 24/7 bunker supply; and increase importance of bunkering in port infrastructure and management in Turkey, to improve service quality and increase their fuel sales volume.