Performance benchmarking of European postal incumbents with TOPSIS and BMW-TOPSIS

Given the uncertain position and specific role of postal incumbents in Europe, creating a framework for mutual comparison is essential. In this regard, this study aims to develop a methodology that will compare their relevant performance. On the other hand, management and host countries can be promptly alerted if something hinders postal incumbents from providing optimal performance. Two methods have been applied: the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and its variation, Best-Middle-Worst (BMW)-TOPSIS, on a sample of 16 incumbents from the EU and candidate countries. The results indicate that a finer adjustment is achieved in terms of ranking by the BMW-TOPSIS method. An open question regarding the selection of postal incumbents is whether it is necessary to strictly adhere to the rule that the number of their attributes is less than or equal to half of the attributes of the Middle point. The example of Latvia shows that if an alternative contains values from which the Best point is composed, an exception can be made in the selection. The development of the Middle point provides an opportunity for a more in-depth analysis, especially in cases where the values of the criteria differ significantly. Unlike classical TOPSIS, it offers a clearer visualization that supports the understanding of postal incumbents and their performance.