Out of the mist–towards decision-maker-friendly multiple criteria decision making support

The number of real applications of interactive multiple criteria decision making methods is still modest despite the existence of computer realizations which operationalize them. We attribute this fact to high complexity of the methods as perceived by real decision makers. Much of this complexity can be attributed to third phase of decision selection processes which comprise intelligence, design, choice, and review. The paper concentrates on issues related to the choice phase. A way to abate this complexity is to provide descriptions of the methods on two separate levels: the methodological level and the technical level. In general the decision maker is interested only in issues which directly pertain to the choice process, and not in technical details. The effect of separating methodological issues from technical ones is a better focus on each of the two aspects. Developments on each level can take place independently, provided that there is a common standard of communication between these levels. The aim of this paper is twofold. First we show the majority of MCDM methods fall into one of two prototypical classes. We also show that these two prototypical classes support a common standard of communication between the methodological and technical levels of method implementations. With a communication standard established, one backbone technical level computing engine can serve either MCDM method class. Second, we show how in the weight method class the need of solving optimization problems can be eliminated from interactive choice processes. We present a technical development by which such an elimination is possible.