Decision Making Process Grid

Sometimes, when we have difficulty in arriving at a unanimous decision, then we can use a decision matrix for making the most appropriate decision.

A decision making process grid, also known as decision matrix analysis, is an easy to use tool for decision making and is very effective where there are a number of good alternatives and many factors to take into account. Many difficult problems can be solved with the help of a decision making grid which scores alternatives according to criteria.

Here is a step wise description of the decision making process grid.

• State the goal or define the problem.
• Identify what all alternatives you have and enlist them down the left most column of the table. Ensure that you gather enough information about all the alternatives before you choose any of them.
• Establish the criteria and rank them across the top most row of the table. Decision making criteria are the important, positive, beneficial outcomes that you want to emerge from your decision making.
• Carefully consider and evaluate the cost and benefit of each alternative according to the criteria.
• Put a + (plus sign) in the cell if the alternative meets the criteria.  One may also put + + (two plus signs) if the alternative strongly meets the criteria. In case the alternative does not meet the criteria at all, put a – (minus sign) in that cell. Alternatively, rate each alternative by awarding a score ranging from 1 to 10 to show how well it matches with each of the criteria. Work across each row from left to right.
• Select an alternative after weighing the pluses and minuses or add up the scores for each option across the row and put the total in the Total column.
• Reevaluate your decision on the basis of the total score.
• Implement your decision.