Quantification of Qualitative Data for MCDM Problems

Abstract

The first step in any MCDM problem is to define the set of alternatives and the set of decision criteria that the alternatives need to be evaluated with. Although this is an enormously critical step, its formulation cannot easily be captured with a standard modeling procedure. This task appeals more to the art aspect of MCDM than to the science one. It is this realization that makes most experts in this area to preach that the single most important step in solving any MCDM (and for that reason any decision making) problem is to first correctly define the problem. The interested reader may want to refer to the classic book with the characteristic fables by Russell L. Ackoff [Ackoff, 1978] on the art and science of decision making.