Abstract
Efficiency of ports can create a remarkable influence in decrement of the period of ship stay at port, the period of sedimentation of goods and the decrement of freight payable to shipping companies. Finally, port efficiency also can cause customer satisfaction, demand increase and profitability rising up. In this light, this paper aims to identify and assess the Factors Causing Reduction of Performance in Container Handling Operation at the relevant studied container terminal; the present research has been conducted by use of TOPSIS method. In the first, having considered the daily census of container L/U in the pertinent terminal of the port, As well, brain storming cessions attended by experts from the mentioned terminal were held during which twenty two numbers of causes of delay were detected. Then, based on the criteria occurrence, severity, and probability of detection, the causes were scored. Then based on the obtained scores by each one of the causes, the matrix of decision making was formed and the mentioned causes were ranked by use of TOPSIS method. The obtained results via TOPSIS show that financial and administrative issues (Ci = 0.80048) jointed with the factor of deficiency of horizontal L/U equipment (Ci = 0.80048), then insufficiency of container yard (Ci = 0.67782) and unpreparedness of factors external to the port (Ci = 0.67577) were detected as the most important Factors Causing Reduction of Performance in Container Handling Operation of the studied port, respectively.