This book develops a complete strategy for decision-making, with the full participation of the decision-maker and utilizing continuous feedback. It introduces the use of the very well-known and proven methodology, linear programming, but specially adapted for this purpose. For this, it incorporates a method to include subjective concepts, as well as the possibility of working with many different and even contradictory objectives.
To illustrate the concepts, the book is liberally populated with diverse case studies, such as:
Taking the reader from the basics to the end of the process, this practical guide will be of interest to anyone undertaking analysis and decision-making on both simple and complex projects, and who is looking for a strategy to organize, classify, and evaluate the large amount of information required to make an informed decision. The strategy includes methods to analyze the results and extract conclusions from them.
Readers in the fields of environmental science, engineering, urban-planning, architecture, and business administration will find this book useful.
A Strategy for Using Multicriteria Analysis in Decision-Making
Nolberto Munier
A Strategy for Using Multicriteria Analysis in Decision-Making A Guide for Simple and Complex Environmental Projects
Nolberto Munier Carrer Poeta Josep Cervera i Grifol 14 - 33 46013 Valencia Spain
[email protected]
ISBN 978-94-007-1511-0 e-ISBN 978-94-007-1512-7 DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-1512-7 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2011933229 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Cover image: © 2011 JupiterImages Corporation Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
First of all, it is necessary to point out that this is not a mathematical book, albeit obviously the subject of decision-making rests a good deal on this discipline, since it is almost impossible to take decisions without the help of some indicators, ratios, weights, procedures, algorithms, etc. which are in essence mathematical concepts. However, bien entendu, it is the Decision Maker (DM) who takes a decision, not a mathematical model, no matter how elaborate or sophisticated it could be. Once this is clarified, perhaps the reader asks what the purpose of this book is then. It aims at giving the DM the information he/she needs to collect the necessary data; to analyze that intelligence and facts, to process them, and to extract valid conclusions. However, because usually the decision-making process is a complex task, with large amounts of information, it is extremely difficult or even impossible to take a rational decision, due to the number of intervening variables, their interre lationships, potential solutions that might exist, diverse objectives envisioned for a project, etc.; therefore some help is called for, and some strategy is required to organize, classify