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ModelView Overview.................................................................................. 10 Creating a File and Goal Description .......................................................... 10 To create a new file: ...................................................................... 10 Adding the Objectives and Sub-objectives to ModelView's TreeView .......... 11 To add an objective: ...................................................................... 11 To add sub-objectives below an Objective: .................................... 11 To add an objective to an existing model: ...................................... 11 Renaming Nodes in the ModelView's TreeView.......................................... 11 To rename a node: ........................................................................ 11 Deleting Nodes in the TreeView ................................................................. 12 To delete a node and all of its descendants in the TreeView: ......... 12 TrashCan................................................................................................... 12 To Open the TrashCan: ................................................................. 12 To move nodes back into the TreeView (hierarchy):....................... 12 Copy Plex and Drag ................................................................................... 12 To move a node: ........................................................................... 12 Adding Alternatives to the ModelView......................................................... 13 Renaming Alternatives in the ModelView.................................................... 13 Inactivating and Reactivating Alternatives................................................... 13 To inactivate alternatives from the Alternatives pane:..................... 13 To inactivate alternatives from the Data Grid:................................. 13 To reactivate alternatives - only available from the Data Grid: ........ 14 Adding Information Documents .................................................................. 14 Dragging to Import Files to Information Documents:....................... 15 Adding Notes ............................................................................................. 15 Displaying Priorities in ModelView .............................................................. 16 Displaying the Current Nodes Children in the Alternatives Pane ................. 16 Deleting an Information Document or Note ................................................. 16 To Undo the Last Pairwise Comparison:..................................................... 17 To Undo the Last judgment or Data Value Entered in the Data Grid:........... 17 To Undo - Information Documents or Notes:............................................... 17 Revert........................................................................................................ 17 Opening a Model........................................................................................ 17 To open another model: ............................................................................. 17 Converting to an Incomplete Hierarchy....................................................... 18 Rollup ........................................................................................................ 18 Converting from Version 9.5....................................................................... 19 File Structure ............................................................................................. 19
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Top Down or Bottom Up............................................................................. 19 First Create a File (Model) and Goal Description ........................................ 19 To create a new file: ...................................................................... 19 Enable Structuring ..................................................................................... 20 For a Newly Created Model with Only a Goal Node:....................... 20 For Existing Models: ...................................................................... 20
Top Down Structuring ................................................................................ 20 Adding Objectives and Sub-objectives to ClusterView .......................... 20 To add objective (or sub-objective) to the ClusterView:............................... 20 To group sub-objectives within the ClusterView:......................................... 21 Moving Nodes in the ClusterView......................................................... 21 Deleting Nodes in the ModelView's ClusterView................................... 21 To delete a node and all of its descendants in the ClusterView: .................. 21 Adding Alternatives in Top Down Structuring........................................ 21 Finish Top Down Structuring ................................................................ 21 Bottom Up Structuring................................................................................ 22 Adding Alternatives in Bottom Up Structuring ....................................... 22 Adding Pros and Cons for Each Alternative.......................................... 22 View the List of All Pros and Cons ....................................................... 22 Building the Hierarchy.......................................................................... 23 Finish Button Up Structuring....................................................................... 23
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Making Paired Comparisons ...................................................................... 23 Making Verbal Judgments ............................................................. 24 Making Numerical Judgments........................................................ 24 Making Graphical Judgments......................................................... 24 Structural Adjust ............................................................................ 24 Examining and Improving Inconsistency ........................................ 24 Making Verbal Judgments.......................................................................... 24 Judgments can be made any of the following ways: ....................... 25 To advance to the next judgment: .................................................. 25 To invert a judgment (to select the other element in the comparison)25 To enter judgments directly in the comparison matrix:.................... 26 Making Numerical Judgments .................................................................... 26 Judgments can be made any of the following ways: ....................... 26 To advance to the next judgment: .................................................. 26 To invert a judgment (to select the other element in the comparison)27 To enter judgments directly in the comparison matrix:.................... 27 Making Graphical Judgments ..................................................................... 27 Judgments can be made any of the following ways: ....................... 27 To advance to the next judgment: .................................................. 28 To invert a judgment (to select the other bar in the comparison)..... 28 To enter judgments directly in the comparison matrix:.................... 28 Direct Entry of Priorities.............................................................................. 28 To directly assign weights:............................................................. 28 Making Diagonal Pairwise Judgments ........................................................ 29 Making a Factor Dormant from the Pairwise Comparison Matrix ................. 29 To reactivate a factor:.................................................................... 29 Structural Adjust......................................................................................... 30 Examining and Improving Inconsistency..................................................... 30 To view the most inconsistent judgment:........................................ 30 To lower the Inconsistency Ratio for a set of judgments you can either: Understanding Inconsistency ..................................................................... 31 Importing & Exporting to/from any Pairwise Window ................................... 32 Importing Only the Upper Portion of the Matrix ........................................... 33 Importing a Row Vector.............................................................................. 33 Importing a Column Vector......................................................................... 33
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Synthesis 33
Synthesis Overview.................................................................................... 33 Synthesizing Group Judgments ..................................................... 34
Synthesizing from the Data Grid .................................................... 34 How to Synthesize ..................................................................................... 34 Selecting Synthesis Type ........................................................................... 34
Senstivity-Graphs
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Sensitivity Analysis..................................................................................... 34 PerformancePerformance_Sensitivity ............................................ 35 DynamicDynamic_Sensitivity......................................................... 35 GradientGradient_Sensitivity ......................................................... 35 Head to HeadHead_to_Head_Sensitivity ....................................... 35 Two DimensionalTwo_Dimensional_Sensitivity.............................. 35 Performance Sensitivity.............................................................................. 35 Dynamic Sensitivity.................................................................................... 36 Gradient Sensitivity .................................................................................... 38 Head to Head Sensitivity ............................................................................ 39 Two Dimensional Sensitivity....................................................................... 40
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Data Grid Overview.................................................................................... 41 RatingsCreating_a_Ratings_Formula_in_the_Data_Grid ............... 42 Increasing Utility CurveCreating_an_Increasing_Utility_Function_in_the_Data_Grid. 42 Decreasing Utility CurveCreating_a_Decreasing_Utility_Function_in_the_Data_Grid. 42 Step FunctionCreating_a_Step_Function_in_the_Data_Grid.......... 42 Direct (entry of priorities)Entering_Priorities_Directly_in_the_Data_Grid 42 When to Use the Data Grid ........................................................................ 42 Adding Alternatives to the Data Grid........................................................... 42 Deleting Alternatives from the Data Grid..................................................... 42 Selecting Alternatives for Extraction from the Data Grid to Alternatives Pane43 Copying a Formula from One Covering Objective to Another ...................... 43 None - Deleting a Formula Type................................................................. 43 Importing & Exporting to/from Data Grid ..................................................... 44 Importing from a Tab Delimited File............................................................ 44 To create a tab delimited file. ..................................................................... 44 Ratings ...................................................................................................... 45 Ratings Overview................................................................................. 45 Creating a Ratings Formula in the Data Grid ........................................ 45 Entering Ratings for Alternatives in the Data Grid................................. 45 Entering a Ratings with the Keyboard:........................................................ 46 Entering a Ratings with the Mouse: ............................................................ 46 Entering a Ratings with the KeypadEntering_a_Rating_with_a_Keypad ..... 46 Interpreting a Rating ............................................................................ 46 Step Function............................................................................................. 46 Step Function Overview ....................................................................... 46 Creating a Step Function in the Data Grid ............................................ 47 Entering Values for Step Intensities in the Data Grid ............................ 47 Entering a Value with the Keyboard:........................................................... 48 Entering a Step Value with a Keypad:......................................................... 48 Interpreting a Step Function................................................................. 48 Utilty Curves .............................................................................................. 48 Utility Curves Overview ........................................................................ 48 Increasing Utility CurveCreating_an_Increasing_Utility_Function_in_the_Data_Grid .................................................................................................................. 48 Decreasing Utility CurveCreating_a_Decreasing_Utility_Function_in_the_Data_Grid .................................................................................................................. 48
Creating an Increasing Utility Function in the Data Grid........................ 48 Creating a Decreasing Utility Function in the Data Grid ........................ 49 Entering a Value for an Increasing or Decreasing Utility Curve ............. 49 Entering Data for a Utility Curve with the Keyboard:.................................... 49 Entering Data for a Utility Curve with the Keypad........................................ 50 Interpreting an Increasing or Decreasing Utility Function ...................... 50 Direct - Entering Priorities Directly.............................................................. 50 Entering Priorities Directly in the Data Grid........................................... 50
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Assessment Menu Commands................................................................... 51 Facilitator Menus........................................................................................ 51 File Menu Commands ................................................................................ 53 Formulas Grid Menu Commands................................................................ 53 Edit Commands............................................................................. 53 Go Menu Commands ................................................................................. 54 Help Menu ................................................................................................. 54 Pairwise Individual Menu Commands................................................... 55 Participants Table Commands.................................................................... 57 Sensitivity-Graphs Menu Commands.......................................................... 58 Commands Common to All Sensitivity Graphs............................................ 58 Synthesize Menu Commands..................................................................... 58 Tools Options Menu ................................................................................... 58 Edit Menu Commands................................................................................ 59 Data Grid Edit Menu Commands.......................................................... 59 ModelView Edit Commands ................................................................. 60 Participants Table Edit Menu Commands............................................. 61 Delete Participant - deletes a participant permanently from the model. ....... 62 Copy Judgments/Data to Existing Participants - copies judgments and data, from either the facilitator or a selected participant to other existing participant(s). ......... 62 View Menu Commands .............................................................................. 62 Data Grid View Menu Commands ........................................................ 62 ModelView View Menu Commands ...................................................... 62
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The Facilitator's Role.................................................................................. 63 Creating a Team Model / Group Enabling................................................... 64 About the Participants Table.......................................................... 65 Opening a Team Model.............................................................................. 65 To open a model as the facilitator:.............................................................. 65 To open a model as a participant:............................................................... 65 Color Scheme Used with Team (Group) Models......................................... 66 Converting a Team (Group Model) from Version 9.5................................... 66 File Structure ............................................................................................. 67 Receiver and Keypads used with Team Expert Choice............................... 67 Receiver and Keypad Hardware Overview ........................................... 67 What You Need to Do Before Connecting the Receiver. ............................. 67 Connecting the Radio Frequency Receiver................................................. 68 Programming the Keypads................................................................... 68 Determining the Current Internal Keypad Number ...................................... 68 Programming the Keypad so the * Key Behaves as an Invert Key .............. 69 Common Keypad Troubleshooting Questions....................................... 69 How the Hardware and Keypads are Activated..................................... 70
Activating the Hardware ............................................................................. 70 Activating the Keypads............................................................................... 70 How the Keypads Are Used ....................................................................... 70 Facilitator Menus Overview .................................................................. 70 Making Individual Judgments ..................................................................... 71 Entering Individuals Judgments and Data in a Group Model................. 71 Entering a Consensus Judgment ......................................................... 71 Using the Web, Internet or Intranet....................................................... 72 Making Individual Judgments (Pairwise Comparisons) On a Network or the Web ...................................................................................................... 72 Making Individual Judgments Using the Data Grid on a Network or the Web ...................................................................................................... 72 Using Keypads .................................................................................... 72 Making Individual Judgments (Pairwise Comparisons) With Keypads72 What the Facilitator Does. .......................................................................... 72 Verbal Judgments ...................................................................................... 72 Numerical Judgments ................................................................................ 72 Graphical Judgments ................................................................................. 72 Making Individual Judgments Using the Data Grid With Keypads ... 73 Three Ways to Combine Individuals Judgments ......................................... 73 Combining Judgments and/or Data from the Participants Table............ 73 Combining Individual Judgments from the ModelView .......................... 74 Combining Individuals Judgments from the Data Grid .......................... 75 Using Queries...................................................................................... 75 Creating a Query (Adding A Query)............................................................ 76 Deleting a Query........................................................................................ 76 Applying a Query ....................................................................................... 76 Combine Individuals Judgments................................................................. 77 Menus Specific to Group Enabled Models .................................................. 77
Web Capabilities
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Creating a Web (Remote DSN) Model........................................................ 77 Accessing a Model Over the Web............................................................... 78
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-A B- .......................................................................................................... 78 Absolute Measurement ........................................................................ 78 Active Alternatives ............................................................................... 78 Active Participants ............................................................................... 78 Alternatives.......................................................................................... 78 Assessment ......................................................................................... 79 Autoadvance........................................................................................ 79 Autoredraw ................................................................................... 79 Best Fit ................................................................................................ 79 Bottom Up Structuring.......................................................................... 79 -C D-.......................................................................................................... 79 Child Node........................................................................................... 79 ClusterView ......................................................................................... 79 Comparisons - Modes of ...................................................................... 79 Complete Hierarchy ............................................................................. 80 Covering Objective .............................................................................. 80 Criterion / Criteria................................................................................. 80 Distributive Synthesis........................................................................... 80 Data Grid............................................................................................. 80 Diagonal Pairwise ................................................................................ 80
- F G-......................................................................................................... 80 Formulas Grid...................................................................................... 80 Gap Analysis ....................................................................................... 80 Geometric Average.............................................................................. 81 Geometric Indicator ............................................................................. 81 Global Alternatives............................................................................... 81 Global Priority...................................................................................... 81 Goal Node ........................................................................................... 81 Grandchild ........................................................................................... 81 Graphical Comparison Mode................................................................ 81 - H I- .......................................................................................................... 81 Hierarchy............................................................................................. 81 Incomplete Hierarchy........................................................................... 81 Inconsistency Ratio.............................................................................. 82 Theoretical Information............................................................................... 82 Information Document.......................................................................... 82 Intensity Scales ................................................................................... 83 Invert ................................................................................................... 83 Ideal Synthesis .................................................................................... 83 -J L M N-.................................................................................................... 83 Judgment............................................................................................. 83 Local Priority........................................................................................ 83 ModelView........................................................................................... 83 Node ................................................................................................... 83 Note .................................................................................................... 84 Numerical Comparison Mode............................................................... 84 -O P R- ...................................................................................................... 84 Objective ............................................................................................. 84 Pairwise Comparisons / Paired Comparisons ....................................... 84 Parent Node ........................................................................................ 84 Plex ..................................................................................................... 84 Priority................................................................................................. 84 Redraw................................................................................................ 84 Relative Measurement ......................................................................... 85 Ratings ................................................................................................ 85 - S T- ......................................................................................................... 85 Sensitivity Analysis .............................................................................. 85 Sibling Node ........................................................................................ 85 Step Function ...................................................................................... 85 Structural Adjust .................................................................................. 85 Structuring ........................................................................................... 85 Sub-Objective (Sub-Criterion) .............................................................. 86 Synthesis............................................................................................. 86 TreeView ............................................................................................. 86 Top Down Structuring .......................................................................... 86 -U V W X Y Z- ............................................................................................ 86 Utility Curves ....................................................................................... 86 Verbal Comparison Mode .................................................................... 86 What-if................................................................................................. 86
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Alternatives pane........................................................................... 87
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General tab 89
Ideal Alternative Options................................................................ 89
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Transformation - a Special Case Future Participants Table Edit What the Facilitator Does Using Keypads to Make Graphical Judgments Using Keypads to Make Numerical Judgments Synthesis Summary Tab Synthesize Summary or Details tabs Distributive or Ideal mode
90 90 90 91 92 93 93 93
Numerical Representations of Verbal Judgments Commands Common to All Sensitivity Graphs Using Keypads to Make Verbal Judgments Examples and Explanations of Queries
94 94 95 96
Single queries:............................................................................... 96 Compound queries: ....................................................................... 96 Entering a Ratings with a Keypad:.............................................................. 97 Entering Data for a Utility Curve with the Keypad:....................................... 97
Entering a Priority with Keypads Selecting Keypad Options Using Keypads Anonymously Object Linking & Embedding
97 97 98 99
Example One: How to Open an Embedded File. ............................ 99 Example Two: Another way to open an embedded file. ................ 100
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Introduction
Use this manual to learn about Expert Choice. The manual is organized in chapters and subchapters (shown as book icons). Before reading this manual, we recommend that you read the Quick Start Guide and/or The Tutorials.
The Getting Started / Creating a Model chapter in this help document provides steps to build your own model but doesn't provide as much instruction as either the Quick Start Guide or the Tutorials.
The second chapter explains Structuring and should be used to complement Lesson 2 of the Tutorials.
The Pairwise Comparison Process chapter describes how to make judgments (paired comparisons). The Synthesis chapter describes how to view the results of your paired comparisons while the Sensitivity Analyses chapter describes how to view and interpret your results in graphics format. Much of this information is also described in Lesson 1 of the Tutorials.
The Data Grid Functions chapter explains how to use the grid and describes Ratings, Step Functions, and Utility Curves. This chapter complements Lessons 3 and 4 of the Tutorials. The Printing and Reports chapter describes how to print information while using standard industry conventions. Expert Choice s Menus are outlined in the next chapter.
The next two chapters describe Expert Choice s group and web (Internet) capabilities found in the Team and Enterprise versions. These chapters parallel Lessons 5 & 6 of the Tutorials.
Conventions
Menu commands are preceded by the word "select". For example: Select File, Open. Menu commands can also be accessed by typing or clicking with the mouse. Commands that can only be invoked with the mouse are preceded with the word "click". For example: Click on first row of the Data grid. "Press" is for a single letter or a combination of letters. For example: Press Ctrl-J. "Type" is used when you are required to enter data. Items that you need to enter are in bold. For example, Type Car1, or Type your name.
By default, nodes with children (objectives) are displayed next to yellow circles, and nodes with no children (covering objectives) are displayed next to black circles. If a node has children that have not been assessed, a red dot will appear in the center of the circle. When all objectives in the TreeView have been assessed, the circles are replaced by squares that graphically display the priority of each factor.
The lower-left pane displays the Information Document for the current (selected) node.
Note: The appearance of the ModelView can be altered; to do this use the View menu commands.
An alternative way to create a new file is to click on the new file icon.
Note: Expert Choice creates a model with only one node (the goal) and displays it in the ModelView's TreeView.
To learn how to build an actual model, go to the QUICK START GUIDE. Also see Lessons 1 and 2 of the Tutorials.
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An alternative way to add objective: right-click on the Goal node and continue as described above.
Tip: Try to keep the number of nodes under each parent under nine.
Note: When you add objectives below the goal, the circle next to the goal will change from black to yellow indicating that other elements are below it. If a red dot appears in either colored circle this means judgments must be made. See: Pairwise Comparisons.
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Alternatively, you can right-click on a node you wish to rename and then select Edit Node.
TrashCan
Trash receives nodes that have been deleted from the TreeView (objectives hierarchy). Once items are in the trash, they can be dragged and dropped back into the hierarchy.
To move a node:
? Click and drag the node to be moved onto the destination node. The node will become the first child under the destination node. Tip: If you want the nodes to appear in alphabetical order, select the parent of the cluster and then select Edit, Sort Cluster. Tip: To rearrange nodes within an objective, drag each node within the cluster in
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reverse order of the way you want them to appear in the cluster and drop them, one at a time, on the parent node of the cluster.
Note: Alternatives added from the ModelView are known as active alternatives and are simultaneously added to the Data Grid.
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In the ModelView, information documents for either the objectives or alternatives are displayed in the lower right-hand pane. ? ? ? To edit a document, select the node. Then click the Information icon. Alternatively select Edit, Information. Type the information and when done, click the Information icon to close.
When at any pairwise comparison window, information documents are displayed in separate windows. ? To view or create a document, click the book icon. Alternatively, select Edit, Information. And continue as described above. Note: All paired comparisons are made with respect to a parent node. For example, if you are making paired comparisons for an objective that has three sub-objectives; the information document displayed would be for the objective.
When at the Data Grid, information documents are displayed in separate windows. ? Select a covering objective column or select a node in the TreeView, or select an alternative. ? Click the Information icon to either create or display the document for that node. Alternatively, select Edit, Information.
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Type the information and when done, click the Information icon to close.
Adding Notes
Notes can be entered and viewed for elements in the hierarchy, alternatives, individual paired comparisons, and cells in the Data Grid as well as covering objectives. When working with group models, each participant can enter their own notes to express their views, rationale, concerns and the like about the different parts of the decision process. A Note can only be viewed by the person who made it as well as the facilitator. A participant note could be merged in Information document.
If a note exists for the current node or cell in the Data Grid, the bottom portion of the Note Icon will be yellow instead of completely black. When a Note window is open, you can drag other documents to it and/or create shortcuts to other files or programs.
In the ModelView, a note is displayed for either an objective or alternative as a separate window. ? ? ? To create or edit a note, select the node. Then click the Note icon. Alternatively select Edit, Note. Type your note and when done, click the Note icon to close.
When at any pairwise comparison window, a note for the current comparison is displayed as a separate window. ? Select the paired comparison.
? To view or create a note for the paired comparison, click the icon. Alternatively select Edit, Note. ? Type your note and when done, click the Note icon to close.
Note: All paired comparisons are made with respect to a parent node. For example, if you are making paired comparisons for an objective that has three sub-objectives; the Note displayed would be for the objective.
When at the Data Grid, note is displayed for the current cell as a separate window. ? ? Note. Select a cell in the Data Grid. Click the Note icon to either create or display a note. Alternatively, select Edit,
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Type your note and when done, click the Note icon to close.
To change the priority display while working with the current model: ? ? Select View; then select Priorities Choose one: Global, Local, Both, or None.
See Tools, Options, View to disable the display of priorities in all your models.
See Tools, Options, View to change the default display from alternatives to children of the current node in all your models.
Undo
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Undo is used to undo a judgment when making paired comparisons or when entering data on the data grid. It can also undo changes when editing an Information Document or a Note.
To Undo the Last judgment or Data Value Entered in the Data Grid:
? When making judgments in the Data Grid, select Edit, then select Undo.
Revert
Revert is used to go back to a previous version of the database. Use Revert when you decide not to continue working with the changes just made to the model (during the current session). Note: This feature is not available to participants in a group model. The facilitator can't use Revert while the model is on a network.
To revert from either the ModelView, Data or Formula Grids: ? ? ? Select Edit, Revert. A list of showing versions of the current model, if available, will be displayed. Double-click on the version of the model you want to revert to. Warning: Because revert goes back to a previous version of the database, that contains EVERYTHING, for ALL people, the facilitator MUST modify the model only when participants are not accessing the model.
Opening a Model
To open another model:
? From the ModelView, Data or Formula Grids select File, Open and select a model from the Open Dialogue box.
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Or alternatively, select File and then select one of the last four models previously opened from the bottom portion of the File drop-down list. ? If a model is currently open and has not been saved since changes were made: o o o Select Yes to save your changes and open another model. Select Cancel to abandon the save and open request. Select No not to save your changes. Then the next time you open this model the last saved version will be displayed.
? ?
Warning: Since you will be changing the structure of your model, it is highly recommended that you make a copy of your model using the File, SaveAs command before converting.
Rollup
It is possible to 'rollup' sub-nodes between a selected node and the alternatives using the ModelView menu command Edit Rollup. This command removes all rolled up nodes from the model and places them in the Trash Can where they can be dragged/dropped back into the model. Note: To roll up you must have at a minimum two levels of objectives and alternatives, or three levels of nodes in the TreeView.
The Rollup command has two subcommands: ? ? Current Node only Current Node and All Peers. Rolls up all the peers (siblings) of the current node as well as the current node itself. Prior to executing the rollup, you will be prompted to save the model if changes have been made since the last save. If the model is saved prior to the rollup then the rollup can be undone by using the Edit Revert.
Tip: Rolling up from a node above the lowest level nodes or alternatives has no effect.
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File Structure
Expert Choice 2000 files have the extension of .AHP. There is only one file per model and it structure based Microsoft's Access. Expert Choice's Professional and Team versions use Access for the database structure, while Enterprise version uses Sequel.
Bottom up Structuring is best suited for situations where the alternatives are better understood than the objectives. The pros and cons of the alternatives are used to help identify the objectives that can then be clustered into groups.
An alternative way to create a new file is to click on the new file icon.
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Note: Expert Choice creates a model with only one node (the goal) and displays it in the ModelView's TreeView.
Enable Structuring
Structuring is another approach to building a model. You can either build your model using the either the Top-down or Bottom-up approach.
Now build your model using either Top-down approach or Bottom-up approach.
Alternatively, click and drag a box in the ClusterView pane and when the objective pop-up box is displayed type the description.
Note: When adding objectives or sub-objectives we do not distinguish between them until a subobjective is dropped onto its parent.
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Note: Alternatives added from the ModelView are known as active alternatives and are simultaneously added to the Data Grid.
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Bottom Up Structuring
Adding Alternatives in Bottom Up Structuring
Alternatives can be added to the model from the ModelView using the Alternatives pane. ? Select Edit, Alternative, and then select Insert; alternatively right-click in the Alternative pane and then select Insert or just simply click the Alternative button. ? Type a description for the alternative.
Note: Alternatives added from the ModelView are known as active alternatives and are simultaneously added to the Data Grid.
The Pro/Con pane with three buttons will appear in the ModelView window. Notice the highlighted alternative in the Alternatives pane also appears as the title bar. ? Click either the Add Pro or Add Con button to enter a pro or con for the highlighted alternative. Note: The Pros are in blue while the Cons are magenta. ? ? ? If you would like to add pros and/or cons for a different alternative simply click on another alternative to make it the current alternative. Repeat this process for all alternatives. When done view a list of all pros and cons.
Tip: Some alternatives will have the same pros or cons; it is not necessary to add them to each alternative s pro/con window.
In Bottom-up Structuring start building a hierarchy by dragging and dropping (as well as redefining) a pro or a con (from the All Pros/Cons pane) to the TreeView.
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From the ModelView, select Assessment, Pairwise. One of the three pairwise comparison windows will be displayed (Verbal is the default).
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, Verbal
, or
Note: If some comparisons have been previously made then the Assessment tabs will be displayed in the ModelView.
Structural Adjust
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The comparison matrix is displayed in the lower pane. The numerical representations of the verbal judgments are displayed here as numbers from 1 to 9. If the row element (on the left) is preferred, then the judgment is displayed in black. If the column element is preferred, then the judgment is "inverted" and displayed in red. When enough judgments have been made to calculate priorities, they will also be displayed as bar graphs that overlay the row elements.
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The comparison matrix is displayed in the lower pane. The numerical equivalents of the judgments are displayed here as numbers from 1 to 9. If the row element (on the left) is preferred, then the judgment is displayed in black. If the column element is preferred, then the judgment is "inverted" and displayed in red. When enough judgments have been made to calculate priorities, they will also be displayed as bar graphs that overlay the row elements.
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Notice that as you make judgments, the numerical equivalents of your judgments will appear in the comparison matrix.
The comparison matrix is displayed in the lower pane. The numerical representations of the graphical judgments are displayed here as numbers. If the row element (on the left) is preferred, then the judgment is displayed in black. If the column element is preferred, then the judgment is "inverted" and displayed in red. When enough judgments have been made to calculate priorities, they will also be displayed as bar graphs that overlay the row elements.
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Tip: Assume the length of the bars represent a factor's importance relative to the others. For example, if the bar for Price is twice as long as the bar for Quality, then Price is considered twice as important. If the lengths of the bars are equal, then the factors are of equal importance.
From any pairwise comparison window: ? Press Ctrl and click a factor name (objective or alternative located in the rows of the matrix). The factor row selected will be blocked. In addition, any comparison made (or to be made) relating to that factor in the matrix will also be blocked. By blocked we mean the paired comparison(s) to be made or previously made will not be included in the prioritization process.
To reactivate a factor:
? Press Ctrl and click a factor name.
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Structural Adjust
Structural Adjust, available from any of the paired comparison modes, is used to adjust a set of priorities based on the number of the current node's grandchildren. Turning on Structural Adjust for a node weights the priorities of its children by their respective proportions to all the grandchildren. For example, if a node has two children A and B, and A has 4 children and B has 2 children, then the node has 6 grandchildren in all and structural adjusting multiplies A's priority by 4/6 and B's by 2/6. Thus the global priorities of A's children are not diluted simply because they belong to a large family. Think of a grandparent wanting to leave money equally to grandchildren. Four sixths of the money must go to A's children and two sixths to B's children. This feature should be used when you wish to prevent the dilution of the global weight of a grandchild simply because it has many siblings. It is rarely necessary to use Structural Adjust because even though an element, for example, is divided into many sub-elements, its full weight is distributed among them. When the alternatives are then compared under each of those subelements, the full weight of the element is distributed on down to the alternatives. A case where you would want to use structural adjust would be if the sets of alternatives in the bottom level do not have the same alternatives in each group. In this case we recommend that you convert your model to an Incomplete Hierarchy
To turn Structural Adjust on or off, click the Structural adjust button. on, the bar graphs of the objectives in the matrix will turn aqua.
. When
To lower the Inconsistency Ratio for a set of judgments you can either:
? From the 1st most inconsistent judgment (and so on) you can change the judgment by making a new paired comparison, or
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Select Inconsistency and then select Best Fit. Alternatively, right-click on any cell in the matrix to see that cell s best fit. Best Fit (displayed above the first factor row in the matrix) shows the judgment for the current cell that would best improve your consistency. If the Best fit is displayed in red then the judgment suggested when entered must be inverted, element. making the column element preferred to the row
Note: If the comparison window is either Verbal or Graphical then the Best Fit shown is a numerical representation of either the Verbal or Graphical judgment. Tip: Do not enter the suggested Best Fit judgment unless you believe it to be true. Enter only a judgment that represents your best understanding and knowledge. ? After changing a judgment the new Inconsistency Ratio will be displayed. There is one exception, if you deferred automatic calculation of the priorities with using the Tools, Options, Calculations command, you must click the Calculate Icon or the new inconsistency will not be displayed.
Understanding Inconsistency
Using the Assessment Pairwise command, Best Fit, you can request suggestions for reducing inconsistency. However, it is important to note that the methodology does not preclude inconsistencies in judgments. On the contrary, many decisions must be made while recognizing inconsistencies that exist in the real world. The conscious mind constantly attempts to understand what is sensed and perceived by relating it all together in some coherent way. What do we mean by coherent? Let us illustrate with an example. If you were to say that A>B, B>C and C>A, you have been inconsistent. Consistency of judgment follows this simple transitive property. But we are very seldom perfectly consistent in making comparative judgments, particularly when we deal with intangibles that have no scales of measurement. And, we should not expect to be totally consistent. The real world often lacks consistency, and we must be able to reflect that in our models. For example, Team A can beat Team B, and Team B can beat Team C, yet Team C might then beat Team A. Expert Choice provides a measure of your logical rationality, called the Inconsistency Ratio, but does not force you to be consistent. The Inconsistency Ratio is calculated for each set of judgments. It is important to emphasize that the objective is to make "good" decisions, not to minimize the Inconsistency Ratio. Good decisions are most often based on consistent judgments, but the reverse is not necessarily true. It is easy to make perfectly consistent judgments that are nonsensical and result in terrible decisions. When the Inconsistency Ratio is zero we have complete consistency; when it is greater than zero there is some inconsistency. The larger the value of the Inconsistency Ration the more inconsistent the judgments. If it is 0.10 or less the inconsistency is generally considered tolerable. If the Inconsistency Ratio is considerably more than 0.10 (and certainly if it is as high as 0.20), then a re-examination of our judgments is probably in order. The degree of inconsistency that indicates a "significant" problem depends, of course, on the specific situation where the model is applied. The number 0.10 is given as a general guideline. If we demanded perfect consistency we would find it difficult to grow and/or to learn new things. When we integrate new experiences into our consciousness, previous relationships may change and some consistency is lost. As long as there is enough consistency to maintain coherence among the objects of our experience, the consistency need not be perfect. It is useful to remember that most new ideas that affect our lives tend to cause us to rearrange some of our preferences, thus making us inconsistent with our previous commitments. If we were to program ourselves never to change our minds, we would be afraid to accept new ideas.
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We are able to make judgments, which serve us better if they are admissible in some subjective corridors between tolerable inconsistency and perfect consistency. Thus, while consistency is a concern, without some inconsistency we would not grow by taking on additional information and readjusting our viewpoints. We may say that the intensity of our concern with consistency and inconsistency differ by an order of magnitude. This means that if we were to divide a unit of priorities among the two, consistency would be about 0.90 and inconsistency would be about 0.10. The ratio of the two is nearly an order of magnitude. To measure the inconsistency of all the judgments made in the decision hierarchy, we take the inconsistency value of each set of comparisons and multiply it by the priority of the element with respect to which these comparisons are made, and add for all the elements. This gives a single overall weighted number. To decide how acceptable this number is, we form a ratio with a similar number obtained by multiplying the corresponding random inconsistency value for an equal number of comparisons by the priority of the elements, and again add over each attribute. The resulting ratio should be 0.10 or less.
To lean how to examine and improve inconsistency see Examining and Improving Inconsistency.
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How to Synthesize
? ? From the ModelView's TreeView, select either the Goal Node or an objective. From the menu select Synthesize. The default mode of the synthesis is Ideal to change this select Distributive The default display is Summary, to change this select the Details tab.
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If you are at the Goal, you will see how sensitivity the alternatives are to change with respect to the first level objectives. If you are not at the Goal node, you will be asked: "Sensitivity with respect to Current Node or Goal?" ? If you select Yes, then the priorities of the alternatives are with respect the current node. It is as if the other portions of the model did not exist. ? If you select No, then the priorities of the alternatives are with respect to the goal (the entire model). With this option, you see the variability of the alternatives with respect to the current node. Note: The results of the sensitivity analysis graphs will differ depending on the type of synthesis selected: Ideal (the default) or Distributive. The current type is shown in the status bar at the bottom of each graph. See: Selecting Synthesis Type
Note: Graphs can also be accessed from other graphs by clicking the appropriate icon on the button bar.
Performance Sensitivity
The Performance graph displays how the alternatives perform with respect to all objectives as well as overall. It can be accessed from the ModelView's menu by selecting Sensitivity-Graphs and then selecting Performance.
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Use the "left y-axis" to read each objective's priority. Use the "right y-axis" to read the alternative priorities with respect to each objective. The Performance graph is also dynamic, so you can temporarily alter the relationship between the alternatives and their objectives by dragging the objective bars up or down. Note: The lines connecting the alternatives from one objective to another have no meaning; they are included to help your find where a particular alternative lies as you move from one objective to another.
There are two additional Options commands that are specific to the Performance Sensitivity. ? ? ? Patterns changes how the alternative lines are displayed - from solid to dashed and vice versa. Overlap Overlap is a switch that permits or disables the overlapping of alternatives' labels. Sort/Unsort sorts in order of priority.
Dynamic Sensitivity
Dynamic Sensitivity analysis is used to dynamically change the priorities of the objectives to determine how these changes affect the priorities of the alternative choices.
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It can be accessed from the ModelView's menu by selecting Sensitivity-Graphs and then selecting Dynamic.
By dragging the objective's priorities back and forth in the left column, the priorities of the alternatives will change in the right column. If you think an objective might be more or less important than originally indicated, drag that objective's bar to the right or left to increase or decrease the objective's priority and see the impact on alternatives. For example, as the priority of one objective increases (by dragging the bar to the right), the priorities of the remaining objectives decrease in proportion to their original priorities, and the priorities of the alternatives are recalculated. See Commands Common to All Sensitivity Graphs
There is one additional Options command that is specific to the Dynamic Sensitivity. ? Components - is a switch that changes the presentation of the objectives and alternatives bars. The default setting displays mono-colored solid bars. If Components is turned on then the graph shows the breakdown of each of the objective's contribution to the priorities of each of the alternatives. In other words, Components shows each alternative's share of the different objectives.
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Gradient Sensitivity
This graph shows the alternatives priorities with respect to one objective at a time. It can be accessed from the ModelView's menu by selecting Sensitivity-Graphs and then selecting Gradient.
The vertical red line represents the priority of the selected objective and is read from the X-Axis intersection. The priorities for the alternatives are read from the Y-Axis; it is determined by the intersection of the alternative's line with the objective's (vertical) priority line. To change an objective's priority, drag the red bar to either the left or right; then a blue bar showing the new objective's priority will be displayed. The Gradient Sensitivity shows "key tradeoffs" when two or more alternatives intersect each other. This is even more important if the intersection is close to the objectives priority.
Tip: When all the alternatives never intersect each other, increasing the objective's priority will have no effect. See Commands Common to All Sensitivity Graphs
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There are two additional Options commands that are specific to the Gradient Sensitivity. ? ? Patterns - changes how the alternative lines are displayed - from solid to dashed and vice versa. Overlap - Overlap is a switch that permits or disables the overlapping of alternatives' labels. There is also an X-Axis command that is used to select another objective.
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There is one additional Options Command ? ? Weighted - displays a composite result that takes the objective priorities into account. The un-weighted result displays the composite result as if the objectives have equal priorities. The caption at the bottom of the graph tells you whether you are viewing a weighted or un-weighted result. The Head to Head command is used to change the fixed alternative on the left side of the graph.
One objective is represented on the X Axis and another on the Y Axis. The circles represent the alternatives. The area of the 2D plot is divided into quadrants. The most favorable alternatives as defined by the objectives and judgments in your model will be shown in the upper right quadrant (the closer to the upper right hand corner the better) while, conversely, the least favorable alternatives will be shown in the lower left quadrant. Alternatives located in the upper left and lower right quadrants indicate key tradeoffs where there is conflict between the two objectives. See Commands Common to All Sensitivity Graphs
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Projection - is used to turn on and off the projection of alternatives. When on, projection not only shows how preferable the alternatives are with respect to the two selected objectives but it shows a composite projection line indicating the preference of each alternative taking into account all the objectives' priorities. The farther to the right on the line, the better the alternative. Note: You can drag a composite projection line down to see what would change if the X-Axis objective became more important. Conversely, dragging the projection line up will increase the importance of the Y-Axis.
There are two menu commands to select objectives for the X Axis and Y Axis.
Alternatives that are added to a model from the Alternatives pane in the ModelView are known as active alternatives and are automatically added to the Data Grid. Alternatives can also be added directly in the Data Grid. All the alternatives in the Data Grid are referred to as global alternatives. Active alternatives are check-marked in the grid. You can mark and un-mark active alternatives and then extract them to the Alternatives pane to refine judgments or perform sensitivity analyses. See Extracting Alternatives from the Data Grid
The Data Grid also has Totaland Cost columns, which can be made visible or hidden with the View menu command. The value in the total column for each alternative contains the weighted sum of the values (priorities) for the alternative across all the covering objectives columns. Each cell in the body of the Data Grid contains (1) a bar representing the value of the respective alternative (row element) with respect to the covering objective (column element) and (2) the underlying data or value (you can ask to see either data or values by selecting the View menu).
The values in the Data Grid body cells are derived from the data based on one of five formula types:
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RatingsCreating_a_Ratings_Formula_in_the_Data_Grid Increasing Utility CurveCreating_an_Increasing_Utility_Function_in_the_Data_Grid Decreasing Utility CurveCreating_a_Decreasing_Utility_Function_in_the_Data_Grid Step FunctionCreating_a_Step_Function_in_the_Data_Grid Direct (entry of priorities)Entering_Priorities_Directly_in_the_Data_Grid
Tip: Define your objective and sub-objectives before defining formula types.
Note: Alternatives added to the model from the Data Grid are known as global alternatives.
See: Selecting Alternatives for Extraction from the Data Grid to the Alternatives Pane.
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Note: Alternatives can only be deleted in the Data Grid. Alternatives displayed in the Alternatives pane can be made inactive. See inactivating alternatives.
Selecting Alternatives for Extraction from the Data Grid to Alternatives Pane
All alternatives are displayed on the Data Grid. Only those that are marked as active appear in the Alternatives pane. Use the following commands to select and extract alternatives from the Data Grid to the Alternatives pane. ? For each alternative in the Data Grid to be made active, right-click on the alternative. Note: A checkmark will be displayed if active. ? ? To deselect an active alternative, right-click on an alternative to remove the checkmark. Select Edit, Extract Selected to Hierarchy to extract the marked alternatives to the ModelView's Alternatives pane.
Tip: Try to keep the total number of alternatives extracted fewer than nine.
In the Data Grid, click in the first cell below the desired covering objective s name.
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Select Formula Type; then select None. Alternatively, right-mouse click in the first cell above the covering objective s name and select None.
The Preferred Method: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. From Expert Choice's Data Grid select Edit Copy to Clipboard. From Excel use the Edit Paste command to import the extracted data. From Excel select Insert, Name, Define and then type a range name such as X. This marks the range to be pasted back into Expert Choice. Modify spreadsheet data or enter judgments. From Excel select Edit, Go To and select the range defined in step 3. From Excel select Edit Paste (to the clipboard). Return to the Expert Choice's Data Grid and select Edit Copy from the Clipboard.
Note: You must enter valid data in your spreadsheet. You may enter whole or fractional numbers. Tip: Backup your database by selecting the File SaveAs before cutting and pasting.
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8. 9.
Have your programming staff create data for the tab delimited file. Return to Expert Choice's Data Grid and select Edit, Paste All from a File using the txt file created by your programming department. Tip: Backup your database before importing a tab delimited file.
Ratings
Ratings Overview
People often ratealternatives using words such as High, Medium and Low; or Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. This is often the case for subjective aspects of an evaluation or when there is no hard data. See: Glossary: Ratings Simply put, use Ratings when you wish to compare alternatives against a standard scale.
Tip: Assessing Ratings intensities with paired comparisons is the preferred way to derive priorities, but it takes a bit more time than directly assigning the weights.
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First select the covering objective in the Data Grid that will be rated by moving to the first alternative s cell.
Tip: Moving all the way to the right will make the value one, moving all the way to the left will be zero.
Tip: If you have a large number of alternatives on the data grid use the vertical scroll bar to position the grid to the desired alternative. Use the horizontal scroll bar to position the column objective or click a node in the hierarchy.
Interpreting a Rating
Each cell, if evaluated, receives the priority of the selected Ratings intensity. The value in the total column for each alternative contains the weighted sum of the values (priorities) for the alternative across all the covering objectives columns. (If the elements in the decision hierarchy have not yet been prioritized, the weights, and hence the totals, will be zero.)
Step Function
Step Function Overview
The Step function is similar to Ratings in that it consists of a scale or prioritized intensities. However the Step function automatically calculates the appropriate intensity
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for each alternative based on data entered in the Data Grid rather the using a word from a scale.
Creating the Step Function is similar to creating a Ratings scale with the addition of specifying a lower data bound for each step. Like Ratings, once you have created a Step Function intensity scale, pairwise comparisons are made to derive priorities for the intensities, or, you can drag the bar in the priority column to derive priorities.
For example, if the intensities were Low, Medium and High, we might want Low to be applied to each alternative for which the data value was less than 50, Medium between 50 and 199, and High if 200 or more. The data ranges are specified by Lower Bound values, in this case: 0 for Low, 50 for Medium, and 200 for high.
? ? ?
Tip: Assessing Step intensities with paired comparisons is the preferred way to derive priorities, but it takes a bit more time than directly assigning the weights.
First select the covering objective in the Data Grid that will be evaluated using the Step function by moving to the first alternative s cell.
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Tip: If you have a large number of alternatives on the data grid use the vertical scroll bar to position the grid to the desired alternative. Use the horizontal scroll bar to position the column objective or click a node in the hierarchy.
The value in the total column for each alternative contains the weighted sum of the values (priorities) for the alternative across all the covering objectives columns. (If the elements in the decision hierarchy have not yet been prioritized, the weights, and hence the totals, will be zero.)
Utilty Curves
Utility Curves Overview
Utility curves, like the step function, translate data into priorities. Where as the step function consists of discrete steps, a utility curve is continuous. Utility curve formulas can be increasing or decreasing. Either type of curve can be linear or nonlinear, and when nonlinear, concave or convex.
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? ? ? ? ?
Select Formula Type; then select Increasing. Alternatively, right-mouse click in the first cell above the covering objective s name and select Increasing. Type the high and low X values for the function. The default is 0 - 1.0. Select the type of curvature. (The curve is linear by default.) To select either a convex or concave curvature, drag the curve up or down with the mouse. Select Apply to apply the function. Select the Close button to close the window.
Tip: Should you wish to select a decreasing utility curve instead, click Decrease.
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? ?
From the Data Gird, select Formula Type; then select Direct. Alternatively, right-mouse click in the first cell above the covering objective s name and select Direct. Move to the desired cell under the covering objective and type the value using one of the following methods: o Type the data value, or o Drag in the cell with the mouse, or o Enter a priority with keypads.
? ? ?
Print routes the current window to the printer or to a file. Print Preview displays what will be printed or routed to a file. Print Report can print more than one piece of information at a time. For example, to print each of the following on a separate sheet of paper you would select goal description, objectives, and the alternatives. If you wanted to print all together, use the ModelView File Print command.
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Facilitator Menus
We have defined 3 menus; each is briefly described. (These menus are subject to change.) General Menu 1 K e y p a d N u m b e r 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Action Performed
Keypad Toggle On/Off Poll Tab On/Off Show Most Variance judgment with Anonymous Toggle on or off Show/Hide Judgments Previous Judgment go to Next Wave go to
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8 9 1 0
Close current window Next Judgment go to Hide/Show Facilitator Menus (on computer screen or projection device.
Keypad Toggle On/Off Show Loaner with respect to judgments All Agree in Direction show direction of judgments in poll boxes Least Variance with respect to judgments More Variance Previous Judgment Most Variance Less Variance Next Judgment Hide/Show Facilitator Menus
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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
Convert to Incomplete Hierarchy - Changes the structure of the model placing the active alternatives from the Alternatives pane under the covering objectives in the TreeView. If you are importing version 9.5 models you can convert to a Complete Hierarchy removing alternatives from the hierarchy and placing them in the Alternatives pane and Data Grid. Print - Prints the current window. Print Preview - Shows a print preview of the current window. Print Report - Use this to choose what you want to print as well as selecting print options. Exit - Ends the Expert Choice session.
? ? ? ?
Edit Commands
1. Formula type use this command to create or view the formula for the current covering objective. For more information see the Data Grid Overview or the Data Grid Edit Menu Commands.
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2. 3.
Copy formula use to copy the selected the covering objective's formula type. Paste formula use to paste a covering objective's formula type to another row. Note: Standard windows copy commands cannot be used as we need to copy and paste parameters to and from the database.
4.
See Revert:
Other menu commands: File Menu Commands View displays the trash can showing deleted nodes in the hierarchy Go goes to the ModelView or Data Grid Tools Menu Formula Type displays the formula types Help Menu Commands
Go Menu Commands
Use this menu to go from one portion of Expert Choice to another. ? ? ? ModelView - jumps to the ModelView from another Expert Choice window. Data Grid - jumps to the Data Grid where alternatives can be entered and compared, as well as where data types can be defined. Formulas - jumps to the Formulas grid showing each covering objective and its formula type as well as its parameters. You can also use this grid to copy formulas from one covering objective to another. Participants Table - only available in team versions - jumps to the participant table where the facilitator can enter participant names, demographics and, if applicable, a keypad number. Person - only available in team versions - jumps to a list enabling the facilitator to quickly access a specific participant's portion of the model. Next Unassessed - jumps to the next unassessed node in the ModelView.
? ? ?
Help Menu
Use the Help Menu to access different forms of help. ? ? ? Contents and Index - displays important topics and subjects that are covered in Help. Quick Start Guide - shows you how to quickly start building a model and make judgments. Tutorials - in-depth exercises that teach you how to:
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o o o o o o o ? ?
Build a model and make paired comparisons; Build a model using Structuring; Use Ratings, one of the Data Grid functions; Use other Data Grid features including Step functions and Utility Curves; Create a team model for use with groups; Prepare a group model for access on the Web; Use a group model with electronic keypads.
Art of Modeling - describes various modeling techniques. Expert Choice on the Web - takes you to Expert Choice web site. You must be using a web capable version of Expert Choice and be logged on to your network provider before invoking this command. About - shows information about the version of the Expert Choice software that you are using.
o o o o ? Edit o
Information used by facilitator, it provides information about the elements being compared with respect to its parent.
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o o
Note provides a way for the participants in the group enable versions to document the rationale of their paired comparisons. Inconsistencies to Participants Table inserts the inconsistency ratio for the current set of judgments for all active participants in the inconsistency column of the table.
View o o o Graphical Scale On/Off a switch used in the pairwise graphical individual mode that will turn the tick marks on or off. Hide Judgments hides the judgments of the participants. Poll Box Options for use by the facilitator to display what is presented in the poll box. ? ? Yes/No only displays responses in black while those not responding are clear. ? ? Direction displays the responses of the participants showing only the direction of the paired comparison. For example, if the left factor was chosen the poll box will be blue; if the right factor was chosen it would be red. ? ? Judgment displays responses of the participantsjudgments in graphic form. If the left factor was chosen it would be blue; if the right was chosen it would be red. ? Options o o o ? Move o o o Previous Judgment (Ctrl P) moves to the previous judgment Next Judgment (Ctrl N) moves to the next judgment Judgment with: ? ? Most Variance moves to the judgment with the most variance. ? ? More Variance moves to the judgment with the more variance. ? ? Less Variance moves to the judgment with the less variance. ? ? Least Variance moves to the judgment with the least variance. ? ? Loaner moves to the judgment that is the out-lying judgment. ? ? All Agree on Direction moves to a judgment where all people agree on direction. s name with a number. Anonymous a switch that replaces a person Autokeypad keypads do not turn off when you move to next judgment. KP off when move keypads turn off when you move to next judgment.
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? Wave waves are used when you have more people than keypads. You can, for example, break up 50 people into two groups. o o Previous moves to the previous wave. Next moves to the next wave.
Query The Query command is used to select which participants are ACTIVE. When combining judgments and data, the active participants are used to show the group results. The queries can be either selected from this menu or from the buttons in the lower pane of the participantstable window. ? ? ? ? All - includes all the people: facilitator, combined, and participants.
Participating - includes all people whose participating column is checked. Apply SQL query - applies a query to the participant's table. In addition to the two queries described above use this command to apply other queries: o From the Query drop-down list, select a query and then select Apply; or o Edit or type a query in the left-hand corner of the lower pane and then selecting Apply. For example, by either editing or typing Selected * from People where Sex='m' and then selecting Apply. This assumes that the sex field was used and that lower case m or f is used as designators. Note this feature assumes the facilitator has a working knowledge of SQL.
Revert to original query - reverts back to the original query which is All.
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? ?
Save SQL query - saves and names the current query (shown in the left-hand corner of the lower pane) for future recall. Delete SQL query - deletes the selected query from the drop-down list.
With Respect to Current Node - calculates and displays the results from the current (highlighted) node. Use this feature to show, for example, the results with respect to a single objective versus the enter model.
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View tab - use this to change how various windows are displayed.
Calculation tab - use to vary the order of pairwise comparisons and determine when priorities are calculated.
Open tab - only for use with group models and for use by the facilitator - determines who can access the model and what will be initially copied from the facilitator's instance to the participant's instance.
Save tab - determines when the file will be saved (backed up). With group models, participant information is automatically saved.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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Ascending order of priority or Descending order. ? Combine data for only available with group models and for use by the facilitator, use to aggregate participants' Data Grid information to view the group consensus. Choose one: ? ? All Covering Objectives - combines all the judgments and data from each participant. Covering Objectives of Selected Parent Plex - combines the judgments and data of the Plex. First select the Plex to be combined by clicking on the Parent in the TreeView to the right of the Data Grid. Then select Covering Objectives of Selected Parent Plex. Only Selected Covering - combines the judgments and data of the node selected from each participant. First select a cell in the covering objective's column; then select Only Selected Covering.
? ? ? ?
Data Clear All (Alternatives and Data) - Permanently removes all alternatives and data from the model. For use only by facilitator or in single user versions. Undo - undoes changes made to pairwise comparisons, the data grid, information documents and notes. Information - use to create documentation about the current node or alternative. With a group model, the facilitator can only use this feature. Note - use to provide information about any node, alternative, comparison, or cell judged by a participant. Revert - restores the most recently saved version of the database. Not available to participants in the team versions.
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o o
Inactivate All - inactivates all alternatives in the Alternatives pane. The alternatives will remain on the data and values grids. View Children of the Current Node - a toggle that changes the display between the Alternatives pane to the Children of the current node. (If Children of the current node are displayed then View Alternatives will be on the menu.)
? ? ?
Sort Cluster - alphabetizes the nodes below the current node. Find - searches the hierarchy for the "find request". Combine Participants Judgments/Data - only available in the Team or Enterprise versions use this command to combine judgments for each active participant in one of three ways: o o o Entire Hierarchy - combines all the judgments and data. Plex - combines the judgments and data for the selected Plex. Current Node - combines the judgments and data for the current node.
? ? ?
Rollup Current node only Current node and all Peers Password - use to set a password for model. Warning: Passwords must be remembered, as there is no utility to retrieve a forgotten password. However, when using either the Team or Enterprise versions facilitators can delete and/or change participants passwords. Information - use to create documentation about the current node. With a group model, the facilitator can only use this feature. Note - another way to document the current node. With a group model individual participants can document their decision making process. Empty Trash - use to remove all nodes from the trashcan. Once nodes are removed from trash they cannot be recovered. This command is only displayed when there is something in the trashcan. Revert - use to revert to a previous version of the database. With group models, this feature is only available to the facilitator.
? ? ?
? ?
Add N Participants - adds N number of participants to the group model. Copy to N new people - copies information from the selected PersonName row to N new participants. This option provides the facilitator with the ability to copy paired comparisons and/or data from the Data Grid from one participant to another.
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Delete Participant - deletes a participant permanently from the model. Copy Judgments/Data to Existing Participants - copies judgments and data, from either the facilitator or a selected participant to other existing participant(s).
See the ModelView's View Commands to expand and collapse the hierarchy.
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? ?
Assessed Indicators a switch that tells which nodes children have not been assessed. Unassessed nodes have a red dot in the center of its circle in the TreeView. Priority Fills - if depressed, this switch will graphically display the priorities, if calculated, for each node in the TreeView. It will automatically be turned on when all elements in the ModelView have been prioritized. Priorities - a toggle that will display: o o o o None - none of the priorities are shown. Local - shows local priorities. Global - shows global priorities. Both Local and Global - shows both local and global priorities.
TreeView pane - use to create and display objectives and sub-objectives in the hierarchy; this is the default. It can be accessed from other ModelView panes by depressing the TreeView button.
ClusterView pane - Another way to build or display a model. From this pane you can drag and drop one objective into another. It can be accessed from other ModelView panes by clicking the ClusterView button.
ProCon pane - Use this to enter a list of Pros and Cons for each alternative. It can be accessed from the ModelView by clicking the ProCon button. cons. Select an alternative; then add pros and
Alts/Children/InfoDocs panes - These two panes along with the TreeView are the ModelView's default panes. o o The alternatives/children pane is used to enter and display alternatives or display children of the TreeView's current node. The Information Document pane displays information about the TreeView's current node.
All Pros/Cons pane - Once you have entered pros and cons for each alternative use this pane to build your hierarchy. It can be accessed from other ModelView panes by clicking the All Pros/Cons button.
? ?
Redraw - redraws the TreeView around the current node. Synthesis Mode - This toggles between the Ideal (the default) and Distributive synthesis modes.
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Prior to the group session the facilitator, and perhaps the meeting owner, might meet to build the model and enter participant's names, demographics, passwords and other information as applicable. Alternatively, the facilitator and group might build the model.
The facilitator directs the flow of discussion. When the group decides something has been discussed enough, the facilitator or technographer performs any actions necessary move on to the next topic. For example: when making paired comparisons in the ModelView or making judgments in the Data Grid.
The facilitator or technographer turns on the receiver and keypads. This can be done from either the computer or from the facilitator's keypad. If the keypad is used the facilitator has the ability to move around the room and not be tied down to the computer. Any keypad can be set up as the facilitator keypad. For convenience we suggest number 1. When this is done this keypad can't be used to enter judgments.
Note: If the keypad hardware is not available, the facilitator can solicit votes orally and use the computer keyboard to enter participants votes one at a time.
To keep the group focused on the same issues, the facilitator may automatically turn the keypads off whenever he/she advances to the next judgment. Prior to voting the facilitator will turn on the keypads.
Other functions of the facilitator include calculating a set of group judgments; combining all participants' judgments and data to obtain a group result as well as displaying a synthesis; and performing sensitivity analyses.
Once the model is created, the facilitator group enables the model so more than one person can enter judgments. To try this: ? ? ? ? ? ? Select File; then select Open. Navigate to your models directory and select the model name. Select File, saveAs and type new model name. Select Go, Participants. Alternatively click the Participants button. participant's table. You will be taken to the
Select Edit, Group Enable; this will add a COMBINED instance to the mode (PID=1). Select Edit, Add N People. Type the number of participants. You can add more participants later.
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Notice that the participants are named P2 through Pnth. ? ? If desired, enter a participant's name. For example, click on P2 and type the participant's name such as Betty. To add demographic information as well as a password click the appropriate cell and type the information; this is also true for the facilitator. Note: You must remember passwords as they will be encrypted and not viewable. So write jot down this information before proceeding. ? If the facilitator will also be participating in the decision make sure to check the box under the Participating column. Normally the facilitator does not participate in the decision.
? ?
Before continuing, select File, Close to close the Particpants table. From the ModelView select File, Close to save and close the model, if desired.
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First log on to the server as described by the facilitator and start Expert Choice. o Predefined participants and the facilitator will open the model as described above. o Non-predefined participants (guests) can open a model only if allowed by the facilitator. Type your name. Then enter the registration password provided by the facilitator. Note: If desired you can password protect your instance of the model.
Note: If you do this then the Facilitator and Combined instances will contain the same information. ? o To erase all the data from the facilitator instance follow these instructions. From the ModelView, select the Goal.
o Select Assessment and then select Erase Judgments for Entire Plex. Then all the data will be removed only from the ModelView. o Go to the Data Grid, select Edit, Data Clear All. Then all the data on the grid will be erased.
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Now the facilitator instance will contain only objectives, sub-objectives and alternatives. Converting a Ratings Model If you convert a Ratings model (that has a wk1 file as one its components) then the Ratings intensities in the lowest level of the hierarchy will be converted to the scales used in the Data Grid. (For more information Expert Choice 2000 and Ratings see the Data Grid and Ratings chapters.)
File Structure
Expert Choice 2000 files have the extension of .AHP. There is only one file per model and its structure based Microsoft's Access. Team Versions use Microsoft Access while the Enterprise Versions use Sequel.
What you must supply. You must supply your own computer and projection system. The projection system might consist of an LCD panel attached to the computer and laid on a transparency projector, or a projector that attaches to the computer, or some other classroom style projection system.
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3. 4.
To Change the Internal Keypad Number 1. 2. Press and hold down the CLR key on the keypad until the LED display on the keypad flashes "C". This will take a few seconds. Release the CLR key. Then you should notice that three numbers flash consecutively on the LED display. If 0, then 1, then 5 appear, the keypad's internal number is 015, or 15. Internal numbers always have three digits. After the last number has flashed, enter the keypad number you desire. Keypad numbers must have 3 digits. Zeros are entered using the ten key.
3.
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For example, if you want the internal number of the keypad to be number 5, press the ten key once for the first 0 then again for the second 0, then press the 5 key. To enter the internal number 10, press the ten key, then the 1 key, then the 0 key to enter 010. 4. 5. To check that the number you entered is correct repeat steps 1 and 2 above. Now that you have changed the keypad number don t forget to change the label.
Make sure the keypad is programmed as described earlier in this section. Note: The invert key switches the dominance of a judgment from one factor to another.
Problem: Solution:
In the rare event that the keypad is not responding or appears to be sending signals improperly, press and hold the clear key while sequentially entering the three digits 981. This will reset the keypad to the factory setting. Note: If the keypad is dead, check the 9 volt battery. An indicator of E on the keypad could also signal a weak battery.
Problem:
There is a gap in the keypad number sequence or two or more decision-makers appear to be using the same keypad number. (You know the latter has happened when one decision announces that someone is erasing his/her judgments.) Check the keypad numbers and you will find a gap in the numbers or that one or more keypads have been set to the same number. Change the keypad numbers as described above.
Solution:
Problem: Solution:
Message: Keypads not available. Make sure the receiver is connected to the computer and turned on. Then determine if your Com port is set correctly. See Selecting Keypad Options.
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Then one of the two individual windows will appear. This is where the team will enter judgments or data using the keypads. ? From either individual window select File then select Keypad Options. Use this to designate the number of keypads used in the session and to select the facilitator keypad. It is a good idea to do this before the session starts. Now that the keypad options have been set, make sure the software can see the receiver by selecting File, Receiver; then select On. Look at the status line: If the Receiver is on it should say Receiver Turn on the keypads by selecting File, Keypads On/Off. Look at the status line: If the Keypads are on it should say Keypads; otherwise it will say mouse.
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Review the default menus and if desired print them. After becoming proficient with Expert Choice you may desire to change or create new menus.
? ?
To name a menu or change the name of a menu, click the gray bar in the top center of the window and type the desired name. To add a command to a facilitator menu, move the cursor to the row where you want to add the command. Then select the desired command from the command box. Repeat this process as necessary. When finished editing the facilitator menus click OK to make the changes permanent.
To select a facilitator menu to be used select File, Facilitator Menus, then select a number from the drop-down list. Click OK. Tip: Use the File Keypad Options command from any individual window to set the facilitator keypad before or after selecting a facilitator menu. Tip: Pressing 10 on the facilitator keypad will hide or show the current facilitator menu on the computer and/or projection device. Note: The menu does not have to be visible to perform an action.
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Making Individual Judgments Using the Data Grid on a Network or the Web
The facilitator will provide instruction usually by email regarding the judgments or data values to be entered by the participants. (Different participants can evaluate different portions of the same model.) After all participants have made judgments, entered data or Ratings, and notified the facilitator that they have completed their task the facilitator will combine all the participants judgments/data.
When entering data values (or making comparisons related to either Ratings or the Step Function) refer to Data Grid Functions:
Entering an Individual's Ratings Entering an Individual's Step Value Entering an Individual's Values for either an Increasing or Decreasing Utility Function Entering an Individual's Priority Directly
Using Keypads
Making Individual Judgments (Pairwise Comparisons) With Keypads
Select one of the following to learn how participants enter judgments using the keypads
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Entering an Individual's Ratings Entering an Individual's Step Value Entering an Individual's Data Value for either an Increasing or Decreasing Utility Functions Entering an Individual's Priority Directly
Then do this after all active participants have made judgments. 1. 2. If you are using Expert Choice on a network, each participant should inform the facilitator when judgments are completed using email or Net Meeting. From the Participants Table, review those active participants whose judgments and/or data are to be included in the Combined instance of the database. This can be done in one of two ways. a. If you will be using the Participating column as the selection criterion make sure the list of participants is correct. Add and remove checks as necessary. Then select the Participating button. b. If you will be using a query, select a query from the drop-down list and then select apply. Check the results of your query. For more information about queries see Using Queries. 3. After selecting the active participants, select the Combine Individuals button and then choose one of the following: ? ? Judgments only (in the entire Hierarchy) Data only (data from the Data Grid)
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? 4.
Both
When the combined instance is displayed you can review the combined results by synthesizing and performing sensitivity analyses or reviewing group data grid entries as applicable.
Note: When active participants change their judgments and it is desired to review the group results repeat this.
Note: When participants change their judgments and it is desired to review the group results repeat this.
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b. 3.
4. From the Data Grid, select Edit, Combine data for... (then select one of the options): ? All Covering Objectives - combines all the judgments and data from each participant. ? Covering Objectives of Selected Parent Plex - combines the judgments and data of the Plex. (In the TreeView to the right of grid, select the parent of the Plex to be combined. Then select Covering Objectives of Selected Parent Plex.) ? Only Selected Covering - combines the judgments and data of the node selected from each participant. (Select a cell in the covering objective's column; then select Only Selected Covering.) 5. When the combined instance is displayed you can review the combined results by reviewing the group data grid entries.
Note: When participants change their judgments and it is desired to review the group results repeat this.
Using Queries
Expert Choice supports SQL (Structured Query Language). Queries from the participantswindow are used to select and apply active participants. The results of the query are used when combining participants judgments. Expert Choice is equipped with two standard queries that are applicable to all models built - All and Participating.
? ?
All - includes all the people: facilitator, combined, and participants. Participating - includes all people whose participating column is checked.
To determine the current query look at the left-hand section of the lower pane of the participants window.
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To apply a query: ? ? Select a button such as All or Participating, or Select a query from the drop-down list and click Apply.
2.
Deleting a Query
To delete a query: ? ? Select the query from the drop-down list. Click the Delete button or from the menu select Query Delete SQL query.
Applying a Query
Once a query is either created or selected from the drop-down list it must be applied to the model. ? Select the Apply button. Then the following actions happen:
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1. The display of participants in the people table will change to only show those specified in the query; we shall refer to them as active participants. 2. Grid. 3. . Only active participants will be able to make judgments or enter data in the Data Only the active participants will be used when combing individualsjudgments.
Menus Specific to Group Enabled Models Web Capabilities Creating a Web (Remote DSN) Model
This feature enables the facilitator place a model on a server for web access by participants or guests who have Internet access and Expert Choice 2000 web capability. For more detailed instructions than provided below see Tutorial 7. To create a model that uses Remote DSN follow these steps: 1. 2. From the Start menu select Settings, then Control Panel For Windows 95/98 systems: Select ODBC32 Data Sources or ODBC DATA SOURCES (32bit) For NT systems: Select ODBC Data Source For Windows 2000: Select Administrative Tools, Data Sources (ODBC) 3. 4. Select the System DSN tab Click the Add button. From the list, select Microsoft Access Driver. Click Finish. 5. Type a Data Source Name to designate the model to be accessed such as "car". Then click the Select button.
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6.
Using the list of files, either navigate to or type the path/file name that contains the desired Expert Choice 2000 model. The path/file name must include the extension .ahp. (To see a list of only the Expert Choice models type *.ahp.) Click OK to go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator. Click OK a second time to complete the System DSN process.
7. 8.
1. 2. 3. 4.
First connect to the Internet or Intranet. Start Expert Choice 2000 Select File, then Open Web Model. Type the IP address or hostname, and the DSN (data source name) For example: http://models.expertchoice.com/samplemodel where http://models.expertchoice.com is the hostname and samplemodel is the DSN of the Expert Choice model on the web server. An example using an IP address is: http://123.456.78.90/samplemodel
5.
The facilitator and participants should login with their assigned username and password, if applicable; then proceed as directed by the facilitator.
Active Alternatives
Alternatives displayed in the ModelView's Alternatives pane are known as active alternatives. They can only be inactivated but not deleted. See: Global Alternatives
Active Participants
Those team members who participate in the decision-making process. They have been selected as a result of an SQL query and then the selection was applied to the database. This feature enables one to define many participants and have different participants make judgments about various facets of the model.
Alternatives
The alternatives are the options from which a choice is to be made. In a decision model the alternatives can be evaluated in two ways:
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Relative comparisons - alternatives are directly compared to one another using the pairwise process. Data Grid - alternatives are evaluated against a standard or scale that has been developed.
Assessment
Assessment involves making pairwise comparisons between objectives, sub-objectives, and alternatives of the decision. These are all made relative to the node above.
Autoadvance
Automatically advances to next judgment to be made.
Autoredraw
One of two TreeView s Redraw commands; it is the default. When you move to a node in the hierarchy, the tree will automatically be redrawn about this node showing its descendants.
Best Fit
This command is used to examine inconsistency. It identifies the judgment that is the most inconsistent and suggests what changes should be made to reduce inconsistency from a mathematical perspective. As a decision-maker you must determine if this is logical and what changes in judgment should be made versus what is recommended.
Bottom Up Structuring
A structuring process used to construct a model by first identifying alternatives; second identifying pros and cons for the alternatives; third converting pros and cons to objectives and sub-objectives. This approach is useful when more is known about the alternatives of choice than the objectives. See Top Down Structuring
-C DChild Node
A child node is a sub-objective of the node above it.
ClusterView
The ModelView's ClusterView pane is used to enter and cluster objectives and sub-objectives into categories. Any structural changes made in the ClusterView will be updated simultaneously in the ModelView's TreeView pane.
Comparisons - Modes of
There are three ways to enter pairwise comparisons: verbally, numerically and graphically.
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Complete Hierarchy
A complete hierarchy (model) has the same number of alternatives under each covering objective (lowest level objective) in the hierarchy. This is the default. See Incomplete Hierarchy.
Covering Objective
A covering objective is defined as the lowest level sub-objectives in the hierarchy (TreeView). In the Data Grid, the covering objectives are displayed as columns while the alternatives are displayed in the rows.
Criterion / Criteria
A criterion is a principle or a standard that an element is judged by and is often represented as a lowest level sub-objective. Throughout Expert Choice, the words criterion and objective are used interchangeably. The plural of criterion is criteria.
Distributive Synthesis
The distributive mode distributes the priorities of each covering objective among all the alternatives, thereby dividing its global priorities proportionately to the priorities of the alternatives beneath it. This method is used when all alternatives matter.
Data Grid
The Data Grid lists all alternatives in the model. Alternatives can be selected for extraction to the Alternatives pane of the ModelView. The Data Grid is also used to evaluate alternatives with respect to each covering objective in the model using one of five different formulas: Ratings, Step function, Increasing or Decreasing utility curves, and Direct entry of priorities.
Diagonal Pairwise
When making pairwise comparisons, one option is to make judgments on the diagonal of the matrix. This feature uses the minimum number of comparisons necessary to calculate priorities.
Diagonal Pairwise can also be used with the Data Grid to assess intensity scales that were created with the formula types of Ratings or the Step function.
- F GFormulas Grid
This grid displays the Data Grid's formulas per covering objective as well as its parameters. Use this grid to copy and paste formulas from one objective to another.
Gap Analysis
By establishing the distance that every alternative ranks from the ideal alternative you can perform a gap analysis; this can be viewed from the Data Grid. In addition, you can extract the ideal alternative and up to eight other alternatives from the Data Grid to the Alternatives Pane of the ModelView and then view the performance sensitivity graph for another form of gap analyses.
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Geometric Average
The geometric average is the nth root of a product of n numbers. If you have two numbers 6 and 24 the geometric average is 12 (6x24=144 raised to the power). If you have three numbers, 1, 3, and 9 the geometric average is 3 (271/3).
Geometric Indicator
The Geometric Indicator on the Data Grid shows that amount of variance in a set of group judgments. The more inconsistent the judgments the higher the indicator.
Global Alternatives
All alternatives displayed in the Data Grid are known as global alternatives. Only global alternatives can be deleted from the model. If you want to include a subset of the global alternatives in the ModelView's Alternative pane you must select and extract them. Active Alternatives
Global Priority
The priority of each node relative to the Goal is called the global priority. The global priorities of a node represent the portion of the parent's priority inherited by the child. The global priorities of all the children equal the parent's global priority. The global priority of a child equals the local priority of the child times the global priority of the parent. See Local Priority and Priority.
Goal Node
The goal node represents the problem to be solved and appears at the top of the hierarchy.
Grandchild
A grandchild node is a sub-sub-objective of two nodes above it.
- H IHierarchy
A hierarchy is a tree- like structure that is the used to decompose a decision problem. It has a topdown flow, moving from general categories (objectives) to more specific ones (sub-objectives and sub-sub-objectives).
Incomplete Hierarchy
An incomplete hierarchy (model) has a different number of alternatives under each covering objective. If this is the case then you must convert your model to an incomplete hierarchy that will
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display the objectives and alternatives in the TreeView rather than displaying the alternatives in the Alternatives pane. See Complete Hierarchy and Converting to an Incomplete Hierarchy.
Inconsistency Ratio
A measure of inconsistency used in Expert Choice when making paired comparisons. An inconsistency ratio is calculated for each set of judgments. Inconsistency follows the transitive property, for example, if you were to say that A > B, and B > C, then say that C > A, you would have been inconsistent.
Theoretical Information
The Inconsistency INDEX, not ratio, is calculated for each node (and its cluster of children), and multiplied by the priority of the node, and summed over the entire model. A similar calculation is done for the Inconsistency INDEX for random judgments. The Overall Inconsistency Ratio is the ratio of these two weighted sums. =========== It has been shown that for any matrix small perturbations in the entries imply similar perturbations in the eigenvalues; thus the eigenvalue problem for the inconsistent case is: A w = lambdamax w, where lambdamax will be close to n (actually greater than or equal to n) and the other lambdas will be close to zero. The estimates of the weights for the activities can be found by normalizing the eigenvector corresponding to the largest eigenvalue in the above matrix equation. The closer lambdamax is to n, the more consistent the judgments. Thus the difference, lambdamax - n, can be used as a measure of inconsistency (this difference will be zero for perfect consistency). Instead of using this difference directly, Saaty defined a consistency index as: (lambdamax - n)/(n-1) since it represents the average of the remaining eigenvalues. In order to derive an accurate interpretation of either the difference or the consistency index, Saaty simulated a very large number of random pairwise comparisons for different size matrices, calculating the consistency indices and arriving at an average consistency index for random judgments for each size matrix. He then defined the consistency ratio as the ratio of the consistency index for a particular set of judgments to the average consistency index for random comparisons for a matrix of the same size. Since a set of perfectly consistent judgments produces a consistency index of 0, the consistency ratio will also be zero. A consistency ratio of 1 indicates consistency akin to that which would be achieved if judgments were made at random rather than intelligently. This ratio is called the inconsistency ratio in Expert Choice, since the larger the value, the more inconsistent the judgments.
Information Document
Used to enter information about the goal, a particular objective, sub-objective or alternative in the hierarchy. When using a group model this feature is only available to the facilitator.
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Intensity Scales
When using the Data Grid, Intensity Scales are used with either Ratings or the Step function to measure data. These scales are often made up words such as Very Good, Good and Poor. The scale is then pairwise compared deriving priorities by which the alternatives are then compared.
Invert
This command switches the order of dominance between nodes in the pairwise comparison process.
Ideal Synthesis
The ideal mode of synthesis distributes the full priority of an objective to the alternative that ranks highest under that objective. The other alternatives are given a priority in proportion to each alternative and the highest alternative. Use the Ideal when you are only concerned about one alternative and the others will no longer be relevant.
-J L M NJudgment
A judgment expresses the strength of importance, preference or likelihood of one element over another with respect to the node above. Usually the judgments are made through a series of pairwise comparisons, although judgments can also be made by entering priorities directly, using Assessment, Direct.
Judgments are also made from the Data Grid, by comparing each alternative with respect to each covering objective's formula type.
Local Priority
The local priority represents the percentage of the parent node's priority that is inherited by the child. The local priorities of the children of a node also sum to one. See Global Priorities and Priority
ModelView
The main Expert Choice window shows either the TreeView (hierarchy of objectives), alternatives and an Information Document for the current node, or the ClusterView. When in the ClusterView you can see all the objectives and alternatives (top down structuring) or all the pros and cons and the alternatives that they point to (bottom up structuring). For more information see the Tutorial Structuring Lesson.
Node
Nodes represent the elements of a decision. A node may represent the goal, an objective, a subobjective or an alternative.
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Note
Each node of a model can have a corresponding note. The note may include detailed information that isn't in the definition, such as the information that was considered for a judgment. It is most useful when the group feature is enabled because each participant can enter his/her own comments. Notes can also be defined for each cell in the Data Grid.
-O P RObjective
An objective is something that is sought or aimed at in a decision. The word, objective, is sometimes interchangeably used with criterion or attribute. However it is Expert Choice's position that an attribute will point to a criterion and a criterion will point to an objective.
Parent Node
A parent node is any node in hierarchy that has children.
Plex
A Plex is defined to be the current node and all of its descendants.
Priority
The priority of a node is a numerical value represented as a percentage of one. It is derived from pairwise comparisons with respect to the parent node. The local priorities of the children of a node add up to one. The global priorities of a node represent the portion of the parent's priority inherited by the child. The global priorities of the children also sum to the parent's global priority. The global priority of a child equals the local priority of the child times the global priority of the parent.
Redraw
The redraw commands redraw the hierarchy, in the TreeView, about the current (highlighted) node showing its descendants.
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Autoredraw, the default, will automatically redraw the hierarchy about the current node when you move to it; it is displayed on the button bar with the left-hand icon. Redraw only works if Autoredraw is off; it is shown on the button bar with the right-hand icon. You must move to a node and double-click to expand or collapse that portion of the hierarchy. When at the ModelView's TreeView, depressing the first letter of a node name (or a series of characters) will take you to that node. This feature is not available from the Data Grid's TreeView.
Relative Measurement
In contrast to absolute measurement, relative measurement refers to the measurement of the priorities of the objective, sub-objective and alternatives as determined by comparing elements to each other. See Absolute Measurement.
Ratings
Ratings, is a Data Grid method used to evaluate a large numbers of alternatives. Scales of intensities are developed and prioritized; these measures are then used to judge each alternative.
- S TSensitivity Analysis
Sensitivity Analysis is used to investigate the sensitivity of the alternatives to changes in the priorities of the objectives. There are five types of sensitivity analyses: Performance, Dynamic, Gradient, 2-D plot, and Head-to-Head. Analyses can be performed from the Goal node or from the current node in the hierarchy such as an objective.
Sibling Node
Nodes that appear at the same level in the model, relative to the parent node, are known as siblings.
Step Function
The Step Function is one of five Data Grid Formula types and is similar to Ratings in that it consists of a scale or prioritized intensities. However the Step function automatically calculates the appropriate intensity for each alternative based on data entered in the Data Grid rather the using a word from a scale.
Structural Adjust
When making paired comparisons, the Structure button is used to structurally adjust a set of priorities based on the number of the current node's grandchildren. This feature should be used when you wish to prevent the dilution of the global weight of a grandchild simply because it has many siblings.
Structuring
This feature of Expert Choice facilitates the hierarchy building process by: 1) clustering objectives, or 2) defining alternatives and their associated pros and cons and then converting them to objectives.
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Sub-Objective (Sub-Criterion)
A sub-objective is a lower level objective of a parent.
Synthesis
This process shows the overall solution by synthesizing (combining) all global priorities for each alternative and then presents the results in graphic format. A synthesis can also be performed for other nodes in the hierarchy; this is known as an intermediate synthesis.
TreeView
The term TreeView in this manual refers to an Expert Choice hierarchy containing objectives and sub-objectives.
-U V W X Y ZUtility Curves
Two utility curves available from the Data Grid include either Increasing or Decreasing curves,) Like the step function, utility curves translate data into priorities. Where as the step function consists of discrete steps, a utility curve is continuous. In addition to being increasing or decreasing, either type can be linear or nonlinear, and when nonlinear, concave or convex.
What-if
What- if analysis can be performed with the Sensitivity Analyses Graphs to determine how the overall result would change if the priorities of the objectives were changed.
The Tutorials, also accessed from Expert Choice s Help menu, contain lessons for learning how to derive the most benefit from using Expert Choice.
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Lesson 1, Building a Model, will guide you through building a hierarchical model with objectives, sub-objectives and alternatives; making judgments to derive priorities; synthesizing to derive overall results; and performing sensitivity analyses. Lesson 2, Structuring, describes another way to build a model. With the top-down approach, you cluster objectives and then add alternatives. With the bottom-up approach you convert alternatives' pros and cons to objectives. This Lesson can be skipped the first time through the tutorials. Lesson 3, the Data Grid, explains the data grid and demonstrates Ratings, the first of several different approaches for translating data into values. Lesson 4 explains the remaining Data Grid approaches including: Step Functions, Increasing and Decreasing Utility Curves, and entering Priorities Directly. Lesson 5 addresses features available only in Team and Enterprise versions of Expert Choice. The lesson shows how to use the team version in a group setting using either a local area network or the Internet. Lesson 6, Web Models and the Internet demonstrates how to access Web models.
? ? ?
Take me to the Tutorials When done using the Tutorials just close the window to return to the this help document.
Shortcut Keys
Shortcut keys exist for many of the menu commands. (The shortcuts are listed when a menu is selected using the keyboard or the mouse.) Some of the most frequently used shortcut keys are: Shortcu Action t Key Ctrl-J Ctrl-H Ctrl-B Ctrl-I Ctrl-P Ctrl-L Ctrl-D Ctrl-E
Jumps back to the ModelView from any of the other tabs Inserts a child node in the hierarchy (TreeView) while in the ModelView Inserts a sibling node in the hierarchy while in the ModelView Inserts an "active" alternative while in the ModelView s Alternative pane Displays the current node's Pairwise Assessment pane Calculates the current nodes priorities Jumps to the Data Grid Edits the current node while in the ModelView
View tab
Use the View tab to change how various windows are displayed.
Alternatives pane
? ? Either Show Alternatives (the default) or Show Children of the current objective Show Priorities and Histogram (the default)
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Structuring tab and Data and Formulas Grids ? ? ? Show Global Alternatives' Ids -This is a database feature and will be useful if you access the Expert Choice model using Access or Sequel.) Show FullPath from the Goal (the default) - if deselected, only the covering objective will be displayed. Show Number of Characters - changes the default setting of either the Structuring objectives or the Data Grid columns to display the number of characters requested. (If the Data Grid Show FullPath is also selected the display could be very long.) All - displays all characters entered.
Note: You can also adjust the columns in grids using standard windows functions. However, these changes will not be permanent.
Calculation tab
Autoadvance After Judgment - advances to the next paired comparison to be made after 5 sec. This is the default. You can extend the time if desired. Note: If turned off you will have to click a cell in the matrix to move to the next judgment.
Judgment Order - determines the next paired comparison to be made. ? ? ? Next - moves to the next sequential paired comparison Randomize - randomly moves to a paired comparison. Diagonal - moves down the diagonal of the matrix.
Defer Calculations to Speed Operation if selected, you must manually calculate priorities by selecting the Calculate icon. The default is not to defer.
Open tab
File Open Options ? ? ? New Participants Not Permitted - only existing participants can access the model. The default. New Participants Permitted, No Password Required - permits a new participant to access a new instance of the model without a password. New Copy for New Participant, Registration Password Required - permits a new participant to access a new instance of the model with a password that has been provided. Once registered the participant can change the password.
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Copy to Participant Options - determines what information can be copied from the facilitator's instance of the model to the participant s instance. ? ? ? ? None - the default; no information will be copied; the participant must make judgments. Hierarchy Judgments and Priorities - copies only the judgments and derived priorities in the hierarchy. Copies the Data Grid Entries - only copies the data grid entries and derived priorities. Prompt the Participant - prompts the participant for the data that will be copied to the model. Note: The facilitator can select both hierarchy judgments and data grid entries.
Save tab
Always Save Backup Copies - this takes up a lot of disk space. Perform Autosave every 10 minutes - this is the default. Note: Both operations can be selected.
General tab
Structuring - enables or disables the ModelView's Structuring pane (another way to build a model).
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? ?
To enter zero, press the ten (10) key. To clear a value, press the asterisk key twice (**).
Each cell, if valued, is assigned a priority based on the bounds of the steps in the function.
2.
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3. 4. 5.
From the Pairwise Individual Window select and display one of the individual comparison windows by selecting the Verbal, Numerical, or Graphical tab. Now is the time to provide instruction and information about the first paired compared to be made. Display either the Poll or Vote window. ? The Poll window shows which keypads voted. This visual will let the facilitator know who voted without any participants looking at the judgments/votes entered. ? The Vote window shows the actual judgment entered by each individual.
6.
Turn on the receiver and keypads so each participant can enter a judgment (vote). Note: The facilitator may or may not turn the keypads off in between judgments. Tip: Turning the keypads off until voting helps the participants focus on discussion by not voting before discussion has ended.
7. 8.
After the participants vote the facilitator moves to the next paired comparison to be made and repeats steps 4 6. When the comparison process is completed, the facilitator calculates each individual s priority as well as the group priority.
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For example, when making graphical judgments pressing the numbers 1 or 2 on the keypad causes the bar to move left or right a large increment. Using 4 or 5 moves the bars moderately, while 7 and 8 move the bars slightly. Lastly the * (the asterisk key) and the 10 key move the bars a tad.
Each key press causes the bars to move either to the left or right. Data registration takes a second, so wait until you see the bars move before depressing another key.
To invert the judgment, switching the dominance of the judgment, from either the left to the right or vice versa, you must press 6. (To determine if you want to do this, look at the projected comparison window.)
For example, if you feel the paired comparison is equal you would press one. If you felt the comparison was 5 times more important you would press 5.
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Note: All keypad entries default to the first (left) factor being compared.
To invert the judgment, switching the dominance of the judgment, from the left to the right or vice versa, you must press * (the asterisk key) either before or after pressing the number that represents the verbal comparison. (To determine if you want to do this, look at the projected comparison window.)
The Details tab shows the priorities for each alternative with respect to each lowest level objective. The Details can be displayed with or without totals.
Note: You can drag and move a selected details' column to the left and the information shown will be displayed in the drag/move order.
Ideal Synthesis
Use the Ideal mode when you are concerned with choosing only one alternative - the best and the other alternatives will no longer matter. Choosing Synthesis Mode
The Ideal mode assigns the full weight of each covering objective to the alternative that ranks highest under it. The other alternatives receive a weight in proportion to the highest alternative per covering objective. The weights/priorities for all the alternatives are summed to display the best alternative.
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Note: If the same alternative is best for all of the objectives the alternative receives an overall value of one while the other alternatives receive proportionately less.
Distributive Synthesis
Use the Distributive mode when all alternatives matter. The Distributive mode distributes the weights of the objectives among the alternatives; thereby dividing the full objectives' weights into proportions relative to the percentage of preference of each of the alternatives. Choosing Synthesis Mode
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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Performance - selects the Performance Sensitivity graph. Dynamic - selects the Dynamic Sensitivity graph. Gradient - selects the Gradient Sensitivity graph. Head to Head - selects the Head to Head Sensitivity graph. 2D Plot - selects the Two Dimensional Plot.
Arrange - displays multiple graphs in the order they were opened. Open Four - opens all four Sensitivity graphs: Performance, Dynamic, Gradient, and Head to Head ? Close All - closes all sensitivity graphs that are currently open.
For example, if you feel the paired comparison is equal you would press one. If you felt the comparison was a magnitude of order in difference you would press 9. Remember you are not entering a number but are entering shorthand notation for the verbal comparison being made.
Note: All keypad entries default to the first (left) factor being compared.
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To invert the judgment, switching the dominance of the judgment, from the left to the right or vice versa, you must press * (the asterisk key) either before or after pressing the number that represents the verbal comparison. (To determine if you want to do this, look at the projected verbal comparison window.)
To clear a judgment, press the 10 key. The facilitator can enter judgments for participants by going to either their instance of the model or he/she can enter judgments for participants from Assessment Pairwise Individual or Assessment Individual (Data Grid) windows. This is useful when a participant requests that the facilitator change an entry.
Single queries:
Two examples of single queries are All and Participating. 1. 2. 3. The query for All is Select * from People order by PID This query displays all entries in the database. Select * means select all fields. From People refers to the participants table. Order by PID refers to each participant id defined. The query for Participating is Select * from People where Participating order by PID This query displays all records in the file whose Participating column is checked. 4. Select * from People Where Sex='F' is another singular query that will display all entries in the database who are female. Note the single quotes around F. 5. Select * from People Where Status ='Single' is another single query but requires 5 letters in quotes as this is what was entered in the Status column. Other entries might be Married, Divorced and Widowed. Similar quotes can be defined for other columns in the Participants table such as age and Incon (inconsistency).
Compound queries:
Compound queries have more than one condition; each condition is separated with AND. 1. 2. Select * from People where Participating and Sex = Fdisplays all females whose Participating column is checked. Select * from People Where Sex='F' and Age>20 and Age<30 This query displays all females who are greater than 20 and less than 30. This query does not require that the participating column be checked. It is not the intent of Expert Choice to provide SQL expertise and it is highly recommended that you consult an SQL reference.
96
? ? ? ?
Press the number that represents the ratings intensity such as 2 for Very Good. Press * (asterisk) to enter a decimal point and then enter a number such as 345. To record the decimal value of .345, you must press *. The sequence of key presses is our example is *345*. To enter zero, press the ten (10) key. To clear a rating, press the asterisk key twice (**).
97
four of the keypads will be passed to the next "wave" of participants (persons 9 12). Before they made their judgments, the facilitator would increase the wave number to 2. (This also requires that you change persons 9 12 to wave number 2 in the Participant Table.) ? Keypads off when you move If this box is checked the keypads will be turned off when you move to a new judgment to be made or a new cell in the Data Grid to be rated or valued. This feature permits the facilitator to control when judgments or data will be entered. Autokeypad If this box is checked then software will always attempt to turn on the keypads when a model is loaded. Anonymous If this box is checked then participantsnames, if entered are masked to person 1, person 2 etc. Future participants will also be masked. Templates button displays and prints the keypad templates as a participant aid. One template can be used when making verbal or numerical paired comparisons as well as entering Ratings or data values when at the Data Grid. The other template can be used when making graphical judgments.
? ? ?
You can reach the Keypad Options window from any paired comparison window or the Data Grid. ? ? From ModelView select Assessment then select Pairwise. Then select Assessment Individual.
? ?
Then from either individual window select File Keypads Options. You will be taken to a window where you will enter the information just specified. TIP: You may select any valid keypad number as the facilitator keypad; for simplicity we suggest using number 1. If you select this option many features can be accessed using this keypad rather than using the keyboard. Note: The facilitator keypad remains active (on) whenever the Receiver is on. (Should you use this option the facilitator keypad is not available for participant use.)
98
pressing and holding down the CLR button, but if you tell them how to do this it might lead to them experimenting and changing the ID s themselves.) An even better way is to remove all keypad numbers. Pass out the keypads randomly. Then in the middle of the session (or when ever desired) have the participants switch keypads. This has two negatives no one will be able to determine if they entered their votes correctly and you will not be able to get accurate group demographics.
99
3. 4.
Alter the embedded file using Excel. To close the embedded file and executing program, in this case, Excel, you must click x in the upperright corner of the window or press Alt-Spacebar.
Example Three: How to Open a Shortcut (link). 1. 2. 3. 4. From an opened or closed Information Document or an opened Note and double-click on the shortcut (link). Then you will be taken to that program. To close the program click x in the upper-right corner of the window. Then if need be closed the Information Document or Note.
Active Alternatives
Alternatives displayed in the ModelView's Alternatives pane are known as active alternatives. They can only be inactivated but not deleted.
Global Alternatives
All alternatives displayed in the Data Grid are known as global alternatives. Only global alternatives can be deleted from the model. If you want to include a subset of the global alternatives in the ModelView's Alternative pane you must select and extract them
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Index
2
2D.................................................................................................................................58 2-D ...............................................................................................................................85 2D Plot..............................................................................................................34, 40, 94
A
Abandon Changes ........................................................................................................16 Absolute Measurement ...........................................................................................78, 85 Accessing a Model Over the Web..................................................................................78 Active Alternatives ............................................................................................13, 43, 78 Active Participants ............................................................................................59, 77, 78 adding......................................................................................................... 13, 14, 15, 42 Information documents..................................................................................................14 Notes ............................................................................................................................15 Adding Alternatives in Bottom Up Structuring ................................................................22 Adding Alternatives in Top Down Structuring.................................................................21 Adding Alternatives to the Data Grid..............................................................................42 Adding Information Documents .....................................................................................14 Adding Notes ................................................................................................................15 Adding Pros and Cons for Each Alternative ...................................................................22 Adding the Objectives and Sub-objectives.....................................................................11 Adding the Objectives and Sub-objectives to ModelView's TreeView .............................11 All Pros/Cons ................................................................................................................63 Alternatives.............................................................. 10, 13, 14, 42, 43, 51, 61, 78, 79, 83 renaming.......................................................................................................................13 Alternatives pane ........................................................................................................87 Alts/Children/InfoDocs...................................................................................................62 analytical hierachy process (AHP) .................................................................................51 menu ............................................................................................................................51 Apply button..................................................................................................................75 Art of Modeling..............................................................................................................54 Assessed Indicators ......................................................................................................62 Assessment ................................................................................................ 24, 26, 79, 83 Assessment Menu Commands.................................................................... 23, 26, 27, 51 Autoadvance...........................................................................................................79, 88 Autoredraw .............................................................................................................79, 85
B
Best Fit ...................................................................................................................31, 79 Bottom up Structuring ...................................................................................................79 Bottom-up .....................................................................................................................20 Building the Hierarchy ...................................................................................................23
C
Calculation tab ..............................................................................................................88 Checkmark ...................................................................................................................43 Child Node....................................................................................................................79 Clipboard ................................................................................................................59, 60
101
ClusterView................................................................................................. 20, 63, 79, 83 Color Scheme Used with Team (Group) Models............................................................66 Combine Individuals Judgments....................................................................................77 Combined Model...........................................................................................................73 Creating........................................................................................................................73 Combining Individual Judgments from...........................................................................74 ModelView ....................................................................................................................74 Combining Individual Judgments from the ModelView ...................................................74 Combining Individual Judgments from the TreeView......................................................74 Combining Individuals Judgments from the Data Grid....................................................75 Combining Judgments and/or Data ...............................................................................73 Combining Judgments and/or Data from the Participants Table.....................................73 Commands Common to All Sensitivity Graphs...............................................................94 Common Keypad Troubleshooting Questions................................................................69 Comparisons - Modes of ...............................................................................................79 Complete Hierarchy ......................................................................................................80 Contract All ...................................................................................................................62 Conventions................................................................................................................... 9 Converting a Team (Group Model) ................................................................................66 Converting a Team (Group Model) from Version 9.5......................................................66 Converting from Version 9.5..........................................................................................19 Converting to an Incomplete Hierarchy....................................................................18, 81 Copy Formula .........................................................................................................43, 53 Copy Judgments/Data...................................................................................................61 Existing Participants......................................................................................................61 Copy Plex ...............................................................................................................12, 60 Copy Plex and Drag ......................................................................................................12 Copy to participants ......................................................................................................88 Copying ..................................................................................................................43, 61 Formula ........................................................................................................................43 N new people................................................................................................................61 Covering Objective............................................................................................43, 59, 80 Creatg Web Models .....................................................................................................77 Creating............................................................................................................10, 64, 73 Combined Model...........................................................................................................73 File ...............................................................................................................................10 Team Model..................................................................................................................64 Creating a Decreasing Utility Function in the Data Grid .................................................49 Creating a File (Model) and Goal Description ................................................................19 Creating a Ratings Formula in the Data Grid .................................................................45 Creating a Step Function in the Data Grid .....................................................................47 Creating a Team Model / Group Enabling......................................................................64 Creating an Increasing Utility Function in the Data Grid .................................................48 Criterion............................................................................................................11, 20, 84 Criterion / Criteria..........................................................................................................80 Ctrl-B ............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-D............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-E ............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-H............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-I..............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-J.............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-L.............................................................................................................................87 Ctrl-P ............................................................................................................................87 Current Node ..........................................................................................................11, 20 Insert Child ...................................................................................................................11 Insert Sibling .................................................................................................................11
102
D
Data Clear All................................................................................................................59 Data Grid ................................................................... 9, 13, 42, 43, 50, 79, 80, 83, 85, 88 Entering Priorities Directly in .........................................................................................50 Data Grid Edit Menu Commands...................................................................................59 Data Grid Overview.......................................................................................................41 Data Grid View Menu Commands .................................................................................62 Data Source Name........................................................................................................77 Data/Ratings Wizard .....................................................................................................54 Decreasing Utility Function............................................................................................49 Decreasing Utility Function Formula ..............................................................................49 Entering ........................................................................................................................49 Default Facilitator Menus...............................................................................................51 Defer Calculations.........................................................................................................88 Define Pros and Cons for Each Alterantive....................................................................22 Delete Node..................................................................................................................12 Deleting ........................................................................................................................12 Nodes ...........................................................................................................................12 Deleting Alternatives from .............................................................................................42 Data Grid ................................................................................................................42, 43 Deleting Alternatives from the Data Grid........................................................................42 Deleting an Information Document or Note ....................................................................16 Deleting Nodes in the ModelView's ClusterView ............................................................21 Deleting Nodes in the TreeView ....................................................................................12 Designating a Facilitator Keypad ...................................................................................97 Details ..........................................................................................................................58 Details tabs ...................................................................................................................93 Diagonal Radomize Sequential.....................................................................................................................88 Diagonal Pairwise ...................................................................................................29, 80 Direct......................................................................................................................59, 80 Direct Entry...................................................................................................................28 Priorities........................................................................................................................28 Direct- Instead ..............................................................................................................51 Display Priorities in ModelView......................................................................................16 Display priorities in TreeView ........................................................................................16 Displaying Priorities in ModelView .................................................................................16 Displaying the Current Nodes Children in the Alternatives Pane ....................................16 Distributive....................................................................................................................34 Distributive or Ideal mode........................................................................................58, 93 Distributive synthesis ........................................................................................33, 80, 94 DSN........................................................................................................................77, 78 creating a DSN model ...................................................................................................77 opening a DSN model ...................................................................................................53 Dynamic............................................................................................................34, 58, 85 Dynamic Sensitivity...........................................................................................36, 37, 95
E
Edit ............................................................................................................. 11, 20, 57, 60 edit menu......................................................................................................................60 inconsistency ..........................................................................................................30, 31 ratings...........................................................................................................................45 Empty Trash .................................................................................................................60 Enable Structuring ........................................................................................................20
103
Entering ................................................................................................ 45, 46, 47, 49, 50 Decreasing Utility Function Formula ..............................................................................49 Increasing Utility Curve Function Formula .....................................................................49 Intensity Name..............................................................................................................45 Rating ...........................................................................................................................45 Ratings Formula............................................................................................................45 Step Function Formula..................................................................................................47 Entering Individuals Judgments and Data in a Group Model .........................................71 Entering a Consensus Judgment...................................................................................71 Entering a Group Priority with keypads..........................................................................97 Entering a Group Rating with a keypad .........................................................................97 Entering a priority with keypads.....................................................................................97 Entering a Ratings with a Keypad..................................................................................97 Entering a Step Value with a Keypad ............................................................................89 Entering a Value for an Increasing or Decreasing Utility Curve ......................................49 Entering an Increasing Utility Curve Value in the Data Grid ...........................................49 Entering Data for a Utility Curve with the Keypad...........................................................97 Entering Group Data for a Utility Curve with the keypad.................................................97 Entering Priorities Directly in .........................................................................................50 Data Grid ......................................................................................................................50 Entering Priorities Directly in the Data Grid....................................................................50 Entering Step Intensities ...............................................................................................47 Entire Plex ....................................................................................................................51 Erase Judgments ..........................................................................................................51 Erase Judgments ..........................................................................................................51 Entire Plex ....................................................................................................................51 Erase Node's Judgments ..............................................................................................51 Examples and Explanations of Queries .........................................................................96 Excel.............................................................................................................................59 Existing Participants......................................................................................................62 Copy Judgments/Data...................................................................................................61 Exit - Ends ....................................................................................................................53 Expand All ....................................................................................................................62 Extract Selected................................................................................................13, 43, 59 Hierarchy ......................................................................................................................13
F
Facilitator......................................................................................................................73 Facilitator Menus Overview ...........................................................................................70 File ...............................................................................................................................53 Delete - Deletes ............................................................................................................53 Open - Opens ...............................................................................................................53 File Menu Commands ...................................................................................................53 File Structure ..........................................................................................................19, 67 Finish Top Down Structuring .........................................................................................21 First Create a File (Model) and Goal Description ...........................................................19 First Level .....................................................................................................................62 Formula Grid............................................................................................... 43, 54, 80, 87 Formula Grid Menu .......................................................................................................80 Formulas Grid ...............................................................................................................80 Formulas Grid Menu .....................................................................................................80 Formulas Grid Menu Commands...................................................................................53 FormulaType...........................................................................................................47, 49
104
G
Gap Analysis.................................................................................................................80 General tab.............................................................................................................58, 89 Geometric Average .......................................................................................................81 Geometric Indicator.......................................................................................................81 Getting Started..............................................................................................................10 Global Alternatives..................................................................................................78, 81 Global Priority ...................................................................................................62, 81, 84 Go Menu Commands ....................................................................................................54 Goal..................................................................................................................58, 81, 83 Goal Description ...........................................................................................................10 Goal Node ....................................................................................................................81 Gradient............................................................................................................34, 58, 85 Gradient Sensitivity .................................................................................................38, 95 Grandchild ....................................................................................................................81 graphical.................................................................................................................27, 28 making judgments.........................................................................................................27 Graphical Comparison Mode.........................................................................................81
H
Head to Head Sensitivity ...............................................................................................39 Head_to_head ........................................................................................................34, 58 Head_to_Head Sensitivity .......................................................................................39, 94 Head-to-Head .........................................................................................................39, 85 selecting .......................................................................................................................39 help ..............................................................................................................................54 menu ............................................................................................................................54 Help Menu ....................................................................................................................54 Hide Ideal .....................................................................................................................89 Hierarchy ...................................................................................12, 13, 21, 79, 80, 81, 86 Extract Selected............................................................................................................13 Hierarchy building .........................................................................................................85 Home icon ....................................................................................................................34 How the Hardware and Keypads are Activated..............................................................70 How the Hardware and Keypads are Used ....................................................................70 How the Hardware and Keypads are Used. ...................................................................70 How to Synthesize ........................................................................................................34
I
Ideal..............................................................................................................................34 Ideal Synthesis .................................................................................................33, 83, 93 Importing & Exporting to Excel ......................................................................................32 Importing & Exporting to/from any Pairwise Window ......................................................32 Importing & Exporting to/from Data Grid ........................................................................44 Improving Inconsistency..........................................................................................30, 31 Inactivate .........................................................................................................13, 60, 61 Inactivate All ...........................................................................................................13, 60 inactivating alternatives .................................................................................................13 inactivating and reactivating ..........................................................................................13 Inactivating and Reactivating Alternatives......................................................................13 Include Ideal Alternative................................................................................................89 Incomplete Hierarchy .................................................................................. 18, 30, 53, 81 Inconsistencies .......................................................................................................30, 79 Understanding ........................................................................................................30, 31 Inconsistency INDEX ....................................................................................................82
105
Inconsistency Ratio...........................................................................................30, 31, 82 Increasing Utility Curve Function ...................................................................................48 Increasing Utility Curve Function Formula .....................................................................49 Entering ........................................................................................................................49 Increasing Utility Function .......................................................................................48, 49 Interpreting ...................................................................................................................48 Index.............................................................................................................................54 Information Document.......................................................................................59, 82, 83 Information documents..................................................................................................14 Adding ..........................................................................................................................14 Insert Child .............................................................................................................11, 60 Current Node ................................................................................................................11 Insert Sibling ...........................................................................................................11, 60 Current Node ................................................................................................................11 Intensity ........................................................................................................................85 Intensity Scales.............................................................................................................83 Interpreting .............................................................................................................46, 48 Increasing Utility Function .............................................................................................48 Rating .....................................................................................................................45, 46 Step Function................................................................................................................47 Interpreting a Rating......................................................................................................46 Interpreting a Step Function ..........................................................................................48 Interpreting an Increasing or Decreasing Utility Function ...............................................50 Interpreting the Step Function .......................................................................................47 Introduction.................................................................................................................... 9 Invert ............................................................................................................................83 Invert icon .........................................................................................................24, 26, 27
J
Judgment......................................................................................................................83 Judgment Order............................................................................................................88 Judgments ............................................................................................ 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
K
Keypad Hardware .........................................................................................................67
L
Local Priority.....................................................................................................62, 83, 84 lower bound of step function..........................................................................................47
M
Made Active..................................................................................................................43 Make Group Graphical Judgments ................................................................................72 Using Keypads..............................................................................................................72 Make Group Judgments Using the Data Grid.................................................................72 Make Group Numerical Judgments ...............................................................................72 Using Keypads..............................................................................................................72 Make Group Verbal Judgments ...............................................................................72, 95 Using Keypads........................................................................................................72, 95 Making a Factor Dormant from the Pairwise Comparison Matrix ....................................29 Making Diagonal Pairwise Judgments ...........................................................................29 making factors dormant...........................................................................................51, 58 assessment...................................................................................................................51 edit ...............................................................................................................................60 participant .....................................................................................................................57
106
sensitivity......................................................................................................................58 synthesize.....................................................................................................................58 Making Graphical Judgments ..................................................................................23, 27 Making Group Graphical judgments ..............................................................................91 Making Group Numerical Judgments.............................................................................92 Making Individual Judgments (Pairwise Comparisons) ..................................................72 Making Individual Judgments (Pairwise Comparisons) On a Network or the Web ..........72 Making Individual Judgments (Pairwise Comparisons) With Keypads ............................72 Making Individual Judgments Using the Data Grid.........................................................72 Making Individual Judgments Using the Data Grid on a Network or the Web .................72 Making Individual Judgments Using the Data Grid With Keypads ..................................73 Making Numerical Judgments .................................................................................23, 26 Making Paired Comparisons ......................................................................... 9, 23, 51, 85 Making Verbal Judgments.......................................................................................23, 24 Model........................................................................................................................9, 53 Building.......................................................................................................................... 9 Creating......................................................................................................................... 9 opens............................................................................................................................53 ModelView ............................................................................................ 10, 54, 60, 79, 83 ModelView Overview.....................................................................................................10 ModelView View Menu Commands ...............................................................................62 ModelView's Alternatives.........................................................................................59, 78 ModelView's Assessment menu ....................................................................................51 ModelView's ClusterView ..............................................................................................21 Deleting Nodes in..........................................................................................................21 ModelView's TreeView ..................................................................................................11 Renaming Nodes in.......................................................................................................11 Moving....................................................................................................................12, 21 Nodes ....................................................................................................................12, 21 Moving Nodes in the ClusterView ..................................................................................21
N
New - Creates ...............................................................................................................53 New Copy .....................................................................................................................88 New Participant.............................................................................................................88 New Participant.............................................................................................................88 New Copy .....................................................................................................................88 NewTopic 1...................................................................................................................21 Next Unassessed ..........................................................................................................54 Node..................................................................................................... 12, 21, 60, 61, 83 Deleting ........................................................................................................................12 Moving....................................................................................................................12, 21 None.............................................................................................................................59 None - Deleting a Formula Type....................................................................................43 Note........................................................................................................................60, 84 Notes ............................................................................................................................15 Adding ..........................................................................................................................15 numerical..........................................................................................................26, 27, 51 making judgments.........................................................................................................26 Numerical Comparison Mode ........................................................................................84 Numerical equivilents ....................................................................................................26 numerical representations of verbal judgments..............................................................94
O
O o Importance .............................................................................................................51
107
O o Likelihood...............................................................................................................51 O o Preference .............................................................................................................51 Object Linking & Embedding .........................................................................................99 Object Linking & Embedding Other Files in Information Dcouments or Notes.................99 Object Linking & Embedding Other Files in Information Documents or Notes.................99 Object Linking and Embedding......................................................................................99 Objective....................................................................................................... 9, 83, 84, 86 objectives.............................................................................................. 10, 11, 20, 51, 60 Only Selected Covering.................................................................................................59 Open - Opens ...............................................................................................................53 file.................................................................................................................................53 Open Four Graphs ........................................................................................................58 Open tab.................................................................................................................58, 88 Opening..................................................................................................................17, 65 Existing Model ..............................................................................................................17 Team Model..................................................................................................................65 Opening a Model.....................................................................................................17, 65 Opens...........................................................................................................................53 model............................................................................................................................53 options..........................................................................................................................28 Other Expert Choice Documentation .............................................................................86
P
paired comparisons..................................................................................... 17, 29, 51, 86 Pairwise ..................................................................................................................51, 79 Pairwise Comparison Process........................................................................................ 9 pairwise comparisons............................................... 12, 23, 29, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 90 copying .........................................................................................................................12 Pairwise Comparisons / Paired Comparisons ................................................................84 Pairwise Comparisons / Paired ComparisonsMaking_Paired_Comparisons...................84 Pairwise Individual Menu...............................................................................................55 Pairwise Individual Menu Commands ............................................................................55 Parent Node..................................................................................................................84 Participants.......................................................................................................64, 65, 84 Participants Table .................................................................................................65, 73 Combining Judgments and/or Data from .......................................................................73 Participants Table Commands.......................................................................................57 Participants Table Edit Menu Commands ......................................................................61 Participants window ......................................................................................................75 Participating..................................................................................................................65 Paste All .......................................................................................................................59 Paste Children ..............................................................................................................60 Perform Autosave .........................................................................................................89 Performance .....................................................................................................34, 58, 85 Performance Sensitivity...........................................................................................36, 95 Plex ..................................................................................................................51, 60, 84 Print - Prints ..................................................................................................................53 Print Preview.................................................................................................................53 Print Report...................................................................................................................53 Printing and Reports .................................................................................................9, 50 Priority ........................................................................................................ 28, 81, 83, 84 Direct Entry...................................................................................................................28 Priority Fills .............................................................................................................10, 62 Priority Results..............................................................................................................16 ProCon .........................................................................................................................63 Programming the Keypads ............................................................................................68
108
Q
query ................................................................................................................75, 76, 77 Quick Start Guide......................................................................................................9, 54
R
Rating ...........................................................................................................................46 Entering ........................................................................................................................45 Interpreting .............................................................................................................45, 46 Ratings ............................................................................................. 9, 45, 46, 80, 83, 85 Entering ........................................................................................................................45 Ratings Formula............................................................................................................45 Entering ........................................................................................................................45 Ratings Overview..........................................................................................................45 reactivating alternatives.................................................................................................13 Receiver and Keypad Hardware Overview ....................................................................67 Redraw ...................................................................................................................84, 85 Relative Measurement ............................................................................................78, 85 Renaming Alternatives in the ModelView.......................................................................13 Renaming Nodes in the ModelView's TreeView.............................................................11 Replicate.......................................................................................................................59 All Participants ..............................................................................................................59 Respect ........................................................................................................................58 Current Node ................................................................................................................58 Goal..............................................................................................................................58 results...........................................................................................................................16 Revert......................................................................................................... 17, 54, 59, 61 rollup.............................................................................................................................18
S
Save As ........................................................................................................................53 Save Backup Copies.....................................................................................................89 Save tab .................................................................................................................58, 89 Saves ...........................................................................................................................53 Select All/DeSelect All...................................................................................................59 Select FormulaType ......................................................................................................50 Selected Parent Plex.....................................................................................................59 Selecting............................................................................................... 35, 37, 38, 39, 40 2-D Plot.........................................................................................................................40 Sensitivity-Graphs....................................................................................... 35, 36, 38, 40 Selecting Keypad Options .............................................................................................97 Selecting Synthesis Type ..............................................................................................34 Sensitivity Analyses Graphs ..........................................................................................86 Sensitivity Analysis............................................................................................34, 35, 85 sensitivity graphs ........................................................................................ 35, 36, 38, 58 dynamic sensitivity ........................................................................................................36 gradient sensitivity ..................................................................................................38, 39 performance sensitivity..................................................................................................35 Sensitivity-Graphs.........................................................................................................35 selecting .......................................................................................................................35 Sensitivity-Graphs Menu Commands.............................................................................58 Shortcut Keys..............................................................................................................87 Sibling Node .................................................................................................................85 Sort Cluster...................................................................................................................60 Specifying .....................................................................................................................53 URL ..............................................................................................................................53
109
SQL Queries .................................................................................................................75 SQL query ....................................................................................................................57 Step Function.......................................................................................... 9, 47, 80, 83, 85 Interpreting ...................................................................................................................47 Step Function Formula..................................................................................................47 Entering ........................................................................................................................47 Step Function Overview ................................................................................................46 Structural Adjust................................................................................................23, 30, 85 Structuring ................................................................................................................9, 85 Sub-Objective ...................................................................................................11, 21, 83 Sub-Objective (Sub-Criterion)........................................................................................86 Sub-sub-objective .........................................................................................................81 Summary tab ................................................................................................................93 synthesis.......................................................................................................................93 Synthesis ................................................................................................ 9, 33, 34, 86, 93 distributive synthesis .....................................................................................................33 ideal synthesis ..............................................................................................................33 summary Tab................................................................................................................93 Synthesis Mode ............................................................................................................62 Synthesis Overview.......................................................................................................33 Synthesis Summary Tab ...............................................................................................93 synthesize menu ...........................................................................................................65 opening.........................................................................................................................65 Synthesize Menu Commands........................................................................................58 Synthesize Summary ....................................................................................................58 Synthesizing................................................................................................................34 Group...........................................................................................................................34 Synthesizing Overview ..................................................................................................33
T
Team Expert Choice ...................................................................................................... 9 Team Model............................................................................................................64, 65 Creating........................................................................................................................65 Opening........................................................................................................................65 The Facilitator's Role.....................................................................................................63 Tools Options Menu ......................................................................................................58 Top Down or Bottom Up................................................................................................19 Top Down Structuring ...................................................................................................86 Top-down......................................................................................................................20 Transformation - a Special Case .............................................................................43, 90 trash can..................................................................................................... 12, 21, 60, 62 TrashCan......................................................................................................................12 TreeView ...................................................................................10, 11, 60, 79, 83, 86, 88 Tutorials....................................................................................................................9, 54
U
Understanding Inconsistency ........................................................................................30 Undo.......................................................................................................................17, 59 URL ........................................................................................................................53, 77 specifying......................................................................................................................53 Use .........................................................................................................................93, 94 Distributive..............................................................................................................93, 94 Ideal..............................................................................................................................93 Use Keypads to Make Group Verbal Judgments...........................................................95 Use Keypads to Make Group Graphical Judgments.......................................................91
110
Use Keypads to Make Group Numerical Judgments......................................................92 Using Keypads Anonymously........................................................................................98 Using Keypads to Make Group Verbal Judgments........................................................95 Using Keypads to Make Verbal Judgments ..................................................................95 Using Keypads to Make Graphical Judgments...............................................................91 Using Keypads to Make Group Graphical Judgments ....................................................91 Using Keypads to Make Group Numerical Judgments ...................................................92 Using Keypads to Make Numerical Judgments..............................................................92 Using Keypads to Make Verbal Judgments ...................................................................95 Utility Curves.......................................................................................................9, 80, 86 Utility Curves Overview .................................................................................................48
V
Values ..........................................................................................................................47 Entering ........................................................................................................................48 verbal.......................................................................................................... 24, 25, 26, 51 making judgments.........................................................................................................24 Verbal Comparison Mode..............................................................................................86 Verbal Comparisons window .........................................................................................24 View Children..........................................................................................................60, 62 Current Node ..........................................................................................................60, 61 View tab..................................................................................................................58, 87 View the List of All Pros and Cons.................................................................................22
W
Web..............................................................................................................................55 Expert Choice ...............................................................................................................55 Web Models........................................................................................................9, 53, 77 Creating........................................................................................................................77 What the Facilitator Does ..............................................................................................90 What-if ..........................................................................................................................86 When to Use the Data Grid ...........................................................................................42
111