Decision-matrix method: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:55, 16 August 2011

Latest revision as of 11:03, 22 July 2022

(48 intermediate revisions by 27 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|Pugh concept selection}}

{{Unreferenced stub|auto=yes|date=December 2009}}

Invented by [[Stuart Pugh]] theThe '''decision-matrix method''', also '''Pugh method''', or '''Pugh Conceptconcept Selectionselection''', invented by [[Stuart Pugh]],<ref name="concept">S. Pugh (1981) Concept selection: a method that works. In: Hubka, V. (ed.), Review of design methodology. Proceedings international conference on engineering design, March 1981, Rome. Zürich: Heurista, 1981, blz. 497 – 506.</ref> is a quantitativequalitative technique used to rank the multi-dimensional options of an option set. It is frequently used in [[engineering]] for making design decisions but can also be used to rank investment options, vendor options, product options or any other set of multidimensional entities.

==Definition==

A basic [[decision matrix]] consists of establishing a set of criteria and a group of potential candidate designs. One of these is a reference candidate design. The other designs are then compared to this reference design and being ranked as better, worse, or same based on each criterion. The number of times "better" and "worse" appeared for each design is then displayed, but not summed up.

A weighted decision matrix operates in the same way as the basic decision matrix but introduces the concept of weighting the criteria in order of importance. The more important the criterion the higher the weighting it should be given.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is a weighted decision matrix? |url=https://www.weighteddecision.com/what-is-a-weighted-decision-matrix/ |website=Weighted Decision |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=26 May 2022}}</ref>

A basic decision matrix consists of establishing a set of criteria upon which the potential options can be decomposed, scored, and summed to gain a total score which can then be ranked. Importantly, the criteria are not weighted to allow a quick selection process.

==Advantages==

The advantage of this approach tothe decision-making makingmatrix is that subjectiveit opinionsencourages aboutself-reflection oneamongst alternativethe members of a design team to analyze each candidate with a minimized bias (for versusteam anothermembers can be madebiased moretowards objectivecertain designs, such as their own). Another advantage of this method is that sensitivity studies can be performed. An example of this might be to see how much your opinion would have to change in order for a lower ranked alternative to out rankoutrank a competing alternative.

==Disadvantages==

However, there are some important disadvantages of the decision-matrix method:

* The list of criteria options is arbitrary. There is no way to know a priori if the list is complete; it is likely that important criteria are missing.

* Conversely, it is possible that less important criteria are included, causing decision makers to be distracted and biased in their choice of options.

* Scoring methods, even with weighting, tend to equalize all the requirements. But a few requirements are "must haves". If enough minor criteria are listed, it is possible for them to add up and select an option that misses a "must have" requirement.

* The values assigned to each option are guesses, not based on any quantitative measurements. In fact the entire decision matrix can create the impression of being scientific, even though it requires no quantitative measurements of anything at all.

==Morphological analysis==
[[Morphological analysis (problem-solving)|Morphological analysis]] is another form of a '''decision matrix''' employing a multi-dimensional configuration space linked by way of logical relationships.

==See also==

* [[Stuart Pugh]]

* [[MCDA]]

* [[Decision Matrix]]

* [[Belief decision matrix]]

== References ==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Decision-Matrix Method}}

<references/>

[[Category:Decision theory]]

* [[{{Decision Matrix]]theory}}

[[Category:Decision theoryanalysis]]

{{Engineering-stub}}

[[de:Konzeptauswahlanalyse nach Pugh]]

[[sv:Pughs matris]]