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Introduction
123ahp.com is a multi-objective decision support tool based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a mathematical theory first developed at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania by Thomas L. Saaty. The AHP is a powerful and comprehensive methodology designed to facilitate decision making by using both empirical data as well as subjective judgments of the decision-maker.
AHP has a unique method of using pairwise comparisons to derive priorities that can more accurately reflect your perceptions and values than any other way.
The concepts used in 123ahp.com:
Decision – the act of choosing or selecting, the act of deciding to do something of concluding or of the passing of judgment on an issue under consideration
Decision-making - a process of selecting a logical choice from the available options
Terminology used in 123ahp.com
123ahp.com facilitates decision making among several alternatives and criteria.
Model – the model in 123ahp.com represents the hierarchical decision model with criteria and alternatives important for decision-making
Title – the name of model and decision, named by the user, a short description of the problem user wants to solve
Alternative - an option; a situation that allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities, propositions or courses of action that can be chosen ;
Criteria - a principle or a standard that an element is judged; a rule or principle for evaluating something; criterion.
Pairwise comparison - a process of comparing relative importance or preference of two elements, concerning another element. When trying to make a good decision, a person must weigh the positives and negatives of each option, and consider all the alternatives.
Moderator – role in 123ahp.com for the user that initiates the AHP model with criteria and alternatives for decision making in which the contribution of other participants is expected.
Participant – invited user, by the Moderator, where his contribution in pairwise comparisons under one criterion or full decision model is expected.
Mode – a particular way of doing something, in 123ahp.com, the way of collecting pairwaise comparisons for the decision model.
Modes
As a registered user, you can use the following modes of this web application:
1. Single-mode - standard AHP modeling, includes a pairwise comparison of alternatives among criteria
2. Team-mode - a mode with the possibility to invite another user (friend, coworker, expert) to help you in evaluation in one or more criteria. Moderator sends invitations to a participant by email, with instructions about decision problems and registration on 123ahp.com. Moderator considers participants' answers but independently decides about the problem.
3. Group-mode – mode in which one group wants to make a decision. Moderator sends the link to each participant by email with link and instruction about the model and registration. Each participant evaluates alternatives through all criteria of the model defined by the moderator. The decision combines pairwise comparison from each participant.
Sections in 123ahp.com:
1. New model – start new single, team or group decision model
2. Method - From the home page, users can read basic information of AHP method
3. Links – access to other similar sites and video tutorials
4. Library – other users models and templates that can be customized and modified
5. Examples – some samples of practical single, team and group decision making
How to use modes in 123ahp.com
How to use basic Single mode:
1. Click on New model
2. Choose Single, Team or Group mode (now we'll show how to use Single mode)
3. Specify Title of model
4. Specify alternatives important for your decision. We recommend that you specify 2-5 alternatives. The maximum number of alternatives you can initiate is 15.
5. Specify criteria (maximum number is also 15).
6. You can add more alternatives and criteria as a registered user.
7. Click on Next to get on the criteria preferences page. Use the scale from 1 do 9 to define the importance of criteria.
8. After pairwise comparison, click on the Next step. A registered user can save the model (Save it for later) to finish comparison later.
9. The next step is defining the importance of alternatives by each criterion.
10. Continue with comparison to get results.
11. Results are presented in 3 forms (decision, criteria importance, alternatives rankings with structure)
12. Registered user can Save model - option at the bottom of the page
13. You can check benefits compared to the cost to compare the rank of your alternatives with their costs
How to use Team mode:
(as moderator):
Registered users can access Team mode. Registration is free and simple.
1. Click on New model at home page
2. Choose– Team mode
3. Specify Title of the model
4. Specify alternatives important for your decision. The maximum number of alternatives you can specify is 15. We recommend decision-making with 2-5 alternatives.
5. Specify criteria important for your decision. (also maximum number is 15).
6. The next step is choosing a team of participants. For every criterion, the team moderator can send an email to a participant, and some other reminder and comment. After specifying criteria for which are requested evaluations from other participants, confirm to get an email with links for evaluations for participants in your mail.
7. Expect an email with links for participants. We recommend that the moderator sends them separately, to each participant, from which is expected to receive a pairwise comparison for the requested criteria. Moderator sends invitations to a participant by email with instructions about the decision problem. To participate in the decision-making, participants should register at 123ahp.com.
8. When the participant finishes the evaluation of alternatives by the requested criterion, the moderator will be informed by email. After each participant finishes evaluations, the moderator can find his team model in My models – Team - Team Decisions I'm Leading.
9. Moderator considers participants' answers but independently decides about the criteria.
10. The moderator can use evaluations from participants by using options Load preferences from participants under specific criteria.
Team mode as participant:
1. The participant receives an email from a moderator with the link for specific criteria and instruction
2. The participant can evaluate alternatives by criterion assigned to him.
3. The participant can save his evaluation and finish it later. When participants` pairwise comparison of alternatives by specific criteria is finished, the participant use option Save and Lock . Only then his comparisons are shown to the moderator.
4. Participant models are saved in My models – Team - Team Decisions I'm Participating In.
How to use Group mode:
Group mode as moderator:
Registered users can access Group mode. Registration is free and simple.
1. Click on New model at home page
2. Select mode – Group
3. Specify Title of model
4. Specify alternatives important for your decision. The maximum number of alternatives you can specify is 15. We recommend decision-making with 2-5 alternatives. Specify criteria ( maximum 15).
5. In the Group mode – The moderator chose group participants. After choosing group associates, confirms with Send to get an email with links for participants in his mailbox.
6. The Moderator expects mail with links for participants. We recommend that the moderator sends them separately to each participant from which he would like to receive a pairwise comparison for the group model. Moderator sends invitations to a participant by email with instructions about decision problems.
7. When the participant finishes with his model, a moderator will be informed by email. Moderator can find his group model in My models – Group - Group Decisions I'm Leading.
Group mode as participant:
1. The participant for Group mode receives mail from a moderator with the link for group decision making.
2. After signing in or registration on 123ahp.com, the participant can pairwise compare alternatives by criteria.
3. Each participant evaluates alternatives through the whole model.
4. The participant can save his model and finish it or change later (click on Save it for later).
5. After getting the result, the participant has to Lock the model at the bottom of the page. Then his decision can be combined by Moderator with other locked decisions from other participants
6. Models evaluated by participants are saved in My models – Group - Group Decisions I'm Participating In.
My models
Saved Models of a registered user are in My models' section. The section has three parts – Single, Team, and Group models.
Single models:
Single models consist of models that can be reviewed, changed, or deleted by clicking on their icon on the right side of the page. Initiated and created by single user.
Team models:
(Moderator role)
Team Decisions I'm Leading models in which the user is a moderator of the decision-making
A registered user can see a list of models with their alternatives, criteria, and participants. When participant locks answers, for his criteria green mark appears next to his name (email, comment, etc…)
(Participant role)
Team decision I'm Participating In – users models as a participant in Team mode decision making
In Team decision I'm Participating In – evaluation for a requested criterion can be reviewed, changed, deleted for that specific criterion. A participant can also check if the Moderator locks the full model. The model can also be reviewed, changed, deleted, and edited.
Group models:
Group Decisions I'm Leading - The list of models in which a user is a moderator of decision-making. The moderator can lock model, change participants by sending emails or removing them, and reviewing group decisions. The green icon appears when participants finish and lock their models.
Group decision I'm Participating In - The list of models in which user participates in decision making. There are listed alternatives and criteria. A participant can compare alternatives and criteria several times before the final decision approved for Group decision-making. The user can save them and start with new evaluations for the same model.
After different possible evaluations of the same decision model, the participant can decide which one to choose for combined group decision-making by click on that field near the chosen model and Confirm decision. The models can be deleted, but only before the moderator locks group decision. After that, the participant can't withdraw his decision for the group model.
Library
The library includes models that are suggested by users. It contains some interesting and representative examples of decision making. They can be filtered by categories like business, fun, or traveling and reviewed by title, rating, date, nickname, category, and views. Each model contains name, alternatives and criteria, category, description, and number of views. It is possible to view the full model and get the same template that users can modify. Registered users can suggest each of their model for the library.
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