The Analytic Hierarchy Process: Structuring, Measurement, and Synthesis

The challenges of evaluation and decision making are encountered in every sphere of life and on a regular basis. The nature of the required decisions, however, may vary between themselves. While some decisions may reflect individual solutions on simple problems, others may indicate collaborative solutions on complex issues. Regardless of their distinctive nature, all decisions are outcomes of a mental process. The process involves careful evaluation of merits of all the available options leading ultimately to the choice of a single solution. Numerous efforts have been made in the literature to develop decision models ideal for choosing the best solution for a given problem. The dilemma in using these decision models, however, can hardly be avoided. With differences in underlying methodology, each model serves a specific decision-making need of the decision maker. In the absence of a universal framework suitable for handling a variety of problems, decision makers are often required to identify the model best suited for their particular need. Furthermore, they need to take account of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the chosen model.