Comparison of Different Prioritization Methods in the Combination Methods of the Structural Equation Model (SEM) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) on the Performance Measurement of a Thai Frozen Shrimp Supply Chain

This paper proposes a combination method between SEM and AHP by applying the eigenvector method, the geometric mean method, and the new least squares method to calculate weights and rank elements in the comparison process for balance score card alternatives. The results show no difference in the ranking scores of the three ranking methods and show the financial perspective was prioritized first, followed by the customer perspective. However, the eigenvector is easier to calculate and is a valid method for deriving the priority vector from a pairwise comparison matrix than other methods. Thailand is the world's leading producer and exporter of the globalized shrimp market, with approximately 33% of the world's market share. More than 300,000 tons of Thailand's shrimp products were exported to the global market, and 81,000 tons of the total shrimp products were exported to Japan in 2012. Thailand's shrimp cultivation is highest in SuratThani province, Chachoengsao province, Chanthaburi province, and Songkla province, respectively. The area of the shrimp cultures comprises approximately 23,333 farms, embracing an area of 509 square kilometer. Production of white shrimp is the best representation of the shrimp industry chain in Thailand, because it represents 553,899 tons of Thailand's total shrimp production of 559,644 tons, which represents 98.97%of all shrimp production in 2012 (Office of Agricultural Economics, 2012). The shrimp supply chain is divided into three main sections: first, upstream hatcheries, nurseries, farms, and shrimp farms cultivate shrimp over a period of 90-120 days. Next, the midstream section consists of an intermediary business. There are shrimp brokers, markets, and a central shrimp market, which buy shrimp and distribute it downstream. Finally, the downstream section is composed of frozen industrial companies and seafood processing centers. All raw shrimp material is processed to frozen food or others seafood companies. This is the value addition to the shrimp product and forms product characteristics,