Weighted ranking is a tool that allows you to assign importance or “numerical weights” to various problem solutions. By weighting each of the criteria, you can then prioritize, assess, and evaluate the application of important resources. This process allows decision makers to make more objective decisions. Weighted ranking can result in decisions that best use organizational resources and time.
A Process Decision Program Chart (PDPC) is a variation of the decision/event tree introduced in Week 3. A PDPC helps decision makers assess alternative solutions or courses of action for a select decision or problem. The PDPC reflects options and opportunities available in decision making and identifies what may happen in response to selecting those options. The PDPC is an excellent tool for evaluating decisions because it provides a visual basis for decision makers to make and justify decisions.
In this assignment, the PDPC used here allows you to design an implementation plan for your chosen solution. As part of doing the plan, the PDPC will allow you to consider possible risks at each step of your implementation and countermeasures for those risks.
Complete the weighted ranking assignment prior to beginning this one. By now you should have found your optimal solution through the use of the weighted ranking tool and your other analyses.
Use the PDPC diagram to lay out the major steps related to implementing your solution. What will it take to get your solution actually working? It will be very helpful to watch the following multimedia presentation a number of times to understand how to use this technique.
Program Decision Making Charts
ACTION ITEMS
PART 1: RANKING SOLUTIONS
Reflect on the work you have done so far on your workplace problem.
Consider the 3 or 4 best possible solutions from your divergent thinking process. Use the weighted ranking tool to mathematically and analytically determine which of these solutions is best. To do this, build a weighted ranking matrix for your problem using the following guidelines:
Develop a list of criteria.
Assign a weighted percentage to each of the decision criteria based on importance. The total of all listed criteria must equal 1.0 (i.e., the total of the assigned criteria or weights must equal 100%). For example:
Criterion 1 = 0.3
Criterion 2 = 0.2
Criterion 3 = 0.4
Criterion 4 = 0.1
Therefore, 0.3 + 0.2 + 0.4 + 0.1 = 1.0 or 100%
Compare each solution to each criterion and assign a numerical rating scale to each alternative. For example: 1 = the solution does not meet the criterion very well, and 5 = the solution does meet the criterion very well.
Evaluate and rate each solution against each criterion by multiplying the rating scale number by the weighted numerical criteria number. (e.g., the weighted criteria is 0.3 x 5 = 1.5. This is the criteria number 0.3 times the assigned alternative rating scale number of 5).
Add the weighted values and calculate the final score for each of your proposed problem solutions.
Select the alternative with the highest score.